Teaching through social conflict

Abstract

The shift from preoperational thought to operativity entails the construction of the idea of necessity. The concrete operativity tasks, particularly conservation, are analyzed from this perspective. The Genevans always assigned a significant role to the child's interaction with others as a critical factor in the transition to operativity. The results from a broad class of conservation training studies that are based upon various kinds of social interaction are also analyzed from the perspective of their efficacy, fidelity to necessity, and implications for school instruction.