ABSTRACT
Despite my belief in constructivism, I have always been troubled by the paradox of the approach; it is an inherent contradiction to tell students to be constructivist. So how can I inspire my preservice teachers to arrive at a constructivist position without merely imposing that view upon them? To accomplish this, I believe, I must present my students with a range of social studies positions, including those with which I disagree. I then have to provide them with the information and means to explore the issues for themselves. Accordingly, I have to allow the possibility for their inquiry to arrive at a conclusion diff erent from my own. If I want my students to be critical thinkers and refl ective practitioners, I must allow them the opportunity to construct their own pedagogical position. I believe that such an approach will also provide my students with the skills to be critical consumers of educational theory and research in the future.
