Steele (2005) discusses the fact that in the field of education and, especially, of special
education, there are often controversies related to various theoretical-applied approaches. One such
dispute is that of two different theories and specific approaches to teaching: constructivism and
behaviorism, behavior, fr. Béhaviorisme. Controversies about the benefits and limitations of applying
these theories can be identified in academia, public schools, and journal articles.
It is a common fact in the field of education to adopt a theory, then to challenge it, to reject
it, and then to adopt it as a new trend as if there were never valid ideas in the original theory.
Effective strategies frequently incorporate ideas from different theoretical perspectives; therefore, we
recommend taking and using useful ideas from each theory for classroom practice. Moreover, for
students with learning disabilities (LD) and other special needs, it is much more effective to make
decisions about the use of techniques and strategies for implementing curricular and instructional
content, based on the individual characteristics of each child, than to use strategies that represent an
exclusive theory.
The integration of technicians from both approaches could help support teachers and those
in mainstream education to work as a team in the education of children with LD. The article presents
the definition and characteristics of learning disabilities, briefly specifies the principles of
constructivist and behavioral theories and brings to the fore aspects of the impact of their use on
students with learning disabilities. Finally, we recommend some practice ideas in the inclusive
classroom, where teachers are currently facing the challenge of teaching LD students [7].