Expresiones del desarrollo cognitivo de un grupo de niños del CEI Antonio Borrero de Cuenca al iniciar su escolarización

Abstract

This qualitative research project classified as being an ethnography study, the purpose of which is analyzing the cognitive expressions of a group of 3- and 4-year-old children in Preschool Sublevel 2 at “CEI Antonio Borrero” in Cuenca in the educational context of starting their schooling, is originated from a constructivist approach, highlighting theories of cognitive development, especially Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s. The techniques used for data collection were participant observation of the kids that constituted the sample during a period of two months (October and November of the 2018-2019 academic year), as well as semi structured interviews of their mothers and teacher; observations were recorded in the form of fieldnotes and interviews in the form of memos. Expressions of cognitive development in the participant children were found more frequently in social interactions with their peers than in their curricular activities. Additionally, the mother influences the development of these expressions while the teacher usually limits their manifestation, especially during in class activities and in regard to the way children adapt to their school’s environment. This investigation has led to conclude that it is possible to analyze the expressions of cognitive development without having to subject kids to tests whose results may not always represent the cognitive ability of the participants because can often they be affected by subjective circumstances; as a result, it is necessary to expand the methods used to evaluate cognitive development in children.