Suchergebnisse

The hypothesis testing strategy is studied in an experimental reasoning task, in a classroom context, with children from the age of 10 to 13.
While seeking information, about 50 % of the children build factorial experiments with at least 2 factors, on condition that the design is well defined before performing it. On the other hand, in situations where subjects can obtain results while carrying out the plan, children test a single factor at a time.
The treatment of the information is not well dominated by children when experimental results are the same in several treatment conditions under study. Moreover, when the plan is complete, it's processed like a succession of plans of 2 condition types. When data are numerous in every experimental condition, children often use a determinist frame to interpret them.

Strategies for solving problems of multiple classification have been studied in children jrom 4 to 7 years old. In thejirst research, the child is given a set of objects and an empty 3x3 cell table. The objects are defined by two characteristics (e.g. jorm and color)'. These characteristics are given on the row-and column-entries. The subject must place the objects in the cells according to the entries. The results show that young children are able to identify and organize the set of objects in terms of the two dimensions before to be able to place the objects in accordance with one of the two margins of the table. In the second research, the subject is given the same set oj objects and 3x3 cell tables. The characteristics of the objects are not given on the margins of the tables, but some of the cells are already filled with objects. Each table forms a problem, and the problems are more or less difficult depending on the pattern oj the jilled cells. For each problem, the experimentator points one oj the empty cells and asks the subject to choice one object from the set and to place it in the cell. The results show that children of increasing ages may be characterized by increasing powerful class of strategies they are able to use in solving the problems.