British, West Indian and Asian children: Assessing conceptual development

This paper presents data from a study on the performance in a test designed to determine levels of thinking with particular reference to the concept of life. The study was carried out in primary schools in Birmingham and a rural area. The children tested were aged 5–11 years and were selected from three ethnic groups.

When comparisons were made, the West Indian children performed less well than the total sample of indigenous British children. Their performance paralleled that of the inner city British children.

There was a close association between the chronological age of the children and their performance. Mental age emerged as the factor most closely associated with levels of performance. There was also a close association between the level of performance in the test and a number of environmental factors experienced by the children.