The Paradox of Conceptual Change

 In re-reading through my stack of mathematics education journal articles for a paper I'm writing, I came across this quote in the wonderful chapter by Philipp (2007):

How do mathematics educators change teachers' beliefs by providing practice-based evidence if teachers cannot see what they do not already believe?"

That is THE paradox of conceptual change, and it's why I am so fascinated by the initial, unconscious coding of stimuli (along the lines of Gladwell's Blink) that marks a phenomenon as worthy of attention. Such initial coding is often marked by a general affective valence of positive/negative. Not surprisingly, we tend to pay greater attention to that which is first perceived as negative, but then all kinds of defense mechanisms arise to cope with the dissonant information being received.  Thus, the key, in my opinion, is either global paradigmatic change that redefines what is considered negative and what is positive (such as a religious transformation, for example), or on a more domain-specific level, some kind of conceptual tool introduced into the situation, either via self-regulation through self-talk for instance, or through the scaffolding of others (think of a psychologist helping a snake-phobic patient redefine the experience of touching the snake's cold skin). A la Vygotsky, what happens on the social plane eventually becomes internalized, so the therapist is no longer needed after a time as the patient talks herself through the next experience with a snake.

Implications for teaching? Coaching/mentoring, for one. Very specific, focused coaching that allows the more experienced teacher to identify those "knots," discrepancies "between 'what is' and 'what must be" (Wagner, as cited in Engstrom, 1998), and works to provide alternative interpretations and new ways of behaving in difficult situations.

What do you all think?


References
Engeström, Y. (1998). Reorganizing the motivational sphere of classroom culture: An activity-theoretical analysis of planning in a teacher team. In F. Seeger, J. Voigt & U. Waschesio (Eds.), The culture of the mathematics classroom (pp. 76-103). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.


Philipp, R. A. (2007). Mathematics teachers' beliefs and affect. In F. K. Lester (Ed.), Second handbook of research on mathematics teaching and learning: A project of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (pp. 435-458). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Pub. .

Self-talk, self-regulation, and ADHD

I've been poring through the research on ADHD lately. I find it interesting that Barkley's theory about ADHD involves the premise that ADHD is more about a deficit in self-control due to inability to inhibit impulses than a deficit of attention. One thing he's found is that kids with ADHD are less likely to use self-talk to self-regulate their behavior. This recent study is even more intriguing in this light.

All of the recent emphasis on the importance of self-talk just adds more credibility to Vygotsky's theory and his emphasis on private speech (a major source of contention between him and Piaget). Self-regulation doesn't happen automatically. Rather, it occurs first in social interactions, then eventually it becomes internalized; hence the importance of play  for Vygotsky. Vygotsky saw play as a means whereby children can learn to control their behavior to a greater extent than normally possible through the taking on of a particular role in a game. For instance, kids can stand still for much longer periods of time while pretending to be guards at a castle than if they are merely told to stand still for as long as they can. I have always thought that play opens the door to allowing us to attempt things just beyond our reach. Now we are finding out that play is an essential part of learning self-regulation in young children. Sadly, many of our preschools are becoming more academic and less focused on playing games involving make-believe and self-control. When was the last time you saw a group of preschoolers playing Red Light Green Light 123? Duck Duck Goose? Mother May I? All of these games teach kids impulse control, and I would argue that these games are even more necessary than teaching preschoolers how to write and read.

Another nail in the coffin for the CIO supporters

Further support for the harmful effects of letting infants "cry it out" instead of attending to their immediate needs:
Research on the Cry it Out debate

Evidence in support of a stage theory of development?

Children and Adults See the World Differently, Research Finds