Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether preschool children (aged 4.5–6 years) can construct the concept of mechanical stability through structured hands-on activities involving the building of a tower on an inclined plane and through the use of cans of various sizes and weights. The data derived mainly from direct observation and the visual component of video tape recordings of thirty-seven children. These children formed three treatment groups which participated in structured-guided, structured-unguided and unstructured-unguided activities respectively. There is strong evidence that appropriately structured activities involving children's action on objects and the objects immediate reaction, as well as children's opportunity to vary this action, complemented with a scaffolding strategy can help children construct the concept of mechanical stability and apply it in other similar contexts. The paper also presents a theoretical framework for the teaching and learning of physics in the early years.
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Hadzigeorgiou, Y. A Study of the Development of the Concept of Mechanical Stability in Preschool Children. Research in Science Education 32, 373–391 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020801426075
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020801426075