How Does Your Garden Grow? Early Conceptualization of Seeds and Their Place in the Plant Growth Cycle

Abstract

. Although an increasing body of research supports the view that preschoolers hold theory-like conceptions in the biological domain, most studies concerned have focused exclusively on early conceptions of animals and humans. As a complement to such research, the present studies examined 4-year-olds' conceptualization of seeds, a key stage of plant growth, itself a critical biological process. Study 1 examined judgments about seed origins and growth preconditions, in order to tap early understanding of causal mechanisms pertaining to plant growth. Studies 2 and 3 examined specific understandings of the relations that hold among the distinct stages of growth (seed, plant, flower, fruit). Overall, children demonstrated an impressive grasp of seeds and their place in the growth cycle. By age 4V2 years, children realized that natural causal mechanisms and not other sorts (e.g., human intervention) underlie growth, appreciated the unique relation of seeds to the plant domain, and demonstrated an emerging grasp of growth's cyclical nature. Together, these findings suggest that preschoolers may hold theory-like understandings of plants similar to those they hold of animals and humans.

Theory-based considerations influence the interpretation of generic sentences

“…We use as a test case a causal assumption that is part of essentialist thinking (Gelman, 2003; Gelman & Wellman, 1991; Hickling & Gelman, 1995)–that the physical features characteristic of a biological kind often emerge as an inherent outcome of development , as a consequence of the gradual unfolding of the kind’s essence over time. Consider a familiar example: As the children’s story makes clear, swans are not born beautiful.…”

Research in Early Childhood Science Education

“…For example, Hickling and Gelman ( 1995 ) examined if and how young children held theories of seeds and plants as living things that have biological characteristics, such as growth, reproduction, illness, and death. For example, Hickling and Gelman ( 1995 ) examined if and how young children held theories of seeds and plants as living things that have biological characteristics, such as growth, reproduction, illness, and death.…”

Conceptions of time in children treated for malignant cerebellar tumours

“…In previous studies this assessment was performed with drawings [27] or pictures [28], but never with a more dynamic animation. This new tool also constitutes a non-stressful way of questioning children's conceptions.…”

“…Cyclic ordering of elements requires the distinction between order and recurrence, order being mastered 2 years before recurrence [27]. However, knowledge about cyclic time, such as seasons or plant growth cycles, has almost never been studied, except in Hickling and Gelman [28], who worked on the early conceptualization of seeds.…”