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Case Study as a Constructivist Pedagogy for Teaching Educational Psychology

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Abstract

Recent interest and inquiry into constructivism, pedagogical content knowledge, and case study methodology are influencing the content and goals of educational psychology in teacher preparation. The reasons seem clear: The content of educational psychology lends itself to authentic, active, and pragmatic applications of theory to school practices, as well as to investigations of a variety of educational issues, perspectives, and contexts which can be viewed through case study, a constructivist problem-based approach to learning. Widely-used educational psychology texts are including constructivism as a cognitive alternative to behaviorist and information processing views of teaching and learning. Concurrently, case studies are being integrated in educational psychology texts, and a myriad of case texts have appeared with application to educational psychology courses. This article considers the decisions, benefits, and difficulties in teaching educational psychology through a constructivist case study approach.

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Sudzina, M.R. Case Study as a Constructivist Pedagogy for Teaching Educational Psychology. Educational Psychology Review 9, 199–260 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024744613867

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