每天進步一點點｜教育中的定量研究法

原文選自：雅思真題閱讀—Quantitative Research in Education

編輯：小k

Many education researchers used to work on the assumption that children experience different phases of development， and that they cannot execute the most advanced level of cognitive operation until they have reached the most advanced forms of cognitive process。

許多教育研究者都曾經立足於這樣一個假設，即兒童會經歷不同的認知發展階段，在他們的大腦達到最高形式的認知之前，大腦無法執行最高階的認知操作。

詞彙解析

assumption

n. 假設

The whole argument rests on a false assumption。

整個論證都是基於一個錯誤的假設

execute

v. 執行

We are going to execute our campaign plan to the letter。

我們將嚴格執行我們的競選方案。

advanced

adj. 高階的

There were only three of us on the advanced course。

只有我們三人學高階課程。

cognitive

adj.認知的

As children grow older， their cognitive processes become sharper。

隨著孩子們長大，他們的認知過程也變得越來越敏銳了。

operation

n.操作

Operation of the device is extremely simple。

這個裝置的操作非常簡單。

For example， one researcher Piaget had a well-known experiment in which he asked the children to compare the amount of liquid in containers with different shapes。 Those containers had the same capacity，but even when the young children were demonstrated that the same amount of fluid could be poured between the containers， many of them still believed one was larger than the other。

比如，其中一名研究者皮亞傑曾做過一個十分著名的實驗。在實驗中，他要求孩子們比較兩個不同形狀容器中液體體積的大小。事實上著兩個容器的容積相等，但當皮亞傑向兒童展示一個容器中的液體剛好可以倒入另一個容器後，孩子們依然認為其中一個容器的容積更大。

詞彙解析

capacity

n. 容量

Two water tanks provide a total capacity of 400 litres。

兩個水箱的總容量為400升。

demonstrated

v.展示

Catherine demonstrated the proper way to cleanse the face。

凱瑟琳展示了潔面的正確方法。

Piaget concluded that the children were incapable of performing the logical task in figuring out that the two containers were the same size even though they had different shapes， becaouse their cognitive development had not reached the necessary phase。

皮亞傑由此得出結論，兒童無法理解兩個不同形狀的容器具有相同的體積，因為這個問題需要孩子使用邏輯思考能力，但是他們的認知能力還沒有達到更高階的水平。

詞彙解析

Incapable

adj.無能力的

If people keep telling you you‘re incapable， you begin to lose confidence in yourself。

如果人們不斷地對你說你無能，你就開始失去自信了。