The Research On Preschoolers' Development On Na(?)ve Theory Of Biology

Through the tasks of image illustration, categorization and scenario prediction, my research made an investigation on 160 children ranging from 3 years old to 6 years old by the mean of interviewing regarding the formation and development of naive theory of biology from two dimensions-growing up and sickness. My research composts of 2 major parts which are: 1.How can children differentiate living creatures including human being, animal and plant from non-living creatures from the dimensions of growing up and sickness.2. How can children interpret and predict living creatures and non-living creatures from those two former dimensions. My research proposed constructive suggestions towards kindergarten science education through analysis and comments on the research conclusion.Based on the quantitative results, I get four conclusions. Firstly, the formation and development of naive theory of biology on children experienced several stages as below:3 to 4 years old is the period when children accumulate related experiences and the theory starts to sprout as well as they form an interpretation towards their maturing, sickness and are able to predict and start to realize that maturing and sickness are uncontrollable; during 4-5-year-old, when the experience of children accumulates and develop further, they are able to differentiate living creatures and non-living creatures based on their interpretation.; 5 to 6 years old is a period when children have formed rudiment of theory, they are able to comprehend the inner nature of growing and sickness, such as the irreversibility of growing, the transmission of sickness, etc; in the age of 6, children's naive theory of biology stabilizes. Secondly, children's cognitive ability has coherence with their reasoning ability. Thirdly, children's naive theory of biology has age differences and individual variation, but no obvious gender differences. At last, Children's relevant experience has influence on their interpreting and predicting level which therefore influences their discrimination between living creatures and non-living creatures.The more experience children have,the higher level they differentiate living creatures and non-living creatures,and vice versa..Researchers have proposed four educational suggestions from teachers perspectives based on the characteristics of naive theory of biology and the requirements of scientific inspiring education for children:1. admitting the existence of children's naive theory of biology; 2. knowing the rationality and continuity of children's naive theory of biology; 3. respecting children's false cognition; 4. providing more mutual communicating opportunities for children so that they could be liberated from the right-and-wrong standard of adults.