Konstantinos Ravanis

Science Education in Kindergarten: Sociocognitive perspective

Abstract This article deals with the different didactic strategies used for the initiation of preschool children to the natural sciences. There is a reference to the general characteristics of the activities that are based either on the empiricist theoretical approach or the theory of Piaget regarding cognitive development. Some facts from the neo‐piagetian, socioconstructive and vygotskian perspectives for learning are presented. Within this framework a new sociocognitive approach is put forward for the development of activities concerning the natural sciences in the kindergarten. An activity concerning the understanding of gasification is presented and used as an example of the sociocognitive perspective.

The discovery of elementary magnetic properties in preschool age: Qualitative and quantitative research within a piagetian framework

SUMMARY This paper refers to learning situations which take place within the framework of a constructivist pedagogy. We shall present the results of research relating to the construction of elementary magnetic properties in preschool children. Five years old children, in small groups, had at their disposal different types of magnets as well as diverse objects which could be attracted by them. We formed the hypothesis that by performing various activities (playing) with them, the children on the one hand would discover the attractive force exerted on certain metallic materials and on the other would distinguish the objects which were not thus attracted. We also formed the hypothesis that the children would discover the mutual forces of interaction by manipulating the magnets. The teachers observed the activities, encouraged and questioned each child and intervened in order to help the children to coordinate their activities which were becoming more and more complex. The content analysis of the protocols ga...

Représentations des élèves de l’ecole maternelle: Le concept de lumière

ResumenEl juego ha ganado interis en la psicologia del desarrollo, y no solo como un instrumento educacional sino por propio derecho. Otras disciplinas relacionas tambien se ocupan del tema. Los fragmentos de psicologia social sobre el nino y el juego de imitacion, desarrollados por G H Mead, constituyen la base para una interpretacion del desarrollo del juego en su funcion dentro de la formacion de la identidad. El juego, dentro del marco de asumir papeles, se ve como una condicion necesaria para la creacion, confirmacion e integracion adecuadas de la identidad personal. Para estos procesos son esenciales la repeticion y la retrovision. El juego constituye la base de ciertas categorias mentales, como la seriedad/diversion, concentracion/capricho y creatividad. La creacion con sentido de juego tambien influye la motivacion basica.En el boceto disepado para las etapas del desarrollo del nino, los caminos entre las cuatro etapas estan marcados por los cambios en la capacidad de adopcion de papeles que se desarrolla dentro de la vida social y a traves de ella, mas que por la maduracion cognitiva del individuo. Estas etapas son: la etapa amorfa (de 0 a 3 anos) en la que todavia falta el fenomeno de la identidad, la etapa del juego (de 1 a 7 anos) en la que la identidad se puede entrever pero todavia no esta cristalizada, la etapa de los juegos (de 3 anos a la adolesciencia) en la que la identidad se esto cristalizando y formalizando, y por ultimo, la etapa del Otro Generalizado (de 7 anos a la madurez) en la que el individuo desarrolla la capacidad de relacionarse con los demas desde la posicion de una identidad consolidada. En esta secuencia se encuentran parecidos con el esquema de Piaget, pero el proceso se observa desde la posicion de la socialidad y la fuerza creadora que ejerce sobre el desarrollo del individuo.AbstractThe child, even when very young, has ideas about physical concepts and phenomena and these ideas play role in the learning experience. For the physicist, light is an entity that propagates in space from a source that interacts with objects it encounters in its path and then produces various perceptible effects. Data of relevant research show that 8–15 year old children have ideas incompatible with scientific ones. In this research project we studied the alternative ideas of five year old children about the concept of light. One hundred and twenty seven pre-school children (63 female and 64 male) participated in this study. The technique we used in our research was individual interviews. Results show that five year old children, regardless of sex, identify light with its source or with its effect instead of considering it as a distinct entity, located in space between its source and the effects it produces.

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

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of a socio‐cognitive teaching strategy on young children. It tests their understanding of the factors that friction depends on when an object is projected across a horizontal surface. The study was conducted in three phases: pre‐test, teaching intervention, and post‐test. The sample consisted of 68 preschool children who were assigned to two groups according to age and cognitive ability, based on their responses to a pre‐test. The children in the experimental group participated in activities that were approached from a socio‐cognitive perspective while the children in the control group participated in the same activities but from a Piagetian perspective. A statistically significant difference was found (Mann–Whitney U‐test), between the pre‐test and the post‐test, providing evidence for the effect of the socio‐cognitive strategy on childrens understanding of a ‘precursor model’ for the concept of friction.

