THE EFFECT OF WESTERN EDUCATION ON SCIENCE CONCEPTUALISATION IN NEW GUINEA

It appears that school grade is more significant than calendar age in determining conceptual development in the Territory, and this suggests that educational environment may be a major factor in conceptual developmentIn the Territory.

Abstract

S ummary . A pilot survey of the development of basic physical science concepts was undertaken in three areas of the Territory of Papua and New Guinea. In the course of the survey certain special groups were tested and these results, together with those of the main survey, have been examined for the light they throw on the effect of environmental and inheritance factors on conceptual development. The three diverse areas of the Territory yield similar results when test performance is analysed by school grade but there are differences between the areas when the results are analysed by calendar age. It appears that school grade is more significant than calendar age in determining conceptual development in the Territory, and this suggests that educational environment may be a major factor in conceptual development in the Territory. This conclusion is supported by the performance of a teachers' college group which had had special instruction regarding substance and weight and a primary school which had undertaken a comprehensive programme of experience in measurement. The performance of a group of students at a non‐English medium teachers' college reveals significantly poorer development in all test items requiring the concept of conservation. Statistical analysis of these test results against years of total schooling and years of English education reveals that English education is more significant in relation to physical concepts than total years of schooling. The four lines of evidence considered in the paper all point to the importance of environmental factors, particularly those connected with certain aspects of education, in developing concepts which involve the conservation of physical quantities.