Different Approaches – Common Implications: Brain-Based And Constructivist Learning From A Paradigms And Integral Model Perspective

SYNOPSIS INTRODUCTION Brain-based learning, a recent approach in the educational literature, is related with the structure and the relation of the functioning of the brain with learning. The pioneers of this approach (Caine & Caine, 1994) have come up with principles about brain and learning. Another recent approach, constructivism, is also concerned with teaching and learning and has brought innovative perspectives to the field of education. Although these brain-based and constructivist learning approaches appear as separate domains in the educational literature, when examined closely, it emerges that they have similar fundamental principles. In a limited number of studies related with these two approaches, there is only a cursory mention of their similarities stating that constructivist learning models are brain-compatible (Gülpınar, 2005). The purpose of this study is to closely analyze brain-based and constructivist learning approaches, to reveal their relationship, and in light of paradigms and the integral model, to elaborate on the meaning and importance of this relationship for the field of education and educational research.