The Impact Of Peer Collaboration On The Classification Of 3-6 Year Olds

The present study investigated the development characteristics of 3-6 year old children's classification ability and the effects of peer cooperation on children's classification operation.300 children of a kindergarden in Nanjing participated in the research,98 of them were from the bottom class,102 of them were from the middle class and 100 of them were from the top class.The research was composed of two experiments. The first one was a 3X2 between-subject design in order to study age and gender difference in 3-6 year old children's classification ability. Grade (the bottom, middle and top class in the kindergarten) and gender (male, female) of participants were research variables. The dependent variables were the number of dimensions that the subjects used in the geometric classification and the evaluation results of classification results.The second one was a 3X3 between-subject design. Objective to study the effects of peer cooperation on children's classification operation. Gender combination type (male-male, female-female, male-female) and level combination type (low level-low lever, high level-low level, high level-high level) were independent variables. The dependent variables were the evaluation results of classification results.The results showed that:(1) There was a significant grade difference in the number of dimensions that the subjects used in the geometric. (2) Grade affected the results of geometric classification and physical classification significantly. (3) Grade affected the results of the basic concept classification and the superior concept classification significantly. (4) There was a significant level combination type difference in the geometric classification of the bottom and middle class; In the top class, level combination type did not affect the results of geometric classification; The main effect of gender combination type was not significant in the geometric classifcation of the bottom, middle and top class. (5) There was a marginal significant level combination type difference in the physical classification of the bottom class; In the bottom class, gender combination type affected the results of physical classification significantly.Conclusions:(1) The children from the bottom class have the basic ability of classification and children's results of classification develop as they grow older. (2) The consciousness and ability that classified according to the shape and color have a rapid development in the preschool stage; And the consciousness and ability that classified according to the size have a rapid development during the period of the top class. (3) The children from the middle class master the basic concept classification in principle, and most of the children from the top class can be the the superior concept classification. (4) In the situation of cooperation, gender combination type has no effect on classification operation of 3-6 years old preschool children. Level combination type has influence on geometric classification operation of the chidren who from the bottom and middle class.