In The False Promises of Constructivist Theories of Learning: A Global and Ecological Critique
C. A. Bowers examines why constructivist-based educational reforms fail to take into account
these current critical issues: the deepening ecological crisis globalization and undermining
of the world's diverse cultural commons. Special attention is given to the ethnocentrism and
Social Darwinism that created the foundations for the ideas of Dewey Piaget and Freire. Also
considered is how the neo-liberal promoters of economic globalization share their
taken-for-granted assumptions. Additionally Bowers explains how teachers in different cultures
can contribute to the revitalization of their cultural and environmental commons without
engaging in the cultural imperialism that characterizes constructivist approaches to
educational reform.
