Concept Formation of Latin Prefixes in Students with Learning Disabilities

This qualitative study examined concept formation of Latin prefixes in three students diagnosed with learning disabilities through a theme-based analysis. The study had two purposes. Conceptual processes underlying the learning of Latin prefixes were explored through dynamic assessment and Vygotsky’s stages of concept formation were empirically tested. There were five major findings in this study. First, when Vygotsky’s concept formation model was applied to everyday scenarios, the theoretical underpinnings of his work were called into question. Second, concept formation was a highly individualized process. Third, concept formation called upon a large body of existing and constructed knowledge. Fourth, the movement between Latin and English meanings necessitated an additional step in forming concepts as students negotiated Latin meanings which lacked English equivalents. Finally, Vygotsky’s stage theory failed to provide a reasonable paradigm through which concept formation of Latin prefixes could be explained; script-based and context dependent theories of concept formation offered more viable means of interpreting the data in this study.