Some implications of a study of the developmental‐difference controversy for education

Abstract

This paper examines implications of the developmental‐difference debate for teaching children with learning difficulties. The questions as to whether or not retarded children show the same sequence of development and also the same structures as the non‐retarded have a direct bearing on appropriately ordering and presenting material in a curriculum. Because of its fundamental importance the acquisition of conservation concepts was studied. Understanding of number, substance, weight, length, area and volume conservation was explored using Piagetian tests for these attributes. As the first of a series of studies, the small scale investigation reported here was carried out with ordinary and special school children who had no organic impairments. Both samples were given precisely the same tasks to control for effects of task specifics. The findings were clear. The retarded and non‐retarded children revealed the same sequence in development of conservation concepts. The special school children showed delay rather than difference in order of development of understanding. The retarded and non‐retarded children also revealed similar processes in the reasons they gave for conservation judgements.

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