LEARNING-PROCESSES AND COLLABORATIVE CONCEPT MAPPING

This research addressed children's difficulty in learning science mean ingfully. A Wittgensteinian analysis of meanings suggests that they ar ise in successful acts of communication in the context of specific typ es of shared activity. From this perspective, communication between pu pils in using scientific ideas should provide a worthwhile, effective learning task. Concept mapping provides a means of structuring discuss ion about scientific meanings. The research used primarily qualitative approaches to investigate the potential for collaborative concept map ping to improve 9- to 11-year-old children's learning in science. Anal ysis of the talk in pupil groups identified the processes at work in t he discussion. The structure of the discussion differed substantially from common patterns of classroom talk, often involving children in co llaborative construction of the relationships shown in the concept map s. The findings show concept mapping to be beneficial for learning, an d to support sustained small-group discussion of scientific ideas.