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ASSIGNMENT

JANUARY 2013 SEMESTER
COURSE CODE

ECG 222

COURSE TITLE

CHILD GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

PROGRAMME BACHELOR OF EDUCATION

STUDENTS NAME

CHEONG WEI VIAN
MATRIC NO.

E30103120035
ACADEMIC FACILITATOR

PUAN PARIMALAGANTHI
LEARNING CENTRE

KUANTAN IMPERIA



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CHEONG WEI VIAN
E30103120035
INTRODUCTION
CHILDS BACKGROUND
The first child who was tested was a 5 year-old girl. Her father was a businessman whose highest
academic achievement was SPM. Her mother was an assistant nurse in a local government clinic.
Her highest academic qualification was diploma level.

The second child tested was an 8 year-old boy. This boy was diagnosed with dyslexia. His father
works as a construction worker and his mother is a housewife. They both have SPM level
qualifications.

PIAGETS THEORY
Pre-operational Stage (2 to 6 years)
The pre-operational stage occurs between the ages of two to six. Children in this stage can
mentally represent events and objects, engage in symbolic play and develop language skills
quickly. Their thoughts and communications is egocentric, meaning they see the situation from
their own point of view and unable to see it from another persons point of view. Piagets famous
technique in studying egocentrism is the Three Mountains Task. (McLeod. S, 2010)

Concrete Stage (6 to 11 years)
The concrete stage marks the childrens beginning of logical or operational thought. The children
is now mature enough to use logical thought when they couldnt before but it can only apply to
physical objects (hence concrete stage). Children are also better at conservation tasks. The child
understands that although the appearance of something changes, the thing itself does not. The
child also becomes less egocentric. (McLeod. S, 2010)

OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this research assignment is to verify the differences in childrens thinking ability
on the pre-operational level and concrete level using Piagets Conservation Task. Conservation is
the conceptualization that amount or quantity of a matter stays the same regardless of any
changes in irrelevant dimension. The development of non-conservation to conservation is
gradual. Three of Piagets Seven Conservation Task which are; Number, Liquid and Mass, have
been tested on two children of years 5 and 8.
i) Conservation of Number: Number is not changed despite the arrangement of
objects.
ii) Conservation of Liquid Amount: The amount of liquid does not change by the
shape of its container.
iii) Conservation of Mass: The amount of mass does not change by changing its
shape or subdividing it.
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The tasks used in this assignment are to prove Piagets Theory of Cognitive Thinking of pre-
operational and concrete levels occurring in children ages 5 and 8. The purpose is also to see the
cognitive thinking processes working in a child at firsthand and to see its difference.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Conservation of Number
This conservation task took place in my schools pre-school classroom. 2 children were invited
to participate in the three tasks. For the first task, 14 colourful game counters were arranged into
two rows of equal amounts on a table in front of the girl.Then, the counters were arranged
slightly apart from each other. I have chosen to call this girl, Child A and the second boy, Child
B. The aim of this task was to observe the differences of responses between both children. Below
is the translated transcript from Malay to English interview with the first child, Child A:
INTERVIEWER: I want you to look at these objects. Can Puts 14 colourful game counters in
you see them? front of the child and arranges them
into 2 rows, each 7.
CHILD A : Yes.
INTERVIEWER: Now, which one of these rows have more Points to the two different rows.
counters?
CHILD A: This one. Points to the nearest row to her.
INTERVIEWER: Are you sure?
CHILD A: Yes.
INTERVIEWER: I want you to look at the counters again. Rearranges the counters into 2 rows,
Tell me which one has more counters. one row arranged slightly apart.
CHILD A: *thinks* This one. Points to the same row.
INTERVIEWER: Are you sure this row is more?
CHILD A: Yes.
INTERVIEWER: Can you tell me why?
CHILD A: *shakes head*
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Image 1: Child A with First Numbers Image 2: Child A with Second Numbers
Conservation Task Conservation Task

