Abstract:

The paper presents the constructivist teaching method in the subject environmental studies and how it develops relevant generic competences of young learners. In the first part we introduce some theoretical issues of constructivism and the analysis of learners' competences, recorded in the national curriculum for the subject Environmental studies in the third grade primary school (8 years of age). The research shows that in most of the offered activities in the curriculum there is a possibility of realisation of more generic competences. The most common are: verbal and written communication (in all thematic units), data collection ability, the ability to synthesize conclusions. We also demonstrate a potential for development of certain generic competences in some individual cases, where learning is seen as an active process of analysis, integration, organisation and interpretation. We focus on the information collecting ability, the ability of analysis and organisation of information and the ability to learn and solve problems, which is also the main guidance of process approach teaching. This derives from the assumption about the constructivist nature of knowledge and learning, where an individual knowledge constructs with his/her own activity.

Keywords:

Constructivism, subject of environmental studies, generic competences.