at school age

The problem of studying

sign
-
symbolic activity

at school age


Natalya V. Smirnova

Department of Foreign Languages


Russian Federation, St. Petersburg

Higher School of Economics

-


St.Petersburg
,
2011

www.hse.spb.ru


International Conference on Education and Educational Psychology

Istanbul, Turkey

October, 19
-
21, 2011

Higher School of Economics ,
St.Petersburg
,
2011

The problem of studying sign
-
symbolic activity

at school age

photo

photo

photo


Overview




-

Theoretical background and definition of Sign
-
Symbolic activity


-

The nature of sign
-
symbolic mediation


-

Importance of studying SSA


-

Main aims of the research


-

Methodology of the pilot study


-

Future perspectives of the study




Higher School of Economics ,
St.Petersburg
,
2011

The problem of studying sign
-
symbolic activity

at school age

photo

photo

photo

Theory


1. child's development
-

a process of acquiring different sign systems and ways of
information processing
-

Piaget, Bruner, Flavell, Solso, Lindsay & , Anderson, etc.


2. Vygotsky school
-

Galperin (1998), Davydov (1994) and Elkonin (1989) schools


3. Current stage research field
-

Ananyev, Lomov, Gamezo, Salmina, Glotova







Higher School of Economics ,
St.Petersburg
,
2011

The problem of studying sign
-
symbolic activity

at school age

photo

photo

photo


Definition


Sign Symbolic Activity is analyzed as a system of mediation, representation and
relation aiming at reflection and transformation of reality. At the same time it is
considered as an action and belongs to higher psychic functions and is an essential
condition for the human development and life at all ages (Salmina, 1998)







Higher School of Economics ,
St.Petersburg
,
2011

The problem of studying sign
-
symbolic activity

at school age

photo

photo

photo


SSA nature



-

signs

and

symbols

have

common

structure

and

functioning


SS

functions
:


Communicative

Cognitive

Substitutional


SS

micro

level

functions
:


-

indicative

-

regulative

-

esthetic

-

valuation







Higher School of Economics ,
St.Petersburg
,
2011

The problem of studying sign
-
symbolic activity

at school age

photo

photo

photo


SSA nature


According to SSA functions Salmina (1998) defines its four types:


Modeling


Schematization


Encoding


Substitution







Higher School of Economics ,
St.Petersburg
,
2011

The problem of studying sign
-
symbolic activity

at school age

photo

photo

photo


Importance of studying SSA



-

complex

educational

program

and

studying

process

at

schools


-

not

the

quantity

of

the

acquired

knowledge

which

is

important

but

how

well

children

can

find

and

process

new

knowledge

by

themselves


-

investigate

the

processes

which

allow

learners

to

encode/decode

information

in

different

sign

systems

quickly,

independently,

fully,

accurately

and

consciously







Higher School of Economics ,
St.Petersburg
,
2011

The problem of studying sign
-
symbolic activity

at school age

photo

photo

photo


Aims of the research


-

analyze

SSA

nature

(its

structure,

types,

and

functions)



-

Study

SSA

dynamics

with

relation

to

the

learners’

age
,

individual

characteristics
,

their

general

cognitive

level

without

creating

any

specific

learning

environment

and

without

taking

into

account

any

external

factors
.








Higher School of Economics ,
St.Petersburg
,
2011

The problem of studying sign
-
symbolic activity

at school age

photo

photo

photo


Methodology of the pilot study


-

theoretical

literature

analysis


-

study

and

analysis

of

the

research

papers

in

the

field

of

developmental,

pedagogical

and

general

psychology


-

development

of

a

set

of

criteria

to

assess

the

level

of

SSA



-

development

of

an

original

experimental

methodology

to

investigate

SSA

dynamics

with

different

age

groups



-

development

of

an

original

experimental

methodology

to

study

the

learning

success

and

progress







Higher School of Economics ,
St.Petersburg
,
2011

The problem of studying sign
-
symbolic activity

at school age

photo

photo

photo

original

experimental

methodology

to

investigate

SSA

dynamics
:

e.g. Schematization/ Native language
–

Russian/ 7
th

school grade

1
.

Make

a

scheme

of

the

following

sentence

(verbal

–

non

verbal)
.





2
.

Look

at

the

words
:

cat,

lake,

sister,

table,

etc
.

Systematize

them

according

to

their

case

and

declination

(verbal

–

non

verbal)




3
.

Make

words

according

to

the

following

schemes

(non

verbal

-

verbal)
:




4
.

Make

a

sentence

according

to

the

following

scheme

(non

verbal

-

verbal)
:

















Higher School of Economics ,
St.Petersburg
,
2011

The problem of studying sign
-
symbolic activity

at school age

photo

photo

photo


SSA development level indicators

based on Matveeva, 1989; Gamezo,
1975; Lomov, 1959; Salmina, 1988; Glotova, 1990:



-

Degree of correctness of SSA


-

Learner’s speed of SS mediation


-

Learner’s independence of SS mediation


-

Learner’s consciousness of SS mediation







Higher School of Economics ,
St.Petersburg
,
2011

The problem of studying sign
-
symbolic activity

at school age

photo

photo

photo


Analysis of the learning progress of students


4 learning progress variables




-

successful acquisition of new notions in the subject


-

general progress in studies


-

teachers of English and Russian assessment of students’ learning progress


-

self
-
assessment of their own learning progress







Higher School of Economics ,
St.Petersburg
,
2011

The problem of studying sign
-
symbolic activity

at school age

photo

photo

photo


Future perspectives of the study


-

study SSA features and correlations of SSA and learners’ study progress in
connection with their individual characteristics


-

to investigate the relationship of learning progress and SSA level development
according to the following primary indicators: consciousness, accuracy, and speed,
independence of using SS tools and according to the secondary (derived) indicators:
SSA consistency and frequency


-

to investigate gender differences in the SSA process with primary school learners
and if these difference disappear with age


-

to study the relationship between SSA level and learners’ general cognitive level of
development







Higher School of Economics ,
St.Petersburg
,
2011

The problem of studying sign
-
symbolic activity

at school age

photo

photo

photo

References

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Bruner, G. (1997) Psychology of cognition: Beyond the limits of immediate information.
Translation from English
. (p.412). Moscow: Progress.

Davydov, V.V. (1994) Psychological problems in teaching young learners. Age psychology. (pp.160
-
163).
Edited by Feldshtein D.I.

Moscow.

Elkonin, D.B. (1989). Collection of works on psychology. (p.554). Moscow: Pedagogika.

Eremeeva, V.D., Chrisman, T.P. (2001). Boys and girls
–

two worlds apart. (p.184). St. Petersburg: Tuskarora.

Flavell, G.H. (1967). Genetic psychology by J.Piege. (p.623). Moscow: Prosvechenye.

Galpirin, P.J. (1998). Psychology as objective science. Collection of works on psychology.
Edited by Podolsky A.I.
(p.480). Voronezh.

Gamezo, M.V. (1975). Theoretical issues of managing human cognitive processes. About the role and functions of signs and sign

mo
dels in
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Glotova, G.A. (1990). Human and sign. Semiotic
-
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skogo
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Korshunov, A.M. (1979). Reflection, activity, cognition. (p.216). Moscow: Politizdat.

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as

characteristics
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-
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pp.21
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th

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(3
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.

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-
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