I’ve spent the last few years trying to answer that question. The result is a paper I’m polishing with my colleagues Kenzen Chen, Olav Schewe, and Terry Sejnowski. Its core argument is simple: the dominant framework in education—constructivism—is structured so that it can never be shown to be wrong. And a framework that can’t fail can’t improve.
The idea that can’t be wrong
Here’s the basic logic. Constructivism starts with a truism: learners construct knowledge in their own minds rather than having it beamed in through thought transference. Of course they do. No one disagrees with that.
But from this obvious point, a much bigger claim gets smuggled in: because learners construct knowledge, teachers should step back and let students discover things on their own. Less explanation. Less practice. More exploration.