A factor analytic study of children behaving peculiarly for scientific materials and events

Abstract

Many teachers have seen children behaving peculiarly for scientific materials and events, and believed that a child might have "good sense" as the greatest scientists might have in their childhood. This study was designed to explore factors that disposed peculiarly-behaving children (PBC) for their own activities. Seventy-seven PBC, from grades 3 to 6, were chosen as "peculiar but anything good" from thirty-nine elementary classes and were asked to rate their motivation for each of the fifty-seven behavioral episodes collected from many school informants of other PBC in scientific classrooms. Factor analysis suggested five behavioral factors ; expectative and imaginative exploration, impulsive trying action, assimilating to creatures, focusing and concentration, and task creation. Further analysis revealed that these factors were not recognized plainly and teachers would not evaluate them as such.