Five Ways to Apply Constructivist Learning Theory to Professional Development

The first in a new series of expert articles from Dr Sheena Bahra for the Digital Learning Institute.

Professional development is most effective when participants are actively involved in the learning process, connecting new ideas to their existing knowledge, reflecting on their practice, and applying what they learn in meaningful ways. Yet many professional development programs still rely heavily on passive content delivery.

In this article, Dr Sheena Bahra explores how constructivist learning theory can support a more engaging and practical approach to professional development design. Drawing on her EdD research into GenAI professional development for higher education instructors, she outlines five ways learning professionals can apply constructivist principles to create experiences that encourage participation, reflection, collaboration, and real-world application.

This matters because professional development needs to do more than introduce new ideas, tools, or systems. As digital technologies and GenAI continue to influence learning across sectors, learning designers, learning and development professionals, educators and trainers need to create experiences that help participants explore, practise, reflect, and apply learning in ways that feel relevant to their own professional contexts. A constructivist approach can support this by helping professional development become more participatory, practical, and connected to workplace practices.

Constructivism is a learning theory that emphasises learners being actively involved in the learning process. Rather than passively receiving information, learners construct new understanding by connecting ideas, experimenting, and building on their existing knowledge and skills. It is a learner‑centred approach in which learning is understood as a meaning‑making process: each learner interprets and organizes knowledge in ways that may differ from others based on their prior experiences.

Constructivism reflects key principles such as active learning, learner autonomy, and social interaction. Over time, several influential theorists have shaped the development of constructivist thinking. Jean Piaget is widely recognised as the founder of the constructivist theory of learning, with significant contributions from Lev Vygotsky who highlighted the importance of social and cultural contexts and Jerome Bruner, who advanced ideas about discovery learning and scaffolding.

Applying the principles of constructivist theory to professional development design is central to Dr Sheena Bahra’s EdD dissertation, which examines how a GenAI professional development program can support higher‑education instructors’ willingness to use GenAI in classroom teaching to support higher-order thinking skills and student engagement. Her research found how constructivist approaches such as active participant engagement can enhance participants’ learning experiences within emerging AI‑enhanced professional learning environments.

Professional development programs can be delivered in a range of formats, including face-to-face, blended, and fully online sessions. Regardless of the delivery model, constructivist theory can play a vital role in supporting participants’ learning and active engagement. By encouraging learners to connect new ideas with their existing knowledge and experiences, constructivism helps participants build deeper understanding and develop new meaning through the learning process. In professional development design, constructivist principles can be applied through approaches such as scaffolding, reflective practice, social interaction, interactive learning elements, and activities that promote participant engagement.

This blog explores five practical ways constructivist theory can be applied in professional development design: scaffolding learning, reflective practice, social interaction, interactive learning elements, and active learning.

1.     Scaffolding learning

When designing a professional development session, it is important to break learning into smaller, manageable concepts and consider how each topic will be introduced, developed, and reinforced. Micro-teaching can be used to support this process by allowing learners to engage with focused elements of the content before building towards more complex understanding. When designing a scaffolded session, consider applying a learning theory model, such as Bloom’s Taxonomy or the ADDIE model, to guide the structure of the learning. Activities and delivery methods should be carefully selected to help participants progress from lower levels of learning, such as remembering and understanding, towards higher levels, such as applying, analyzing, and creating. At each stage, it is useful to identify what learners or participants should be able to do and how each activity will support their development.

2.     Reflective practice

Reflection can deepen participants’ engagement in a professional development course. When designing professional development, it is important to include opportunities for reflective practice throughout the learning experience. Encouraging participants to reflect on current processes, systems, and outcomes through carefully designed reflective questions can deepen their understanding, raise awareness of issues they may not have previously recognised, and build their confidence in identifying solutions. After designing each section of the professional development program, consider including a reflective question that prompts participants to think critically about their own practice. These reflections can be shared during the workshop or through an online forum, allowing participants to learn from one another’s experiences and perspectives.

3.     Social interaction

Social interaction is an important element of constructivist learning theory. Providing opportunities for participants to share ideas through group discussions or collaborative activities can help deepen their learning and understanding. Through sharing, participants are exposed to different perspectives, experiences, and reasoning, which can extend their own thinking or help them form new meanings and interpretations of their practice. When designing a professional development session, it is important to consider how social learning interactions can be included, even when time is limited. This could be as simple as using the chat feature during an online session or including a short five-minute breakout room activity.

4.     Interactive learning elements

Professional development courses can be designed using a range of digital tools to make learning more interactive and engaging. During the design process, if video is used as part of the learning, interactive elements can be added to support participant engagement. These may include multiple-choice questions, matching activities, short scenarios, or knowledge checks embedded within the video. Such features encourage participants to interact with the content rather than passively watching. In fully online professional development, e-authoring tools such as Storyline or Rise 360 can be used to create interactive learning experiences. Providing participants with opportunities to make choices, respond to prompts, or click through activities can make the learning experience more engaging than simply watching a video or reading text-based sections.

5.     Active learning

Active learning can transform the design and delivery of professional development by encouraging participants to engage directly with the learning process. Designing professional development with active learning principles can deepen participants’ understanding and enhance their overall learning experience. Active learning may involve participants creating something, reflecting on their own practice, contributing to discussions, or working collaboratively on a scenario-based activity to solve a problem. These approaches help participants move beyond passive engagement and apply their learning in meaningful and practical ways.

Dr Sheena Bahra applied all five of these constructivist methods when designing a Gen AI professional development program for higher education instructors as part of her EdD dissertation project.

