Constructivist Strategies Commonly Used by Secondary School Teachers in Teaching Social Studies in Northern Philippines

Abstract

The study explores the implementation of constructivist strategies in Social Studies, highlighting the most commonly used strategies, the challenges faced, and their impact on student engagement. Although several studies highlight the role of implementing constructivism inside the classroom that suggests its effectiveness in terms of the learner’s active engagement, teachers continue to encounter challenges, particularly in Social Studies. The study also intends to assess the impact of constructivist strategies on student engagement. The participants of this research consist of six Junior High School Social Studies teachers. The study utilized a qualitative approach, with a case study design to determine the most commonly used constructivist strategies, challenges faced by the teachers, and impact on student engagement. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. The design aimed for a deep understanding of teaching practices, challenges encountered, and classroom experiences. Findings reveal that strategies such as think-pair-share, collaborative learning, and Socratic questioning are frequently used in classroom instruction, while more complex approaches like project-based and case-based learning were considered difficult to implement. Teachers identified several challenges including limited instructional time, lack of resources, differences in students’ learning styles and paces, classroom management difficulties, and inadequate training in assessment. Despite these constraints, the use of constructivist strategies was found to enhance student participation, motivation, and the development of higher-order thinking skills. The study highlights the need for continuous teacher training, adequate resource support, and contextual adaptation to promote more effective use of constructivist methods in Social Studies education. This study serves as a foundation for future research on enhancing constructivist strategy implementation by addressing classroom challenges and exploring student outcomes across varied educational contexts.