Children‘s Mediational Teaching Style as a Function of Intervention for Cross-Age Peer-Mediation

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to investigate the effects of a programme providing cross-age peer-mediation on mediation teaching style of mediators and learners in a learning situation. A second objective was to investigate the effects of the mediators‘ and learners‘ cognitive level on different criteria of mediation. The sample was composed of 89 third graders (mediators) and 89 .rst graders (learners) coming from three third grade classes and three .rst grade classes in a primary school. The third graders were assigned to experimental ( n= 43) and control ( n= 46) groups. Each pair of mediator and learner was matched in a counterbalanced design (2 × 2) according to their cognitive level (high versus low), based on their score on the Raven‘s Matrices. The experimental third graders received the Peer-Mediation for Young Children (PMYC), which is a training programme based on the theoretical approaches of Vygotsky and Feuerstein. The control children received a general preparation for peer assisted learning. Following the PMYC, all children participated in a peer-mediation condition, which was videotaped for 25 minutes and subsequently analysed by the Observation of Mediation Instrument. The findings showed that the experimental children received signi.cantly higher mediation scores than the control children. Mediators‘ cognitive level was not related to the level of mediation. However, the learners‘ cognitive level was found to effect mediation for meaning of the mediator: requestfor meaning from learners and givingof meaning from mediator were higher in interactions of mediators with learners of low cognitive level. The .ndings are discussed with reference to Feuerstein‘s and Vygotsky‘s theories.

Developing an Educational E-Book for Fostering Kindergarten Children's Emergent Literacy

“…It has been suggested that peer-learning activities enable students to improve completion of tasks requiring the sharing of technological resources (De Lisi & Golbeck, 1999), especially in classrooms and preschools with few computers. Alternatively, a computerized environment is particularly suitable for peer learning due to the structured nature of computer-assisted learning, a process that, while generally managed by the program, facilitates scaffolding among its student participants (Shamir & Tzuriel, 2004a;Plowman & Stephen, 2003).…”

The effects of mother‐child mediated learning strategies on psychological resilience and cognitive modifiability of boys with learning disability

“…() suggested 12 strategies of MLE. However, only the first five were operationalized in studies of infants and young children (e.g., Klein, ; Klein, Weider, & Greenspan, ; Lidz, ; Tzuriel, ; Tzuriel, , , ; Tzuriel & Eran, ; Tzuriel & Ernst, ; Tzuriel & Weiss, ; Tzuriel & Weitz, ) and in studies on peer mediation (e.g., Shamir & Tzuriel, ; Tzuriel & Caspi, ; Tzuriel & Shamir, ; Tzuriel & Shamir ) and siblings (e.g., Klein, Zarur, & Feldman, ; Tzuriel & Hanuka‐Levy, ). These MLE strategies are described here briefly.…”

The effects of Peer Mediation with Young Children (PMYC) on children's cognitive modifiability

“…Feuerstein suggested a set of criteria that characterize mediated learning, but only the first five have been operationalized for observation with mother‐child or peer mediation dyads (e.g. Klein, 1996; Shamir & Tzuriel, 2004; Shamir et al , 2006; Tzuriel, 1999, 2001). In the following, we summarize the first five criteria, which were the basis of the PMYC programme.…”

“…labelling of an object or activity, illuminating a current event, activity or learned context, relating an event to past or current events and emphasizing its importance and value). In peer mediation, children express meaning by labelling of information and sometimes by interest and even excitement (Shamir & Tzuriel, 2004). Children who have experienced mediation of meaning will actively attach meaning to new information rather than passively waiting for meaning to come.…”

“…These criteria, with some adaptations, were the basis for the development of the PMYC model and training lessons with children between 6 and 8 years of age. They were also used to observe and analyse the children's mediating skills as a function of participating in the programme (Shamir & Tzuriel, 2004).…”