Poster #96 - Sibling Teachers and Learners: Imitation as a Learning Strategy

• In Event: 3-159 - Poster Session 12
  In Poster Session: PS 12 Section - Family Context & Processes

Integrative Statement

Young children develop and learn in the context of close, intimate relationships with parents and siblings (Carpendale & Lewis, 2015). The social-constructivist perspective views the acquisition of knowledge as a socially constructed process, for example during teaching episodes (LeBlanc & Bearison, 2004; Vygotsky, 1978). Teaching is a collaborative, bi-directional process; the teacher’s role is to transfer knowledge to the learner and encourage the learner’s active participation so he/she may assume responsibility for learning (Rogoff, 1998; Ziv, Solomon, Strauss, & Frye, 2016). Imitation is an important process in learning a range of behavioral actions evident when a child observes and copies a specific goal of a model (Butterworth, 1999; Fenstermacher & Saudino, 2006). The sibling teaching literature focuses mainly on teachers with less attention to learners, including the latter’s use of imitation as an important learning process (e.g., Azmitia & Hesser, 1993; Howe et al., 2017). Thus, we examined associations between frequency and type of learner imitation, teacher responses to imitation, and learner involvement during a semi-structured teaching paradigm.
Participants included 61 sibling dyads (N = 60 girls, 62 boys) counterbalanced for gender (n = 30 mixed sex, n = 31 same sex). Older siblings were designated as teachers (M age = 6.3 years; SD = 1.01 years) and younger siblings as learners (M age = 4.11 years, SD = 0.82 years). The RA taught the older sibling (i.e., the teacher) how to construct a tractor involving 20 pieces and multiple steps who then was videotaped teaching their younger sibling (i.e., the learner). We coded type of imitation (verbal, nonverbal), time of imitation (spontaneous, deferred), teacher responses (e.g., positive, corrections), and rated degree of learner task involvement.
A series of ANOVAs were employed. First, a significant type by timing interaction indicated nonverbal spontaneous imitation occurred more often than verbal spontaneous imitation, while nonverbal deferred imitation was more frequent than verbal deferred imitation. Second, teachers responded positively to the learner’s nonverbal imitation, but also engaged in corrective or inattentive responses more often than in off-task or negative responses. Third, teachers responded positively or imitated the learner’s verbal imitation more often than they engaged in corrections, off-task comments, negative responses, or did not attend. Finally, a hierarchical regression indicated learner age and learner nonverbal imitation significantly predicted involvement, while learner verbal imitation did not.
In conclusion, our investigation highlighted the bidirectional nature of teaching and learning during a sibling teaching session. Younger sibling learners employed nonverbal imitation frequently and spontaneously, while teachers corrected or responded positively to keep the learner on track. Moreover, imitation facilitated learner involvement in the task. Learner imitation may indicate the teacher’s successful transfer of knowledge as the learner attempts to integrate this knowledge and assume responsibility for learning (Rogoff, 1998). Imitation also communicates the learner’s understanding of the steps, thus providing the teacher with opportunities to assess the learner’s success, correct if necessary, and adjust their strategies accordingly. These sibling-directed behaviors illuminate critical bidirectional processes in children’s development.

Authors

• Nina Howe, Concordia University
  Presenting Author

• Ryan Joshua Persram, Concordia University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Catherine Bergeron, Concordia University
  Non-Presenting Author