Learning Conservation From Peers: Evidence From a Montessori Kindergarten in China

• In Event: Virtual Poster Session
  In Virtual iPresentation Only: SIG-Learning Environments Virtual Poster Session

Abstract

While Piaget assumed that children understand conservation naturally when they reach the pre-operational stage, we explored how pre-conservers learn from conserver peers in a Montessori kindergarten in China, where interactions with mixed-age peers are more frequent and encouraged. We conducted a quasi-experimental study with 64 K2 and K3 children in a Chinese kindergarten. Three-way mixed ANOVA and conventional content analysis were applied. Findings showed mixed-age grouping helped non-conservers to learn conservation construction; groups with conserver peers constructed conservation better; and, given frequent interactions, children learned to construct conservation from peer modelling and cooperation. This study provides practitioners and researchers with new evidence that learning environments facilitating interactions with competent peers accelerate cognitive development against Piaget’s fixed cognitive development stage hypothesis.

Authors

• Xuanyi Wu, Yew Chung College of Early Childhood Education

• James Ko, The Education University of Hong Kong

• Jin Sun, University of Macau