What is the educational approach that focuses on actively engaging students in their learning process?

The educational approach that emphasizes actively engaging students in their learning process is rooted in the principles of constructivism. This framework posits that learners construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world through experiences and reflection on those experiences. Thus, when students are actively involved in their learning—whether through hands-on activities, collaborative projects, or exploring real-world problems—they are effectively engaging in a discovery learning process.

Discovery Learning, in particular, invites students to take charge of their own learning by exploring ideas, asking questions, and experimenting to find answers. This method not only fosters critical thinking and problem-solving skills but also allows learners to make connections to prior knowledge and experiences, creating a more meaningful learning experience.

Other approaches, such as direct instruction and expository teaching, focus more on structured and teacher-led methods where students may not be as engaged in discovering information for themselves. These approaches can be beneficial in certain contexts, but they do not align with the overarching goal of actively involving students in their own learning journey in the same way that discovery learning does.