A Study on the Learning Potential Assessment of Children’s Analogy Reasoning Ability Author:江淑卿 Shwu-Ching Jiang
Research Article
This study explored the process of change in analogy reasoning ability of transitional stage children based on learning potential assessment. The subjects were sixty children with the age of six or seven. Three-way mixed design was used. The experimental group received analogy reasoning module instruction. The control group received no instruction. The subtest of Inductive Reasoning Ability Test and clinical interview were conducted as pretest and posttest. Three-way mixed design analysis of Variance was used to verify the effects of promotion. Interview data were analyzed by types of analogical solutions explored changes of cognitive function. Furthermore the protocol analysis of two cases from the experimental group was used to explicate the process of transition in analogy reasoning. The results of this study indicated (1) Learning potential assessment effectively promoted analogy reasoning ability in transitional stage children. Learning potential assessment also generally changed types of analogical solutions and activated cognitive function. For instance, mapping ability was enhanced in seven years old children. And (2) Six- or seven- year- old children could gradually infer and map relations correctly; resist counter suggestions; and explain the reason for the answer during the process of learning potential assessment. Compared to the seven years old children, the six years old children’s cognitive functions were more easily affected by the mode and difficulty of tasks. Six years old children needed more guidance to achieve correct solutions.