1Third Misconceptions Seminar Proceedings (1993) Paper Title: The Scientific World of Play and School: Primary Childrens ' Uses of Hierarchical Concept Maps

Abstract: The premise of this paper is that children are active learners who engage in meaningful learning when a situation of interest presents itself. Children form mental models or personal constructs of how they perceive the world in which they live, the world does not create these constructs for them. As Kelly (1955) explains, constructs are individually built and "tried on for size " as one views the world of events. These constructs are sometimes categorized into groups of systems consisting of subordinate, coordinate, and superordinate relationships. They are used to forecast events and to assess the accuracy of the events after they have occurred. In the scientific world of play and school, children constantly test their interpretations of the world and revise their mental models or personal constructs as they experience and test alternative explanations throughout their lives