The professional development design was informed by a constructivist approach and delivered through a fully online model. It used a flipped learning structure made up of three stages: pre-learning, live learning, and post-learning. The program was developed using e-authoring tools, including Storyline and Rise 360, and was hosted on a WordPress page. The flipped learning approach was intentionally designed around scaffolding principles, allowing participants to build their understanding gradually across each stage of the program.

The pre-learning task included a multimedia learning activity in which participants selected one of three Gen AI applications to explore: Copilot, Claude, or MirrorTalk. The multimedia activity was designed to scaffold learning by first introducing the selected tool and then demonstrating how it could be used in classroom teaching. Each activity included a welcome video, an introduction to the tool, key information about its features, a demonstration video showing how to use it, and examples of how it could support classroom pedagogies such as flipped learning and problem-based learning. The activity concluded with two reflective questions that linked directly to the live online workshop. The aim of the pre-learning task was to introduce participants to the tool and encourage them to begin thinking about how it could be applied in their own teaching practice. The multimedia activity also followed micro-learning principles and included interactive elements created in Storyline and Rise 360.

The live workshop developed participants’ learning further by first encouraging them to reflect on the pre-learning task and share their ideas with others. It then introduced teaching strategies and examples of activities that could be used in the classroom, followed by reflective questions that prompted participants to consider their current practice and how Gen AI might be integrated into their teaching. The workshop also introduced learning theories and models that could support the effective integration of Gen AI. This was followed by further reflection and an active learning activity in which participants applied their learning by developing a lesson plan that incorporated one of the Gen AI tools for a future lesson. Participants were also asked to consider which higher-order thinking skills the activity would support. Overall, the live workshop was designed to include active engagement, reflection, social interaction, and opportunities for participants to share practice. It acted as a follow-up to the pre-learning task and encouraged participants to think more deeply about the integration of Gen AI into classroom teaching.

The post-learning toolkit was designed to help participants continue developing their knowledge of teaching approaches and the integration of Gen AI. It included additional multimedia learning resources, reading materials, articles, and YouTube videos. This toolkit provided participants with a resource they could return to at any stage if they wanted to further develop their knowledge, confidence, and skills.

Across the three stages of pre-learning, live learning, and post-learning, the professional development design embedded constructivist learning theory by scaffolding learning through the flipped learning model. This was supported by reflective practice, social interaction, interactive learning elements, and active learning activities. Together, these elements created a structured and engaging professional development experience that encouraged participants to connect new knowledge with their existing teaching practice and apply Gen AI in meaningful ways.

Applying constructivist theory to professional development design can create a more meaningful and engaging learning experience for participants. Rather than positioning learners as passive recipients of information, a constructivist approach encourages them to take an active role in the learning process. This supports deeper engagement because participants are invited to connect new knowledge with their existing experience, reflect on their own practice, and apply learning to real professional contexts.

One key benefit is increased active participation. When professional development includes interactive activities, reflective questions, group discussions, and scenario-based tasks, participants are more likely to engage with the content and contribute to the learning process. Active participation helps learners move beyond simply listening or reading and encourages them to explore ideas, test their understanding, and consider how the learning applies to their own teaching practice.

A second benefit is growth in confidence. Constructivist professional development design can help participants build confidence by giving them opportunities to practise, reflect, and learn from others in a supportive environment. As participants engage with activities in manageable stages, they can develop greater confidence in applying new knowledge and skills. In the context of Gen AI professional development, this can be particularly important because participants may need time and structured support to feel confident exploring new tools and considering how they could be used in classroom teaching.

A further benefit is the use of building blocks to support learning. Through scaffolding, professional development courses can be designed so that participants move gradually from introductory concepts to more complex application. Each stage of learning builds on the previous one, helping participants develop understanding step by step. This approach can make new or complex topics feel more accessible and can support learners in applying their knowledge in practical and meaningful ways.

Overall, applying constructivist theory to professional development design can help create learning experiences that are active, reflective, collaborative, and practical. By focusing on participation, confidence-building, and scaffolded building blocks of learning, constructivist professional development design can support participants to make new meaning of knowledge and transfer knowledge into their own professional practice.

Constructivist learning theory can help make professional development more active, reflective, and meaningful. By giving participants opportunities to explore, discuss, practise, and apply new ideas, learning designers and development professionals can create experiences that build confidence and connect learning to workplace practices.

What is constructivist theory in professional development?
Constructivist theory is a learning approach in which participants actively build understanding by connecting new information to their existing knowledge and experience, rather than passively receiving it. In professional development, this means designing sessions around participation, reflection, and practical application rather than one-way delivery of content.

How can constructivist theory be applied to professional development design?
Constructivist theory can be applied through five practical approaches: scaffolding learning, reflective practice, social interaction, interactive learning elements, and active learning. Together, these help participants connect new ideas to their existing practice and apply learning in meaningful ways.

Who are the key theorists behind constructivist learning theory?
Jean Piaget is widely recognised as the founder of constructivist learning theory. Lev Vygotsky expanded on this by highlighting the role of social and cultural context, and Jerome Bruner contributed ideas about discovery learning and scaffolding.

What is the flipped constructivist PD model?
The flipped constructivist PD model is a three-stage approach used in Dr Sheena Bahra's EdD research: a pre-learning stage that introduces a topic through multimedia and reflection, a live learning stage focused on social interaction and applying learning, and a post-learning stage offering a toolkit for continued development.

What are the benefits of using constructivist theory in PD design?
Applying constructivist theory can increase active participation, build participants' confidence, and provide scaffolded building blocks that make new or complex topics feel more accessible. It helps professional development feel more meaningful, practical, and connected to workplace practice.