Constructivism and Students With Special Needs

Two important issues are at the heart of intense debate and a number of reforms concerning today's schools. One of these is pedagogy -- the art of science and teaching. A second issue regards the goals of education. Although there is widespread agreement that education involves far more than rote learning, debate continues regarding what the goals of education should be and how they should be pursued.

This special issue focuses on the implications of constructivism for students with special needs--including those with learning disabilities (LD)--particularly within the current movement toward inclusion. Contributing authors were asked to consider applied classroom concerns. A central issue identified throughout was the tension between maintaining authentic, meaningful context for learning emphasized in constructivist principles and providing the level of explicit instruction needed for all students to gain important skills and strategies. Contributors provide both exemplars of integrative instruction and careful consideration of multiple issues faced by educators and students alike as they move toward implementation of constructivist principles in diverse classrooms.