提示對幼兒解決二因素問題能力的影響

Effect of Prompts on Young Children's Two-Dimensional Problem Solving

本研究選取幼兒熟悉的「坡度斜度」與「接觸面質地」二因素運動力學問題，透過幼兒解決問題時使用的知識表徵類別，探討外在提示對幼兒解決二因素問題能力的影響，並藉由提示二週後測及遷移測驗說明提示效果的持續及延續。本研究共有286位3至6歲幼兒參與。作業包括一個運動力學問題及二個相似度不同的遷移問題。在前測中無法成功解決問題的幼兒隨機分配至不同提示組及對照組，在提示後兩週接受後測。結果發現，僅有22%的6歲以下幼兒能以語言解釋如何解決二因素問題。「語言說明」的提示促使二因素行為表徵轉變為語言表徵的類別，但一旦二因素中有一因素為行為表徵，另一因素為語言表徵，「行為示範與語言說明」、「語言說明」、「行為示範」及「幼兒自由遊玩」的提示能使二因素都轉變為語言表徵。然而，轉變後的知識表徵無法遷移至新問題上。幼兒解決二因素問題能力的發展不單受外在提示的幫助，個體本身認知限制也是一影響因素。

This study examined young children's ability to integrate 2 dimensions when solving physics-dynamics problems. It investigated the effect of prompts, such as a behavioral demonstration or verbal explanation, on young children's ability to solve and transfer problems by integrating 2 dimensions, the gradient and texture of a slope, which are familiar to young children. Behavioral and verbal representations adopted from Karmiloff-Smith's RR model were examined. In this study, 286 young children aged 3 to 6 years solved 3 physics-dynamics problems in the context of 1 source story and 2 target stories read to the children by experimenters. The children failing to solve the problem in the source story at the pretest were randomly assigned to 1 of 6 prompt conditions or the control group. The children were administered posttests immediately following and 2 weeks after the treatment. The results revealed that most of the 3-to-6-year-old children did not have the 2-dimensional verbal representations required to solve the problems. However, verbal explanations modified the young children's representations from behavioral to verbal. However, the positive effect of the prompts did not transfer to the solving of the 2-dimensional transfer problems. This finding seemed to indicate that the young children's ability to solve 2-dimensional problems was derived from interplay between the external prompts and the children's development.