The Development of Scientific Concepts in Colombian Sixth Graders: Environment and Nature

• In Event: 42.066 - Vygotsky in Colombia

Abstract

The development of scientific concepts in children is central for the school’s goal of teaching a system of scientific concepts. One of the obstacles in achieving this goal is that learning concepts are seen as words without proper content. Student’s careless behavior towards the environment and nature often shows shortfalls in understanding these concepts. This presentation will illustrate the use of Vygotsky’s ideas in the instruction of scientific concepts to young children in low-income neighborhoods.

Vygotsky demonstrated “that it is not only possible to teach children to use concepts, but that such ‘interference’ may influence favorably the development of concepts that have been formed by the student himself” (Vygotsky, 1992, p. 152). Scientific concepts are related to the object and in turn are mediated by other concepts that have an internal hierarchical system of interrelationships. The very notion of a scientific concept implies a certain position in relation to other concepts, in other words, a place in a system of concepts. Hence, instruction plays a decisive role in determining the fate of a child’s reflective consciousness and mental development during school age.

According to Vygotsky (1992), this process constitutes a form of systematic cooperation between the teacher and the child and among each other. In collaboration, the child turns out to be more able than in independent work. The difference between the child’s actual level of development and the level of performance that he achieves in collaboration, defines the zone of proximal development. Vygotsky (1992) additionally established that the zone of proximal development has more significance for the dynamics of intellectual development and for the success of instruction, than does the actual level of development.
Based on these ideas, we designed and implemented a pedagogical strategy to teach scientific concepts. When compared to other countries Colombia has one of the lowest scores on science in international standardized tests and within the country low-income children in public schools have the lowest scores. This study evaluates the potential of a specific strategy to reduce inequality by helping low-income children learn scientific concepts.

We will first describe the pedagogical strategy aimed at children’s learning of two concepts: ‘environment’ and ‘nature.’ Our study has a mixed methods design. We evaluated change in children’s comprehension of concepts in a sample of 80 sixth graders, in a public school in Bogotá. Quantitative data included the tabulation of preconceptions, model types, symbols, and hierarchies of concepts in children’s products, before and after implementing the strategy. Qualitative data came from the analysis of children’s paragraphs, with different categories focusing on the level and appropriate use of scientific language. Results show that the strategy was effective in helping children move away from preconceptions to build models of structures with the appropriate interrelationships and hierarchies between concepts. Final environmental projects showed how students used the concepts and changed their understanding on nature.

Teaching in this way promotes meaningful learning. Implications of implementing a pedagogical strategy based on Vygotsky’s ideas to reduce inequality will be discussed.

Authors

• Eduardo Escallón, Universidad de los Andes

• Paola Peña, Universidad de los Andes

• Blanca Isabel Gonzalez, Secretaria de Educación Distrital - Bogotá - Colombia