Strict adherence to fixed curriculum is highly valued. Pursuit of student question is highly valued. Curricular activities rely heavily on textbooks and workbooks. Curricular activities rely heavily on primary sources of data and manipulative materials. Students are viewed as thinkers with emerging theories about the world.
Teachers generally behave in a didactic manner, disseminating information to students.
Teachers behave in a interactive manner, mediating the environment for students. Teachers seek the correct answer to validate student learning. Teachers seek the students' point of view in order to understand students' present conceptions for use in subsequent lessons. Assessment of student learning is viewed as separate from teaching and occurs almost entirely through testing. Assessment of student learning is interwoven with teaching and occurs through teacher observations of students at work and through student exhibitions and portfolios.