Abstract
Previous research (Nada & Maruno, 2007) demonstrated an internalization process by which children reconstruct their own ideas through (1) awareness, noticing different ideas of others, and (2) self-reflection, comparing and examining the differences. Repetition of this sequential process leads children to realize the utility value of other people's different ideas, and necessity of knowledge reconstruction. Eventually, children can independently execute an optimal strategy. In the present study, third graders performed an "errand task" in a pre-test, collaborative session, and post-test sequence (Radziszewska & Rogoff, 1991). Children interacted with an experimenter eight times during the collaborative session; it was assumed that internalization required children to realize the effectiveness of their changed ideas by testing and utilizing them in the task. Two factors (awareness and self-reflection) were manipulated, resulting in four task conditions. The results showed that in the condition where others' different ideas were presented and there was self-reflection, children effectively internalized an optimal strategy to solve the task through repeated interaction.
