Fostering children’s working theories: pedagogic issues and dilemmas in New Zealand

Peters, Sally; Davis, Keryn

doi:10.1080/09575146.2010.549107

Cited by 35 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Therefore, this study shed light on the complexity of children's meaning-making processes. Children's meaning-making processes are often not restricted to the teacher's intention or focus, but they also contain multiple children's views of life (see the notion of working theories in Peters and Davis 2011). In this study, the children focus on detail and relate the story to the real world, connecting "life to text" (Cochran-Smith 1984).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Children’s Encounters with Natural Selection During an Interactive Read Aloud

Frejd

2019

Res Sci Educ

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Previous studies have shown that children as young as 5 years of age are able to form a basic understanding of evolution after listening to a storybook about natural selection. This study offers a semiotic exploration of children's meaning making during an interactive read aloud of the same storybook by investigating what children focus on and negotiate during the read aloud. Video data from eight interactive read aloud sessions (N = 24 children) were analysed using a multimodal approach and contrasted with seven biological concepts intentionally described in the storybook. During the interactive reading, the children focused on all biological concepts at some point. However, apart from the biological concepts, the children also paid attention to other topics during the read aloud. These topics comprised Death, Change in behaviour, Realism, Babies, Milli bugs, and Aesthetics. Throughout the read aloud, a child-centric view of life influenced how the children made meaning about evolution. The findings highlight that through interactive reading, instructional storybooks also become a tool for discussing other aspects that children find important. Overall, the findings contribute with knowledge about the role of interactive read aloud as a pedagogical tool for introducing evolution in early childhood education.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Children’s Encounters with Natural Selection During an Interactive Read Aloud

Frejd

2019

Res Sci Educ

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“…The premise of working theories is complex, described as 'a combination of knowledge about the world, know-how, strategies, attitudes, and expectations' (MOE, 1996, p. 38). Peters and Davis (2011) acknowledged Claxton's constructivist notions and the explanation of working theories provided in Te Whariki, while adding sociocultural factors of engagement and participation. Other researchers have also acknowledged multiple theoretical perspectives.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 95%

Children's working theories: invoking disequilibrium

Lovatt

Hedges

2014

Early Child Development and Care

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One of the outcomes of the New Zealand early childhood curriculum, Te Whariki, is 'working theories'. Prior research on this concept has primarily utilised sociocultural theoretical underpinnings and neglected Piagetian constructivist theories. This paper explores ways the Piagetian concepts of equilibrium and disequilibrium can be invoked to support and challenge children's working theories. The paper draws on an interpretive, qualitative, practitioner inquiry study undertaken at an early childhood centre. The study identified six teaching strategies, often occurring concurrently, which were used to challenge and support the development of children's working theories through the invocation of disequilibrium. The Vygotskian concept of mediation was identified as underpinning these teaching strategies and is viewed as complementary to the Piagetian notions of equilibrium and disequilibrium. The paper argues that considering ways to invoke disequilibrium alongside existing socioculturally inspired teaching strategies adds richness to the existing understandings of fostering children's working theories.

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“…Recognition of this has prompted several studies into teachers' pedagogy in relation to children's working theories (Simmons et al, 2005;Peters & Davis, 2011), while a detailed and theoretical understanding of the concept of working theories is still in development (Hedges, 2007(Hedges, , 2011. It has been suggested that research which stimulates an increased focus on the concept of working theories is necessary and that this, in turn, will lead to richer pedagogical practices (2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Complex Possibilities: ‘Working Theories’ as an Outcome for the Early Childhood Curriculum

Hargraves

2014

Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood

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Working theories' are described as one of the two principal outcomes of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum in Aotearoa New Zealand. Despite its prominence as a curricular outcome, the theoretical positioning of the concept of working theory remains relatively undebated, with researchers readily attributing the term to a constructivist approach to children's cognitive development, or, in line with the current emphasis in New Zealand, to sociocultural theory. Drawing on a small scale study of children's working theories, this article will argue that constructivist and sociocultural theories do not adequately account for the sophistication of this concept in practice and that complexity theory and Deleuzian imagery would be more helpful for describing children's theory creation. Complexity theory and Deleuzian concepts are introduced as potential resources for enhancing our understanding of working theories and, further, for developing pedagogies that address contemporary ethical and political concerns.

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Fostering children’s working theories: pedagogic issues and dilemmas in New Zealand

Cited by 35 publications

References 12 publications

Children’s Encounters with Natural Selection During an Interactive Read Aloud

Children’s Encounters with Natural Selection During an Interactive Read Aloud

Children's working theories: invoking disequilibrium

Complex Possibilities: ‘Working Theories’ as an Outcome for the Early Childhood Curriculum

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