تطور التفكير المستقبلي عند الأطفال

Abstract EN

Future thinking is a remarkable phenomena.

It helps us work on securing benefits in the future, and avoid negative circumstances that may occur; and since humans are not naturally omniscient beings, we can think without having to bear the consequences.

Furthermore, despite that the ability to imagine future events is an essential part of human cognition, children show little understanding of the future.

Parents usually control their child’s experiences.

They prepare their meals and a plan for the weekend, and the way children transform from largely existing infants into beings who can imagine the near and far future and plan for the future.

As a result, early childhood expertise and experiences are crucial elements in shaping future thinking.

Thus, the current research aims to identify the development of future thinking among children according to the age and gender variables, (3, 4, 5) years and (males, females) respectively, and the significance of the differences in the future thinking according to that variables of age and gender.

The current research sample consisted of (120) boys and girls by (40) boys and girls for each age equally between males and females of ages (3, 4, 5) who are present in nursery and kindergartens in Dhi Qar governorate for the academic year (2019-2020).

To achieve the research goals, the researcher adopted the Prabhakar test (Prabhakar, 2012) for the development of future thinking, which consisted of a test of children's memory consisting of (10) questions and a final test of their ability to think future.

After translating Prabhakar test and verifying its validity and reliability, the results of the research appeared: 1.

3 year old children do not have the ability to use future thinking (the future thinking ability).

2.

The future thinking of children takes a continuous evolutionary path through the ages (3, 4, 5) years, and this supports Prabhakar theoretical view and Piaget's theory of cognitive development.

3.

There are no statistically significant differences in the development of future thinking according to the gender variable.

4.

There are statistically significant differences in future thinking according to the age variable and in favor of the older age.

In light of the results of the current research, the researcher reached a set of conclusions, recommendations and proposals.