The next Numbers conservation task was carried out with Child B. Below is the translated
transcript from Malay to English interview with the second child, Child B:
INTERVIEWER: I want you to look at these objects. Can Puts 14 colourful game counters in
you see them? front of the child and arranges them
into 2 rows, each 7.
CHILD B : Yes.
INTERVIEWER: Now, which one of these rows have more Points to the two different rows.
counters?
CHILD B: Theyre both the same. Looks at the counters.
INTERVIEWER: Are you sure?
CHILD B: Yes.
INTERVIEWER: I want you to look at the counters again. Rearranges the counters into 2 rows,
Tell me which one has more counters. one row arranged slightly apart.
CHILD B: *thinks* This one. Points to the row with slightly apart
counters.
INTERVIEWER: Are you sure this row has more?
CHILD B: Yes.
INTERVIEWER: Can you tell me why?
CHILD B: This one is longer.
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Image 3: Child B with First Numbers Image 4: Child B with Second
Numbers Conservation Task Conservation Task

Conservation of Liquid Amount
For the conservation of liquid amount, both children have to answer some questions and tell the
interviewer the amount of liquid that they see in two beakers and a measuring cylinder. Below is
the translated transcript from Malay to English interview with the first child, Child A:

INTERVIEWER: I want you to look at the water. Can Pours water into two beakers at
you see them? equal amounts and level, puts them
next to each other.
CHILD A : Yes.
INTERVIEWER: Are the water inside have the same Points to both beakers.
amount?
CHILD A: *nods* Theyre both the same. Looks at the beakers.
INTERVIEWER: Are you sure?
CHILD A: Yes.
INTERVIEWER: I want you to look at the water again. Pours out the water in one of the
Tell me which one has more water. beakers into a measuring cylinder.
CHILD A: *points* This one. Points to the measuring cylinder.

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INTERVIEWER: Are you sure this one has more water?
CHILD A: Yes.
INTERVIEWER: Can you tell me why?
CHILD A: I dont know *shakes head*

Image 5: Child A with first Liquid Amount Image 6: Child A with second Liquid Amount
Conservation Task Conservation Task

Below is the translated transcript from Malay to English interview with the second child, Child
B:
INTERVIEWER: I want you to look at the water. Can Pours water into two beakers at
you see them? equal amounts and level, puts them
next to each other.
CHILD B : Yes.
INTERVIEWER: Are the water inside have the same Points to both beakers.
amount?
CHILD B: *nods* Theyre both the same. Looks at the beakers.
INTERVIEWER: Are you sure?
CHILD B: Yes.
INTERVIEWER: I want you to look at the water again. Pours out the water in one of the
Tell me which one has more water. beakers into a measuring cylinder.
CHILD B: *points* This one. Points to the measuring cylinder.

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INTERVIEWER: Are you sure this one has more water?
CHILD B: Yes.
INTERVIEWER: Can you tell me why?
CHILD B: The water is higher.

Image 7: Child B with first Liquid Amount Image 8: Child B with second Liquid Amount
Conservation Task Conservation Task

Conservation of Mass
I have carried out Conservation Task of Mass using plasticine. The plasticine has been rolled up
to resemble balls. Both children have to observe the differences in mass and answer some
questions. Below is the translated transcript from Malay to English interview with the first child,
Child A:
INTERVIEWER: This time, I want you to look at these Points to two rolled up plasticine
two plasticine balls. Can you see balls.
them.

CHILD A : Yes.
INTERVIEWER: Are the sizes the same? Points again.

CHILD A: Theyre not the same. Looks at the plasticine.
INTERVIEWER: Are you sure?
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CHILD A: Yes.
INTERVIEWER: I want you to look at the plasticine again. Smashes one of the plasticine
Tell me which one is more. balls so that it is flat.
CHILD A: *points* This one. Points to the still-round plasticine
balls.
INTERVIEWER: Are you sure this one is more?
CHILD A: Yes.
INTERVIEWER: Can you tell me why?
CHILD A: Its bigger.

Image 9: Child A with first Mass Conservation Image 10: Child A with second Mass
Task Conservation Task

Below is the translated transcript from Malay to English interview with the second child, Child
B:
INTERVIEWER: This time, I want you to look at these Points to two rolled up plasticine
two plasticine balls. Can you see balls.
them.

