THE DEVELOPMENT OF YOUNG CHILDREN'S UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROCESS OF EVAPORATION

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Abstract
Summary. This study looks at the development of young children's explanations of events which adults would explain as involving evaporation. Ninety children at each of 5, 7 and 9 years took part and these children were divided into three equal groups at each age. A pilot study, which is also briefly reported here, had indicated that 7‐ and 8‐year‐old children gave explanations which were situation‐specific. In particular, this suggested that a pan of water boiled away because the water “went into the pan”. The main study went on to look at how different groups of children at each age responded to lessons about either the non‐absorbent nature of the pan or the importance of the visible steam produced when the water boils. With age, the children were found to develop intuitive explanations of evaporation which became less inconsistent with the adult scientific view. On the other hand there was only inconclusive evidence of the differential effects of the lessons at each age. The failure of the lessons to immediately trigger off the evaporation as an explanation supports the importance of underlying cognitive structures.

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