Feuerstein's Structural Cognitive Modifiability and Neuroplasticity

This study explores the effects of a cognitive education approach based on mediation, as intended in the Reuven Feuerstein Structural Cognitive Modifiability theory, applied in the context of educational activities in regular school. We assessed the effects of the systematic application of the Instrumental Enrichment Program (IE) on the development of cognitive functions underlying flexible thinking and problem solving behaviour. The research was carried out by the Authorized Training Center ARRCA NOVA, together with a group of teachers working in the public school system of the Treviso area during the 2012-2013 school year. The study involved 11 experimental groups (school classes) and 9 control groups, ranging from kindergarten to 6th grade (first year of Middle school) for a total of 364 students, covering 40-42 hours of activities. Among the tests applied, the most meaningful results came out of the Raven Matrices, where the experimental groups show a greater statistically-significant improvement. This suggests that students working with the IE Program display more flexible thinking and problem-solving behaviour in new situations, irrespective of previous knowledge. Results emerging from more strictly academic tests are more ambiguous and will require further investigation. An additional relevant result of the research emerges from the written evaluations of the teachers involved with the experimental groups, reporting deep changes in their own behaviours and professional approaches and bringing about a high-quality inclusive education. ***** Lo studio esplora l'efficacia di un intervento di educazione cognitiva basato sulla Pedagogia della mediazione e la teoria della modificabilità cognitiva strutturale di Reuven Feuerstein, nella normale pratica didattica in classe. Si è cercato di valutare l'importanza dell'utilizzo sistematico degli strumenti carta e matita del Programma di Arricchimento Strumentale Feuerstein (PAS) per lo sviluppo di abilità cognitive trasversali, alla base del pensiero flessibile e delle competenze di problem solving. La ricerca è stata promossa dall'ATC ARRCA NOVA onlus con la collaborazione di alcuni Istituti comprensivi della provincia di Treviso nell'A.S. 2012-13. Alla sperimentazione hanno partecipato 11 classi sperimentali e 9 classi di controllo (dalla scuola dell'infanzia alla classe prima della secondaria di primo grado) per un totale di 364 allievi. La durata annuale dell'intervento è stata mediamente di 40-42 ore. Sono stati utilizzati diversi tipi di test, ma i risultati più significativi sono quelli relativi alle Matrici di RAVEN nei quali le classi sperimentali mostrano un miglioramento superiore rispetto alle classi di controllo in misura statisticamente significativa. Gli alunni che hanno lavorato con il Programma di Arricchimento Strumentale manifestano una maggior flessibilità di pensiero e capacità di risolvere problemi in situazioni nuove, indipendentemente dalle conoscenze acquisite. I risultati ottenuti nei test più strettamente scolastici appaiono di più difficile interpretazione e necessitano di ulteriori approfondimenti. Un effetto laterale rilevante della sperimentazione è emerso dalle valutazioni scritte degli insegnanti, che indicano profonde modificazioni nel loro comportamento sia nel modo di lavorare in classe che verso i bambini, riuscendo a promuovere in questo modo una didattica inclusiva di qualità. ***** La ricerca ha visto coinvolti tutti e tre gli autori nella scelta dei test da utilizzare, nella loro somministrazione, nella costruzione degli archivi e nella discussione dei risultati; Lucia Papa ha curato la stesura definitiva e la revisione dell'articolo; Luigi Clama ha curato l'elaborazione e l'analisi dei dati secondo il metodo statistico Anova e la produzione dei rispettivi grafici e tabelle; Maria Cuzzato ha curato in particolare la preparazione della ricerca, la correzione dei test di produzione linguistica e la valutazione fornita dai docenti partecipanti.

The effects of intervention for peer mediation and mother-child mediated learning experience (MLE) strategies on children's MLE strategies and cognitive modifiability (CM) was investigated on a sample of 100 mother–child dyads. CM was examined in domains of executive functions and analogical reasoning. The MLE interactions were analyzed by Observation for Mediated Interaction (OMI) scale. Children of high-and low-mediating mothers were assigned to experimental (n = 49) and control (n = 51) conditions. The experimental group received a peer-mediation program and the control groups received an alternative creativity program. The children (in Grade 3) were assigned as mediators of learners (in Grade 1) and taught them analogical reasoning problems. The peer interaction was videotaped and analyzed by the OMI. All children were given dynamic assessment after the interaction. Children in the experimental group showed higher MLE strategies and CM than did children in the control condition. Mediators of low-MLE mothers in the experimental group showed greater CM than did mediators in the control group. Structural equation modeling analysis showed that mediators' cognitive modifiability was explained by proximal factors of treatment, mothers' quality of mediation (QM) and mediators' QM; learners' cognitive modifiability was explained by mediators' QM. The findings were discussed in relation to the MLE theory and earlier findings.

Increasing evidence reveals the efficacy of dynamic assessment (DA) procedure in providing rich and reliable feedback regarding children's cognitive modifiability. The DA procedure included four phases: pre-teaching test, teaching, post-teaching and transfer test two weeks after teaching. The teaching phase includes mediated learning experience strategies. Children's cognitive modifiability was examined by pre-to post-teaching improvement and by the transfer test. Children in Grades 1 and 2 (n ¼ 117) were randomly assigned into three experimental groups and one control group. Each of the experimental groups was given the teaching phase in a different modality: 3D Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR, n ¼ 36), 2D (n ¼ 36), and tangible blocks (TB, n ¼ 24). The control group (n ¼ 21) was not given teaching phase. The teaching phase included strategies of solving problems from the Analogies Subtest of the Cognitive Modifiability Battery (CMB). Pre-and post-teaching CMB Analogies tests were administered to all groups followed by CMB Transfer Analogies two weeks later. The findings indicate that the 2D and TB groups showed higher cognitive modifiability than the control group. Also, the findings indicate that teaching in a 3D IVR environment contributed to the children's cognitive modifiability more than in the other groups in the CMB Transfer Analogies. The findings are discussed in relation to the unique enhancing characteristics of the 3D IVR condition combined with the applied mediation strategies.