Shirley Larkin

Fostering thinking through science in the early years of schooling

The purpose of this research was to investigate and describe concrete examples of Year 1 students engaged in good thinking and to generate assertions about the ways teachers can foster habits of good thinking through science. The research design was a multiple case study of 32 lessons, of which four are analysed in detail in this paper. The results suggest that young children engaged in good thinking are likely to explain and demonstrate their ideas and actions and to make suggestions for solving problems. Children engaged in good thinking also are likely to highlight discrepancies, adopt new ideas, and work collaboratively. The results indicate that teachers can foster habits of good thinking through science; first, by accepting difficulty as an integral part of the learning process, second, by encouraging children to explain and talk about their ideas and, finally, by creating an environment where thinking is a valued classroom process.

A Phenomenological Analysis of the Metamemory of Five Six-year-old Children

This paper draws on the phenomenological philosophy of Merleau-Ponty and the phenomenological method of analysis developed at Duquesne University to explore the phenomenon of metamemory in young children. It is suggested that cognitive and developmental approaches to metamemory result in a deficit model that fails to appreciate the nature of metacognition in young children. Through a simple stimulus activity, 18 five- to six-year-old children from three different schools were encouraged to talk about their memory and how they remember. The data were subjected to a four-stage phenomenological analysis to produce specific, general, and composite descriptions of what these children know about their own memory. The results reveal the richness of the childrens ideas and show that children of this age can not only be metacognitive but also that they can communicate a unique perspective on memory and remembering derived from their own lived experience. The phenomenological approach enables the metacognitive processing of young children to be revealed and provides an enriched discourse of the development of metacognition in developmental psychology.

Creating metacognitive environments in primary school RE classrooms

Recent reports on Religious Education (RE) in England and Wales highlight the need for guidance on pedagogy and learning. The RE-flect project addressed this by promoting the creation of metacognitively oriented learning environments in primary school RE classrooms. Six primary school teachers and 160 pupils (eight to 10 years of age) took part in the second year of this two year project. Meta-thinking, worldview and resources zones were created in each classroom. Attainment in RE and pupil perceptions of the learning environment were measured. Data from classroom observations, Worldview Profiles (WVP), and pupil and teacher interviews were analysed qualitatively. Results show an overall increase in attainment; a positive change in pupil perceptions of the learning environment; and the ability of pupils to reflect on and articulate their worldviews. Implications for RE curricular and pedagogy are discussed.