Children's justifications of plants as living things between 5 and 7 years of age

Brulé, Laurianne; Labrell, Florence; Mégalakaki, Olga; Fouquet, Natacha; Caillies, Stéphanie

doi:10.1080/17405629.2014.881283

Cited by 8 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Moreover, when we considered the types of properties more closely, we found that movement and nutrition, followed by growth, were the properties that subtended children's initial conceptualization of animals (from 3 years upwards), whereas for plants, the most important properties were growth, then movement. The frequent attribution of movement to animals corroborated the results of previous studies demonstrating the central role of self‐generated movement in distinguishing between living and nonliving things (Brulé et al, ; Rakison & Poulin‐Dubois, ; Träuble & Pauen, ). However, it appears that if the children did not attribute the property of movement to plants, nor did the adults.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Children's understanding of animal, plant, and artifact properties between 3 and 6 years

Fouquet

Mégalakaki

Labrell

2017

Infant and Child Development

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We investigated the kinds of biological properties that children aged 3–6 years attribute to animals, plants, and artifacts by administering a property attribution task and eliciting explanations for the resulting property attributions. Findings indicated that, from the age of 3 years, children more frequently attribute properties to animals than they do to plants or artifacts. Moreover, attributions increased with age for animals, decreased for artifacts, and remained constant for plants. Concerning the conceptual development of animals and plants, results showed that the properties subtending children's initial conceptualization of animals are movement and nutrition, followed by growth, backed up by perceptual, biological, and categorical explanations. By contrast, for plants, the properties are growth and then movement, backed up by perceptual and biological arguments. These findings provide some support for the idea that both conceptual information and perceptual cues influence children's conceptual development. Highlights This paper compares children's understanding of animals, plants, and artifacts between 3 and 6 years, in terms of property attributions and the spontaneous explanations of these objects. With a property attribution task, children more frequently attribute properties to animals than they do to plants or artifacts. Findings suggest that both conceptual information and perceptual cues influence children's conceptual development.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Children's understanding of animal, plant, and artifact properties between 3 and 6 years

Fouquet

Mégalakaki

Labrell

2017

Infant and Child Development

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“…Grade 1 students were used as the sample because the classification of living and nonliving things is taught at this grade level in Saudi science textbooks. Furthermore, this particular age has been recognised as pivotal in children's development of plant knowledge (Inagaki & Hatano, 1996;Brulé et al, 2014;Tao, 2016).…”

Section: Samplementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Each child was given 21 cards to categorise, comprising seven animals (living things), seven plants (living things) and seven artefacts (nonliving things). The cards were adapted from the research of Brulé et al (2014). After they categorised the cards, the children were questioned on their choices and asked to justify their choices.…”

Section: Instrument and Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Ipad Use on Saudi Children’s Classification of and Justifications Regarding Living Things: A Socio-Cultural Learning Perspective

Alanazi

2019

JBSE

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This semi-empirical research utilises a structured interview interview approach to explore Saudi children’s ideas about living things and to examine the effects of iPad use based on a socio-cultural perspective involving group work and discussion. The sample comprised 40 grade 1 children; 20 were empirically taught using iPads according to a socio-cultural perspective, and 20 were taught in the traditional teaching style. The structured interview approach in which children classified 21 cards (7 animals, 7 plants, and 7 artefacts) as living or nonliving things. The results indicated that children had varied misconceptions regarding the classification of and justifications about living things, especially regarding plants. The use of iPads according to a socio-cultural perspective had a positive effect on children’s knowledge development. Children in the iPad group performed better in categorising different types of animals and plants and in justifying their views.

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“…Recently, Wright, Poulin‐Dubois, and Kelley () have demonstrated that although 4‐year‐olds are very proficient at categorizing vehicles, furniture, and animals at the basic and superordinate levels, 5‐year‐olds have difficulty categorizing objects at the living–nonliving (animate–inanimate) level. Furthermore, preschoolers have persistent difficulty with the concept “alive.” When, for example, preschoolers are asked to categorize objects on the basis of being “alive,” they will systematically exclude plants (e.g., Anggoro, Waxman, & Medin, ; Brulé, Labrell, Magalakaki, Fouguet, & Caillies, ; Carey, ; Leddon, Waxman, & Medin, ; Meunier & Cordier, ; Opfer & Gelman, ; Opfer & Siegler, ; Richards & Siegler, ; Waxman, ). Even 1st year high school students rate animals as alive at much higher rates than plants (Yorek, Sahin, & Aydin, ).…”

Section: Theoretical Considerationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Development of Preschoolers’ Living Kinds Concept: A Longitudinal Study

Margett-Jordan

Falcon²,

Witherington³

2016

Child Development

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Given limitations in the integrative scope of past research, basic questions about the organization and development of preschoolers' living kinds concept remain open to debate. This study was designed to address past limitations through use of a longitudinal design, extensive stimulus set, and alternate indices of understanding. Thirty-five English-speaking 3-year-olds from middle-class families in Albuquerque, NM participated in four testing sessions over 1 year. Indices of understanding included statements that preschoolers generated about various living and nonliving objects, biological properties they attributed to the objects, and their characterization of objects as "alive" or not. Results reveal a multifaceted picture of developmental change in preschoolers' living kinds concept involving both the construction and elaboration of a core biological understanding.

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Children's justifications of plants as living things between 5 and 7 years of age

Cited by 8 publications

References 25 publications

Children's understanding of animal, plant, and artifact properties between 3 and 6 years

Children's understanding of animal, plant, and artifact properties between 3 and 6 years

Effect of Ipad Use on Saudi Children’s Classification of and Justifications Regarding Living Things: A Socio-Cultural Learning Perspective

The Development of Preschoolers’ Living Kinds Concept: A Longitudinal Study

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