Learning through social interaction: Shared cognitive experience, negotiation strategies, and joint concept construction for young children

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the nature of sociocognitive growth in 5- and 6-year-old children. Questions focused on (a) growth when interacting with peers who entered the investigation performing differently or similarly on cognitive tasks; (b) joint construction of concepts within collaborative problem solving; (c) negotiation strategies used for problem solving; and (d) levels of shared cognitive experience displayed by young children during sociocognitive interaction. Pairs of young children worked together to solve spatial perspective taking problems. Cognitive growth following interaction and the within-pair social interactions were analyzed. Entering performance composition of the dyad did not impact cognitive growth. The construction of shared cognitive experiences in which children worked together and actually solved problems did result in cognitive change. Educational implications are provided.

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