This study examined the relation between current development levels, as estimated by IQ, and proximal levels of development, as estimated by efficiency of learning and transfer in assisted contexts, 11 years-old children learned to solve letter series...
This study examined the relation between current development levels, as estimated by IQ, and proximal levels of development, as estimated by efficiency of learning and transfer in assisted contexts, 11 years-old children learned to solve letter series completion problems with the aid of graduated sequences of prompts. In the initial stage a problem presented without aid and the aider waited until the child solved it or failed it no his own. If the child failed, a series of graded aids were given until a solution was reached.
Maintenance and Transfer were later assessed using similar prompting procedures.
The results of this study are as following: IQ effects were found.
Average-IQ children required more assistance than high-IQ children to achieve the same mastery level on the original problem types.
In addition to this difference in learning efficiency, average versus high-IQ students subsequently diverged in the number of prompts they needed as the transfer problems differed increasingly from the ones originally learned.
Amount of assistance required in original learning was significantly correlated in transfer in assisted contexts. (r=0.53)