Abstract:

This study presents the results of a research of the cognitive development of 7–8-year-old students as a result of the implementation of educational project "The First graders' New Start". The project aims to apply an innovative model of competency-based teaching and learning in technology rich environments with application of Dynamic Model of work in primary school. “The First Graders' New Start” is a project initiated, implemented, and supported by the government – Municipality of Burgas, Bulgaria.

The aim of the study is to determine some elements of students’ cognitive development that upgrade the conventional knowledge and skills and may remain unexpressed into the routine school activities or during usual methods of students’ cognitive assessment. The typical characteristics of 7-8-years old children’ thinking as decentration, logics, reversibility are investigated. The degree and quality of development of the basic mental operations as seriations patterning, analogy, evaluation, generalization, abstraction is studied.

The used methodology includes a test battery and an expert assesment. The test battery consists of four subtests. 350 first-grade students from 19 schools in Municipality of Burgas, Bulgaria are tested.
- The “anchor memory” test is a combined verbal and nonverbal test. It is an adaptation of Leontiev’s, 1976 test (according to Minchev, 2000).
- The “Summarization and Abstraction” test is an adapted variant of the Zambicyavichene & Peresleni, 1990 test.
- The “Associations” test is an adaptation of Karadjova's 1984 associative experiment model.
- The “Establishing logical connections and relationships” study is based on the test of R. Mailey (according to Dragolova, 2007).
- The expert assessment is done according to the methodology “The Students’ Profile” of Gilbruch (according to Dragolova, 2007). It is realized through long-term observation of the student by the teachers during the project work.

The general conclusion from the study is that the cognitive abilities of the studied students are still unstable. The students show non-standard thinking and use logical and algorithmic thinking mostly in cases where they experience a deficit of academic knowledge and skills. Students do not know how to vary in different situations, nor do they understand stimuli that are different from the usual learning tasks, but they show creativity and critical thinking when are placed in a different from the usual educational situation. These conclusions correspond to the achievement of the goals defined within the Dynamic model of work during “The First graders' New Start” experiment.

Keywords:

Cognitive Development, Technology Rich Environment, Dynamic Model of Teaching and Learning.