CHILD B : Yes.
INTERVIEWER: Are the sizes the same? Points again.

CHILD B: Theyre the same. Looks at the plasticine.
INTERVIEWER: Are you sure?
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CHILD B: *nods* Yes.
INTERVIEWER: I want you to look at the plasticine again. Smashes one of the plasticine
Tell me which one is more. balls so that it is flat.
CHILD B: *points* This one. Points to the still-round plasticine
balls.
INTERVIEWER: Are you sure this one is more?
CHILD B: Yes.
INTERVIEWER: Can you tell me why?
CHILD B: Its bigger. This one is smaller. Points to the rolled-up ball and flat
ball.

Image 11: Child B with first Mass Conservation Image 12: Child B with second Mass
Task Conservation Task

INTERPRETATION OF OBSERVATION
Based from my observations of all tasks which was carried out with Child A and Child B, I can
see both children have some different answers and also the same answers to the questions that
were asked. For the first conservation task which was the Numbers; Child A answered same
answers to both tasks. When the counters were arranged exactly the same, Child A answered that
the row of counters nearest to her was the longest. Next, when the counters were arranged
differently and slightly apart, she still says that the counters nearest to her were the longest. From
this, I can surmise that Child A is egocentric and unable to see from another point of view. She is
also still unable to differentiate between lengths yet. As for Child B, he was able to point out that
the length of each row was the same when the counters were arranged exactly the same. But
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when the counters were shifted slightly apart, he answered that the next row were now longer.
This shows that his seriation skills are still developing and has not yet reached a mature stage.
The next Liquid Amount conservation task was carried out with Child A firstly then followed by
Child B. Child A was able to observe that the liquids in both beakers were in the same amount.
When the liquid in Beaker 2 was transferred into a measuring cylinder, she now answers that the
liquid in measuring cylinder has the most amount of liquid. When asked the reason the liquid
was more, she was unable to answer the interviewers question. As for Child B, his answers to
both questions were the same with Child A. But when he was asked the reason the liquid in the
measuring cylinder was more, he said that it was higher thus more. Both children are unable to
understand that no matter what objects held the liquids, the liquids were still in the same amount
even though the objects were not of the same sizes.
The last conservation task was the Mass task. Child A stated that the plasticine balls were not of
the same sizes for the first interviewers question. Then, when one of the balls was flattened, she
said that the rolled up ball was bigger than the flattened one. Child B pointed out that both balls
were of the same sizes when asked the first question. Then for the second question, he answered
that the rolled up ball was bigger than the flattened ball. Child As answer for the first question
was different than Child A which was rather surprising. I can surmise this to the shape of the
balls which were probably not rolled up properly.
Both children displayed same answers for most of the interviewers questions. This can be
concluded that both children have not understood the concept of conservation tasks yet. Due to
Child Bs dyslexic disabilities, he has not yet fully developed his cognitive thinking skills
according to other children in his same age range. As for Child A, her cognitive abilities are not
fully developed as she is still in the pre-operational stage. The tasks were not that difficult to the
children as they did not show any hesitation in answering the questions. But the answers both
children exhibited revealed that their cognitive skills are still not yet matured.
CONCLUSION
From the experiments carried out, I can conclude that the three conservation tasks that were
carried out are able to support Piagets Theory of Cognitive Development. It showed that
children in the pre-operational stage are egocentric and unable to see from another point of view.
He also showed that the way a child thinks is central to cognitive development process. With his
theory, he also proposed that constructivism approach to teaching techniques should be carried
out in classroom to benefit the children. Piaget has made many contributions to education and
child psychology with his theory and research.
The only criticisms to Piagets Theory are that he did not place importance on the sociocultural
environment and impact on a childs cognitive growth. It also showed that although age was a
contributing factor to a childs cognitive level, it only encompasses normal children and not
children with special needs like dyslexia.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Macleod S.A. (2010). Concrete Operational Stage. Retrieved 2013, March 1, from
http://www.simplypsychology.org/concrete-operational.html
Macleod S.A. (2010). Preoperational Stage. Retrieved 2013, March 1, from
http://www.simplypsychology.org/preoperational.html