Date of Graduation
1983
Document Type
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
This research project investigated whether differences existed in second, fourth, and sixth graders' performances on concrete tasks involving conservation and classification reasoning operations and reading tasks involving similar reasoning operations. There were three purposes: (1) investigating the developmental trend in ability to succeed on concrete conservation and classification tasks; (2) comparing performances of good and poor on concrete conservation and classification tasks and on logically similar reading tasks; and (3) investigating the possible existence of a developmental trend in reading comprehension. This study involved 72 second, fourth, and sixth graders who were average in age, intellectual ability, and word recognition ability but who differed in ability to comprehend written text. They were selected from three public schools in one West Virginia county. Twelve good and twelve poor comprehenders at each grade level completed three concrete conservation and six concrete classification tasks. They also read two stories involving the reasoning operations of conservation and two stories involving the reasoning operations of classification. Answers were recorded verbatim and scored according to criteria established by Piaget. Univariate and multivariate analyses of variance were utilized to evaluate the effects of grade (2,4,6) and comprehension ability (good, poor) on success in performing concrete and reading tasks. Three conclusions were drawn. First, a developmental trend exists both in ability to perform concrete conservation and classification tasks and in ability to perform the logically similar reading tasks. This developmental trend is more prominent in the reading tasks than in the concrete tasks. Second, good and poor comprehenders are differentiated by their ability to perform both the concrete and the reading tasks. These differences, however, are more conspicuous in the reading tasks. Third, a delay exists in ability to apply the reasoning operations used successfully in concrete conservation and classification tasks to situations in which these reasoning operations must be applied to a textual stimulus.
Recommended Citation
Feist, Joyce Annette, "Application Of Piaget-Defined Reasoning Operations In Concrete And Reading Tasks By Second, Fourth, And Sixth Grade Good And Poor Comprehenders." (1983). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 8844.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/8844