Abstract
A description is provided of children's concepts and conceptions of time and the processes by which
these are learned. Learning is approached from a phenomenological frame of reference in which the
main concepts are intentionality, meaning, the creation of meaningful relationships and learning
experiences. This philosophical and theoretical approach also draws attention to language and action
and to cognitions and emotions in connection with learning. The empirical analysis of meaningful
relationships and learning experiences is based on encounters between the individual and various
factors in the learning environment such as the teacher, other pupils and learning tasks.
The descriptive problems addressed here were focused on the products of learning, the learning
process and the context. The intentions of the individual with regard to his or her situation are
examined in the contexts of environmental inquiry, activity and voluntary working.
The material was compiled in three stages. A preliminary survey was conducted in 1993-1994
with 22 second-grade pupils, after which the data acquisition proper took place in the didactic
process laboratory of the Department of Teacher Education in Kajaani in 1994 and 1995 with a
group of 10 first-grade pupils. The early stages comprised largely basic research, while the final
stage of data acquisition performed in the light of the previous experiences resembled action
research. Video recordings of the learning process were transcribed and analysed to produce
content analysis. Material from the last round of data acquisition were analysed using a
computerized observation program. The concepts and conceptions acquired by the pupils were
deduced from the learning tasks and their experiences were gathered from pupil and teacher
evaluations. The longitudinal study was monitored by means of field notes.
All the pupils achieved conceptualization after the teaching period in accordance with the goals
of the learning event. The principal nodes in the inquiry process were described as being
formulation of the problem to be studied and conceptualization of the information. A meaningless
problem would be reflected in direct copying of another pupil's question or of text from a source of
information. The teacher occupied an important position in supporting conceptualization and
sharing experiences in all the contexts, while the guiding process was structured by symbols
recorded by the pupils. The girls in particular expressed a desire to share their experiences with
others, although this sociability did not always imply sharing the meanings. The most important
aids in the boys' meaningful learning experiences were computers, while the girls favoured
concrete activities such as drawing or modelling. The tasks differed in the kinds of discussions that
they aroused, with the investigatory tasks and demonstrations leading to the greatest amounts of
purposeful discussion.
Language had an important function for coping with the learning environment and for the
expression of learning intentions. On the other hand, linguistic expressions alone tended to convey
misleading impressions of either the progress of the pupil's conceptualization process or his or her
meaningful experiences.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:oulo.fi/oai:oulu.fi:isbn951-42-5708-1 |
| Date | 22 June 2000 |
| Creators | Mutanen, A. (Aino) |
| Publisher | University of Oulu |
| Source Sets | University of Oulu |
| Language | Finnish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess, © University of Oulu, 2000 |
| Relation | info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/pissn/0355-323X, info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/eissn/1796-2242 |
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