Constructivism in European school education: A qualitative systematic review

This paper undertakes a qualitative systematic review focusing on the definition and application of the concept 'constructivism' within primary and secondary school education, covering students aged from 6 to 18 years, corresponding to ISCED (International Standard Classification of Education) stages 1, 2 and 3. In recent years, there has been increasing discourse advocating for a paradigm shift towards constructivism in educational studies. Yet, within the realm of school education, there exists considerable diversity among authors in their interpretations of constructivism, contributing to a wide range of perspectives on its practical implementation. The aim of this study is to investigate how research literature in the field of school education defines and applies constructivism, and to describe the possible factors contributing to varying interpretations of constructivism. A review of peer-reviewed scientific articles on the practical implementation of constructivism in Europe encompassed studies from 37 countries - Eurydice Network national units (27 EU Member States along with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of North Macedonia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland and Türkiye). The study utilised following databases: EBSCOhost (including Academic Search Ultimate, Academic Search Complete, Central & Eastern European Academic Source, ERIC), Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science. 33 articles that met the search criteria were chosen for analysis. As a result of the review, four conceptual categories were identified and formulated: Individual domain, Social domain, Cognitive domain, and Emotional domain. Various theoretical paradigms as potential causes for the diversity of definitions are posited. The results from this study can assist educators in gaining a deeper understanding and application of the constructivism concept. The core categories identified in definitions and usage of constructivism represent an asset for school pedagogy, applicable in both theory and practice.