Moving beyond success: changes in young children's successful problem solving behaviour

Description/Abstract

This paper presents findings from a study which explores the process of change in 5-6 year old children’s successful strategies while solving a specific form of additive task. Karmiloff-Smith’s model of Representational Redescription (RR), which predicts that higher conceptualisation and control of an employed strategy develops after the achievement of a successful solution is used as a basis for the analysis of the changes observed. A number of cases were studied at a micro-developmental level. Through an analysis of two cases, the paper presents findings from the study which support certain predictions of the model regarding problem solving behaviour after success, such as the introduction of qualitative changes. Other findings of the study diverge from the predictions of the RR model.