Cognitive-constructivist model and the acquisition of mathematics knowledge according to Gagné’s taxonomy

Abstract

School reforms aim to achieve lasting knowledge for pupils. Some researchers have shown that lasting knowledge can be achieved through a cognitive-constructivist model of instruction, as pupils discover concepts themselves and are active in the classroom. In this paper, we aimed at investigating whether pupils who are exposed to a cognitive-constructivist model of instruction are more successful in solving mathematical tasks than those who are not exposed to a cognitive-constructivist model of instruction. For this purpose, we have designed an experiment involving 252 pupils of the 3rd grade of primary school: of these, 100 were included in the experimental group receiving constructivist mathematics instruction, while the remaining 152 pupils constituted the control group. The study showed that the experimental group performed better in solving mathematical problems which involve all three taxonomic levels according to Gagné.   Keywords: cognitive-constructivist model, acquisition, mathematics, Gagné taxonomy, experimental group.