Navigating the Pedagogical Space for Knowledge Building Classrooms: Theories, Principles, and Practices

Showcasing the design and implementation of knowledge building pedagogy, this book for educators and education researchers illuminates this future-oriented instructional and learning approach. In this Knowledge Age, innovation and creative knowledge works are central to the progress of a society; increasing the productivity of knowledge workers remains the main priority of competitive societies. Consequently, developing knowledge building capacity among students becomes one main goal of education. Knowledge building aims to transform school education in a radical way by developing the culture of innovation and knowledge creation in classrooms, from preschools to universities. Knowledge building pedagogy focuses on sustaining idea improvement among students, who develop the collective cognitive responsibility to add value to the learning community. Developed since the 1990s, knowledge building is now a model of instructions researched and advanced with an international network of researchers, teachers, educators, engineers, and policymakers. Implementing the knowledge building approach requires educators to make decisions based on principles, rather than following prescriptive procedures that characterized most instructional models. Tan highlights the key pedagogical principles and discusses the critical design considerations. He also identifies the emerging research directions and developmental works related to knowledge building. A must-read book for educators and education researchers who are interested in the design and implementation of knowledge building pedagogy.

Table of Contents:
Section A: Introduction to Knowledge Building 1. Why Knowledge Building? 2. Images of Knowledge Building Classrooms 3. Design Principles of Knowledge Building 4. Technologies for Knowledge Building 5. Designing Knowledge Building Classrooms Section B: Navigating Challenges of Designing and Implementing Knowledge Building 6. Knowledge Building and Learning 7. Principle-Based Versus Procedural-Based Lesson Design 8. Knowledge Building and School Curriculum 9. Developing Student Epistemic Agency 10. Collaboration for Knowledge Building 11. Teacher Learning, Professional Development, and Knowledge Building 12. Knowledge Building of Knowledge Building

About the Author :
Seng Chee Tan is Associate Dean (Graduate Education by Research), Office of Graduate Studies and Professional Learning, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University. His research interests include knowledge building and the use of emerging technologies for education.

Review :
"I am delighted to see the publication of this book by Seng Chee Tan, who has been working on knowledge building pedagogy for more than 20 years. I first met Tan in early 2000s in Singapore, and have been witnessing how the knowledge building community in Singapore grows over the years. Today, Singapore researchers and teachers are part of the Knowledge Building International, contributing to advancing research, practice, and public awareness of knowledge building. This book reflects Tan’s experience working with teachers, teaching graduate classes, and conducting research in K-12 schools and institutes of higher education. He has chosen the topics for this book—such as principle-based versus procedural-based design, and curriculum for knowledge building—based on his experience and understanding of challenges and struggles that teachers face when they are learning, designing and implementing knowledge building in their classrooms. These are issues pertinent to educators and educational researchers who are interested in knowledge building." -Marlene Scardamalia, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto "Seng Chee Tan and I share similar interest in innovative pedagogies and educational technology. I know that he has been experimenting with knowledge building in Singapore for more than two decades. His insights into the design and implementing issues related to knowledge building will be useful to other educators." -Chin-Chung Tsai, Chair Professor and Dean, National Taiwan Normal University