Towards applied semiotics: an analysis of iconic gestural signs regarding physics teaching in the light of theatre semiotics

Abstract This study seeks to profit from theatre semiotics in order to investigate how semiosis can be implemented in the teaching of physics. It is based on the notion that in most human meaning-making situations, semiotic resources such as acoustic, spatial, and kinesic sign-systems evolve so as to complement and supplement one another. Traditionally, this particular view derives from theatre, where the signs conveyed from the theatrical performance effectively contribute to the construction of meaning; in terms of expression of dramatic signs, the actor is trained to compose modes in order to shape them on the stage. This article provides a classification of iconic gestural signs (i.e., movements of the entire body as opposed to gestures as mere movements of the hands), concerning physics teaching within a theatrical kinesic context. Through certain examples, corporeal functions and types are identified according to their cooperation with spatial semiotic resources, their temporal definition of actions, their proximity to the form of the referent, their relation to the content of the referent, and their collaboration with utterances. Furthermore, it is suggested that the practical implementation of theatre semiotics in physics education could help create a common, distinct and ‘tangible’ language among researchers, educators, and students.

Élaboration et évaluation du contenu conceptuel d'un curriculum constructiviste concernant l'approche énergétique des phénomènes mécaniques

Design and evaluation of the content of an introductory constructivist curriculum adopting an energy approach to mechanical phenomena

Teaching activities for the construction of a precursor model in 5- to 6-year-old children's thinking: the case of thermal expansion and contraction of metals

ABSTRACT This article presents the results of empirical research on the construction of a precursor model of the phenomenon of thermal expansion and contraction of metals in preschool childrens thinking, which is compatible with the model used in science education. The research included 87 children aged 5–6. It was conducted at four stages, during which predictions and explanations for simple cases of thermal expansion and contraction were sought. The discussions with the children demonstrated that a considerable number of preschoolers are able to take advantage of their involvement in the specific teaching processes and construct a stable precursor model of the phenomenon.

Precursor model and preschool science learning about shadows formation

Abstract Background This work is based on the idea that young children benefit from early introduction of scientific concepts. Few researches describe didactical strategies focusing on physics understanding for young children and analyse their effectiveness in standard classroom environments. Purpose The aim is to identify whether didactical strategies referring to a precursor model can be used to help children construct explanation of physical phenomena. Sample We present results that test children’s capacity (aged 5-6) to build knowledge within a precursor model in order to describe, explain and predict the phenomenon of shadow formation. Design and methods The teaching intervention’s efficiency is tested in a standard classroom setting. Data were collected through individual interviews, using identical tasks before and after the teaching intervention. Results The analysis of childrens ideas shows that the use of a constructivist didactical strategy referring to a precursor model of shadow formation by teachers has a positive effect on children’s understanding and ability to identify shadows as a physical phenomenon. Conclusion Such results support the importance of science teaching in preschools. In particular, the didactical strategy focuses children’s attention to a critical aspect of their understanding and destabilizes their previous representations. It has implications for preschool teacher professional development.

LA CLASSIFICATION DU CONTENU CONCEPTUEL DES CURRICULUMS CONCERNANT L'ÉNERGIE COMME OUTIL ÉDUCATIF

Nos ultimos anos as pesquisas sobre as dificuldades de ensino e de aprenidzagem das ciencias fisicas tem condizido o desenvolvimento a Didaticas das Cienicas Fisicas como um campo cientitifo relativamente autonomo. O quadro de pesquisa e de aplicacao proposto por esse campo tem influenciado um certo numero de modificacoes em diversos sistemas educativos. Esse artigo apresenta uma discussao e uma tentativa de modelizacao de propostas curriculares abordando o conceito de energia. E desenvolvida a hipotese de que a passagem de uma abordagem empirico-descritiva da estrutura, do conteudo e da aplicacao do conceito de energia a um estudo que utiliza conceitos fundamentais oriundos da pesquisa em ensino de Fisica oferece novas perspectivas de ensino.