The researcher requested the fourth grader to sit next to him (to help distinguish the fourth grader’s instructional role) and explained that he was interested in finding out how children help each other learn. He asked the fourth grader to help the third grader learn how to solve the problems, "since you're in fourth grade."
The first problem was an open-ended card sorting problem that involved sorting 18 photographs of household items into any number of groups (using the photographs but not the procedure from Ellis & Rogoff, 1982, 1986: hair blow-dryer, typewriter, toaster, scissors (2), knives (2), bowl, cup, bucket, broom, washing glove, mixer, wooden spoon, measuring cup, towels, toothbrush, razor). The researcher gave the 18 cards to the fourth grader, saying "Your job is to help the third grader learn how to figure out which pictures go together so s/he could do it alone later on. Make sure s/he learns how to do it." The children were asked to group items that they thought "went together," and were not told how many or what sort of groups to make. When the children said they had finished, the researcher asked the third grader to give a name to each group and to explain the rationale for the groups.
The researcher instructed the fourth grader, "Your job is to help the third grader learn how to solve these problems. Here's the first one. You can write whatever you want on the page, just make sure the third grader learns how to do it."
For all four problems, children were given as much time as they wanted. The researcher busied himself with paperwork as the children worked, to discourage children's attempts to involve him in problem solving. After the children indicated that they were done with each problem, the researcher asked the third grader to explain each solution.
Ellis, S., & Gauvain, M. (1992). Social and cultural influences on children's collaborative interactions. In L. T. Winegar & J. Valsiner (Eds.), Children's development within social context. (Vol. 2, pp. 155-180). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Ellis, S., & Rogoff, B. (1982). The strategies and efficacy of child versus adult teachers. Child Development, 53, 730-735.