kennisverwervend

Kennisverwervend is a Dutch term used in education and cognitive science to describe processes, activities, or curricula whose primary aim is the acquisition of knowledge. It denotes a knowledge-centric orientation, prioritizing the learning of information, concepts, and frameworks that can be recalled and applied in familiar contexts.

The word is formed from kennis, meaning knowledge, and verwervend, from verwerven, meaning to acquire. In educational literature, it is used to differentiate knowledge-based approaches from skill-based or competency-based approaches, highlighting the focus on factual understanding and theoretical constructs.

In practice, kennisverwervend approaches may include lectures, textbook-based study, memorization, and structured practice aimed at retaining definitions, concepts, and models. Assessments in such approaches often emphasize recall, comprehension, and the ability to reproduce established information rather than necessarily demonstrating procedural fluency or transfer to novel problems.

The term can be used descriptively or critically. Proponents argue that a solid foundation of essential knowledge supports higher-order thinking and later learning. Critics caution that excessive emphasis on memorization can neglect skills such as analysis, problem solving, and the transfer of knowledge to new situations. Contemporary curricula often seek a balance, integrating kennisverwervend elements with inquiry-based or application-oriented activities to develop both knowledge and transferable skills.

See also: knowledge-based learning, explicit instruction, constructivism, competency-based education.