Physics in the primary school: Peer interaction and the understanding of floating and sinking

The paper presents two studies designed to investigate whether, as Piagetian theory would predict, peer interaction can advance the physics understanding of primary school children so long as there is variation in initial viewpoints. The studies were concerned with advancing understanding of floating and sinking, with one focusing on the relevant properties of objects and the other on the relevant properties of fluids. Both studies considered the efficacy of interaction between primary school children whose views varied because they were at different levels of understanding and primary children whose views varied despite being at equivalent levels. In both cases, the children’s pre-to post-test progress was superior to that observed in control children whose interaction had been with peers whose views were similar. However, in contradiction to recent qualifications to Piagetian theory progress from pre- to post-test did not depend on joint advancement within the groups.