[3] Strong social constructivism as a philosophical approach tends to suggest that "the natural world has a small or non-existent role in the construction of scientific knowledge".
Participating in group discussion allows students to generalize and transfer their knowledge of classroom learning and builds a strong foundation for communicating ideas orally.
[9][10][11][12] Large and small group discussion also affords students opportunities to exercise self-regulation, self-determination, and a desire to persevere with tasks.
[11][12] Martin Nystrand argues that teachers rarely choose classroom discussion as an instructional format.
[11][12] Multiple observations indicate that students in low socioeconomic schools and lower track classrooms are allowed even fewer opportunities for discussion.
[10][11][12] Discussion and interactive discourse promote learning because they afford students the opportunity to use language as a demonstration of their independent thoughts.
These conventions are inherent to a constructivist approach as they place value on the communicative, interpersonal nature of academic writing with a strong focus on how the reader receives the message.
The act of citing others’ work is more than accurate attribution; it is an important exercise in critical thinking in the construction of an authorial self.