The development of the concept of alive by preschoolers through a cognivive conflict teaching intervention

Abstract

The aim of this research was the conceptual change and transformation of the intuitive conceptions ofpreschoolers concerning life through a cognitive -conflict teaching intervention. Young children use the criterion of movement to justify the classification of objects as living or non-living, that is classify plants as non-living because they are immobile and mobile non-alive objects as living. The concept oflife includes many sub-concepts and movement is a secondary and not a universal characteristic of living organisms. The subjects of this research were chosen according to their replies concerning the classification of plants as non-living. Subjects of the experimental group received a teaching intervention aiming at the change of their conceptual context about life and focusing mainly at the dependence of an organism to its environment. In the teaching intervention we used the procedure of cognitive conflict through the juxtaposition of live organisms to dead ones and mobile simulations. Our results show that all the children of experimental group presented a conceptual change classifying the plant as alive and using explanations including the dependence on environment and otherfunctions, increasing the number ofcriteria used for justification ofthe animal as living.

Effect of Ipad Use on Saudi Children’s Classification of and Justifications Regarding Living Things: A Socio-Cultural Learning Perspective

“…Prior to teaching, more than 50% of the children do not classify plants as living things. This finding is supported by the results of Zogza and Papamichael (2000), who reported that the criterion of motion is a 'cognitive obstacle' to the categorisation of living objects. Furthermore, Opfer and Siegler (2004) reported that 5-year-olds tend to recognise plants as living after they are taught that plants can perform teleological movements, such as moving towards the sunlight.…”

Children's justifications of plants as living things between 5 and 7 years of age

“…And precisely, plants do not spontaneously move, unlike animals, even if growth or falling leaves are motions affecting them. Therefore, in order to categorize plants as living organisms, children should consider that motionlessness is a rejection criterion: Zogza and Papamichael (2000) suggested that the criterion of motion is a "cognitive obstacle" to categorize living objects. These authors simulated the motion of an artificial (not living) plant and showed that, after a teaching intervention, 6-year-olds managed to replace the criterion of motion by biological characteristics of life such as dependence on the environment (e.g., the need for food).…”

What factors does friction depend on? A socio‐cognitive teaching intervention with young children

“…A number of recent studies, involving children aged 5-6 years, have reported misconceptions in their thinking, which, as with older children, differ from accepted scientific ideas. They have also presented teaching interventions that have been designed to change these misconceptions (Hadzigeorgiou 2001, Ravanis 1999, Sharp 1995, Solomonidou and Kakana 2000, Zogza and Papamichael 2000.…”