Children's understanding of the earth in a multicultural community: mental models or fragments of knowledge?

Abstract

Children's understanding of properties of the earth was investigated by interviewing Asian and white British classmates aged 4−8 years (N = 167). Two issues were explored: whether they held mental models of the earth (Vosniadou & Brewer, 1992) or instead had fragmented knowledge (di Sessa, 1988); and the influence of the children's different cultural backgrounds. Children selected from a set of plastic models and answered forced‐choice questions. Using this methodology, there were no significant differences in the overall performance of Asian and white children after language skills were partialled out. Even young children showed an emerging knowledge of some properties of the earth, but the distributions of their combinations of responses provided no evidence that they had mental models. Instead, these distributions closely resembled those that would be expected if children's knowledge in this domain were fragmented. Possible reasons for the differences between these findings and those of previous research are discussed.

Primary students’ conceptions of the Earth: Re-examining a fundamental research hypothesis on mental models

“…Siegal et al, 2004;Vosniadou, Skopeliti & Ikospentaki, 2004) are based on interviews, drawings and open-ended questions. On the other hand, research evidence based on 3D models or pictures selection tasks and forced-choice questions advocates the fragmented knowledge (Nobes et al, 2003(Nobes et al, , 2005Panagiotaki et al, 2006;Siegal et al, 2004;Straatemeier et al, 2008).…”

“…Using similar research tools, contemporary research in the same field of pupils' mental models has shown that the proposed models, initial and synthetic, although the most prevalent, are not the only ones and many variations are reported across cultures (Nobes, Moore, Martin, Clifford, Butterworth, Panagiotaki & Siegal, 2003;Samarapungavan, et al, 1996). Thus, some of the cross-cultural studies provided clues of inconsistent knowledge, shifting towards the 'fragmented knowledge perspective'.…”

“…Thus, some of the cross-cultural studies provided clues of inconsistent knowledge, shifting towards the 'fragmented knowledge perspective'. For instance, studies initially attempting to verify the above results, by using three-dimensional model selection tasks and forced-choice questions (Nobes et al, 2003;Panagiotaki, Nobes, & Banerjee, 2006;Siegal, Butterworth & Newcombe, 2004) or using picture selection tasks instead of drawings and open questions (Nobes, Martin & Panagiotaki, 2005;Straatemeier, van der Maas & Jansen, 2008) have reached different conclusions. The findings of these studies suggested that children's knowledge of the earth is not coherent and theory-like, but inconsistent, supporting the fragmented knowledge hypothesis.…”

Laste teadmiste areng. Taevas, Maa ja Päike laste seletustes

“…Täiskasvanute mitu korda esitatud küsimused (sama asja kohta, kuid vähemalt täiskasvanu arvates natuke teise nurga alt) ajavad lapsi segadusse -nad võivad hakata kunstlikult uusi vastusevariante otsima. Lapsed ei suuda vastata üldistele ja abstraktsetele küsimustele, kuid konkreetsed küsimused on tihti liiga suunavad ja sunnivad lapsi mõtlema teatud suunas (Nobes & Moore & Martin et al 2003).…”

“…Eelkooliealiste laste esmastest astronoomiaalastest teadmistest pole ühtset arusaama (vrd Kikas 2003;Nobes & Moore & Martin et al 2003;Vosniadou & Brewer 1992 Integreeritud astronoomiaalaseid teadmisi ja mudeleid kirjeldab Stella Vosniadou oma kolleegidega. Nad on viinud läbi uurimusi mitmetes maades ja leidnud algseid Maa mudeleid ja sellele vastavaid seletusi ööpäeva ja aastaaegade vaheldumise kohta, mis on erinevates kultuurides suhteliselt sarnased (Diakidoy & Vosniadou & Hawks 1997;Samarapungavan & Vosniadou & Brewer 1996;Vosniadou & Brewer 1992.…”