Page 12 - Mini-Module 12

and conveying concepts and generalizations” (Morine‐Dershimer &
Kent, 1999, p.28). Inductive thinking, concept attainment, and advance
organizers are some of the instructional models of this family. Third,
models in the Personal Family focus on developing self‐regulating
capabilities of the individual, which is consistent with the principle of
self‐directed learning in the issue‐enquiry approach. As for models in
the Behavioral Systems Family, they focus on developing capabilities
for behavioral change based on feedback. Well‐designed direct
instruction that enables students to construct meaning through
cognitive processes can also foster constructivist learning. On this
account, the models in the Behavioral Systems Family can thus be used
to guide students to construct knowledge in an issue‐enquiry of Liberal
Studies.

Nonetheless, as regards teacher knowledge construction on ways to
increase student capabilities for higher cognitive processes, many
educational researchers (see, for example, Duffy, 1997; Hopkins, 2001)
have argued for empowering teachers to be in charge of their own
instructional design. According to Duffy (1997), the question is not
“Which instructional model should teachers use?” but, rather, “What
should we teach teachers about how to use instructional models?”
(p.351). Instead of passively following instructional models, teachers
should make sense of them in their context of teaching. Hopkins (2001)
adds that “the teacher’s task is not simply to teach, but to create
powerful contexts for learning” (p.72), and that “it is the integration of
‘content, process and social climate’ that puts the ‘power’ into
powerful learning experience” (p.73).

12
12