The Struggle Between the Paradigms: Direct Instruction V Constructivism and the Case for a Balanced Instructional Approach

This eBook seeks to identify which pedagogical paradigm produced the highest academic gains for the 21st century learner. In particular interest is the ongoing debate between the Direct Instructional Approach and the Constructivist Approach. An action research study was conducted to identify if either of these approaches produced the highest academic gains when solely employed or if a Balanced Instructional Approach yielded the highest academic gains. The result of the study demonstrates that a Balanced Instructional Approach produced the highest academic gains, especially when first employing Direct Instruction followed by Constructivist Learning.