Freund Study (development)

Question 1

Aim

Answer 1

To determine if maternal guidance improved learning of furniture placemen in a doll house.

Question 2

Procedure

Answer 2

• Sample: 3 and 5 year old children, racially diverse and middle-class
• Children asked to help a puppet move furniture into a doll house
• Two conditions:
  
  • Group 1 (Corrective Feedback): Arranged furniture independently (researchers corrected mistakes at end)
  • Group 2 (Mother Interaction): Arranged furniture with help from their mothers (guided not taught)
• Phase 1: Children asked to sort furniture into appropriate rooms in the dollhouse independently. Difficult version of test used.
• Phase 2: Children sorted furniture with guidance - both easy and difficult versions of tasks. Mother interacted or feedback was given at the end.
• Phase 3: Arranged furniture independently again. Given a difficult version of the task. Researchers awarded a score reflecting the accuracy of sorting.

Question 3

Findings

Answer 3

• In the final phase, children assisted by their mothers performed significantly better at the furniture arranging task than the children working independently who received feedback from researchers
• Shows that the MKO knowing the strengths and weaknesses of the learner is important, as the mother often knew what the child needed more guidance with or could make a connection to their home
• Supports the importance of a MKO and scaffolding in learning

Question 4

Limitations

Answer 4

• Internal validity (lack of control variable)
• Difficult to control how much help the mothers provided
• Raises question of importance of personal relationship with the MKO
• Only looked at short-term learning, not clear if the child would have had long-term success with the task
• Only looks at impact of mother on child, not the impact of the child on the mother

Question 5

Ethical Considerations

Answer 5

Protection from harm

Question 6

Research Method

Answer 6

• Experiment