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" The geographical understanding of children aged 5 to 8 years. "
Piche, Denise.
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Latin Dissertation
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| Record Number
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1092973
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TLets261176
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| Main Entry
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Piche, Denise.
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| Title & Author
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The geographical understanding of children aged 5 to 8 years.\ Piche, Denise.
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| College
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London School of Economics and Political Science (University of London)
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| Date
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1977
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| student score
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1977
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| Degree
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Ph.D.
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| Abstract
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This research investigates the geographical understandingof children aged 5 to 8 years defined as children's conception ofthe earth's surface. The purpose is to study geographical understandingas emerging mainly from four cognitive operations: the separation ofthe earth's surface into places and land uses, the assemblage ofthese elements into a continuous surface, the construction of theelements into a geographical hierarchy and their representation ona two-dimensional plan.The first three operations are studied through clinicalinterviews and drawing tasks, which bear upon the child'sconstruction of geographical objects, of geographical space and of theorigin of the built environment. The fourth operation is studiedthrough an exercise in a real large-scale environment consistingof two blocks of houses: the exercise implies route learning,descriptions and predictions of routes, indications of directions,map drawing and model construction.The children's answers on each topic in the interviews andat each task In the field exercise are ordered according totheir level of development: consequently, developmental scalesof geographical understanding are formed. These scales appearto follow the developmental sequence identified by Piaget, exceptfor a few disparities owing to the particular topic investigated.They cover the span from the end of the preconceptual period tothe beginning of the stage of concrete operations. However,developmenta.l decalages are observed between a number of scales,more particularly between route learning, the conception of theearth's surface and the representation of a large-scale environment on a plan.Besides describing the development of geographical understanding,the research is aimed at explaining this development. The respectiverole of the cognitive functions, namely sensori-motricity, perception,images and operations, in the construction of the earths surface istherefore examined, and Piaget's explanations of development,more specifically the regulation and grouping of actions andoperations and the equilibration of assimilation andFccqqsnodatlon,are assessed.
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Psychology
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| Added Entry
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London School of Economics and Political Science (University of London)
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