THE ACT OF WIZARDRY AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF A WIZARD WITHIN A CONSTRUCTIVIST PERSPECTIVE: URSULA LE GUIN’S “A WIZARD OF EARTHSEA”

Since the beginning of the 1970s, there has been a tendency towards constructivism and the popularity of behaviorism decreased (Eisner, 1999). Many of the concepts underlying the constructivist perspective have a long history and they are particularly rooted in the work of Dewey, Piaget, Vygotsky, Bruner and other prominent educational theorists and researchers (Harris Graham, 1994). Constructivist learning theory puts a great emphasis on the learner’s point of view as it is considered to be the crucial element in creating a climate for learning (Garmston Wellman, 1994). The purpose of this study is to evaluate the story of Ged, the protagonist, and his adventures as he is wandering through Earthsea in A Wizard of Earthsea (1968) by Ursula Le Guin. The analysis of the novel, which is intended to tackle the theme of education, demonstrates that there are various examples of the constructivist theory, from both a cognitive and a social view of the theory. The concept of education was analyzed by basing the study on the theme of education portrayed in A Wizard of Earthsea to reveal the rationale of education lying behind it. Thus, educational philosophy through different instances was emphasized since education plays a major role in the life of an individual.