How much can you learn in one year? How content, pedagogical resources, and learner’s age influence beliefs about knowledge acquisition

Abstract

Three studies examined the intuitions of 290 children (ages 5–11) and 126 adults about knowledge acquisition in different content domains (mechanistic, psychological and skill knowledge) over one year. In experiment 1, even young children (5–7) adjusted their estimates of knowledge acquisition as a function of content domain, pedagogical support, and age of learner. All ages believed more could be learned from an expert than by trial and error experimentation; and that an older learner (21) would surpass a younger one (9). Children were more optimistic about how much knowledge could be acquired; and unlike adults, viewed psychological understanding as easiest to master. In experiment 2, young children’s optimism was maintained for learners their same age (5–7), but not for toddlers. In experiment 3, all ages showed self-enhancement effects. Although generally optimistic about knowledge acquisition, young children draw important distinctions between content domains, learning contexts, and ages of learners.