Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Student Preschool Teachers’ Experiences of Science and Its Role in Preschool

  • Published:
Early Childhood Education Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This article reports on student preschool teachers’ views of science and its role in preschool. Three cohorts of students have been given a written questionnaire with open-ended questions before and after a one-semester course including science (specifically Chemistry and Physics) in a 3.5-year preschool teacher programme in Sweden. The science content in the course is integrated with other subjects and lecturers with different subject backgrounds work together in forming an integrated and meaningful context. A phenomenographic qualitative analysis of responses to the questionnaires before and after the course is presented. The analysis indicated that many students equate science with biology (nature studies), and several did not adjust this view even though chemistry and physics were explicitly taught. Surprisingly few students were negative towards science, none after the course. However, several remain hesitantly positive. Most students described ‘what’ and ‘how’ perspectives of science, but few developed a synthesised view of science activities. However, there was a shift towards a more integrated perspective after the course. Also the quality and eloquence of the students’ responses were noticeably improved in responses given after the course. Prior expectations and implications of the results for preschool teacher education are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adúriz-Bravo, A. (2012). A ‘semantic’ view of scientific models for science education. Science and Education, 22(7), 1593–1611.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andersson, K., & Gullberg, A. (2012). What is science in preschool and what do teachers have to know to empower children? Cultural Studies of Science Education, 9, 275–296. doi:10.1007/s11422-012-9439-6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Both, K. (1997). Exploring, sensibility and wonder: Science with young children using the senses. In K. Härnqvist & A. Burgen (Eds.), Growing up with science: Developing early understanding of science (pp. 144–163). London: Jessica Kingsley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dede, C. (2010). Comparing frameworks for 21st century skills. In J. Bellanca & R. Brandt (Eds.), 21st century skills: Rethinking how students learn (pp. 51–76). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dewey, J. (1916, 2002). Demokrati och utbildning [Democracy and education: An introduction to the philosophy of education]. Uddevalla: Daidalos.

  • Engdahl, I. (2011). Toddlers asocial actors in the Swedish preschool. Stockholm: Department of Child and Youth Studies, Stockholm University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Erduran, S., & Dagher, R. (2014). Reconceptualizing the nature of science for science education: Scientific knowledge, practices and other family categories. Contemporary Trends and Issues in Science Education, vol. 43. Dordrecht: Springer.

  • Eshach, H. (2006). Science literacy in primary schools and pre-schools. Dordrecht: Springer.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Fleer, M. (2009). Supporting scientific conceptual consciousness or learning in ‘a Roundabout way’ in play-based contexts. International Journal of Science Education, 31(8), 1069–1089.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fleer, M., Gomes, J., & March, S. (2014). Science learning affordances in preschool environments. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 39(1), 38–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gitomer, D. H., & Zisk, R. C. (2015). Knowing what teachers know. Review of Research in Education March, 39, 1–53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Halldén, G. (2003). Barnperspektiv som ideologiskt eller metodologiskt begrepp [Child perspective as ideological or methodological concepts]. Pedagogisk Forskning i Sverige, 8(1–2), 12–23.

  • Harlen, W. (2006). Teaching, learning and assessing science 5-12. London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Helldén, G. (2005). Exploring understandings and responses of science: A program of longitudinal studies. Research in Science Education, 35(1), 99–122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hundeide, K. (2003). Barns livsverden. Sosiokulturelle rammer for barns utvikling [Children’s life-world. Sociocultural frameworks for child development]. Oslo: Cappelen Akademis.

  • Larsson, J. (2013). Children’s encounters with friction. Friction as understood as a phenomenon of emerging science and a ‘opportunities for learning’. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 27(3), 377–392.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Magntorn, O., & Helldén, G. (2007). Reading nature from a ‘bottom-up’ perspective. Journal of Biological Education, 41(2), 68–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marton, F. (1981). Phenomenography—Describing conceptions of the world around us. Instructional Science, 10, 177–200.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marton, F., & Booth, S. (1997). Learning and awareness. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nihlfors, E. (2008). Kunskap vidgar världen—Globaliseringens inverkan på skola och lärande. Underlagsrapport nr 26 till Globaliseringsrådet [Knowledge broadens the world—The impact of globalization on education and learning]. Stockholm: Utbildningsdeparte-mentet/Globaliseringsrådet.

  • Nordenbo, S.-E., Søgaard Larsen, M., Tiftikçi, N., Wendt, R. E., & Østergaard, S. (2008). Lærerkompetencer og elevers læring i førskole og skole. Et systematisk review udført for Kunnskapsdepartementet, Oslo [Teacher competence and student learning in preschool and school]. Køpenhamn: Danmarks Pædagogiske Universitetsskole.

  • Osborne, J., & Dillon, J. (2008). Science education in Europe: Critical reflections. A report to the Nuffield Foundation. London: The Nuffield Foundation.

  • Osborne, J., Ratcliffe, M., Collins, S., & Duschl, R. (2006). Specifying curriculum goals: Less of an rt, more of a science. In R. Millar, J. Leach, J. Osborne, & M. Ratcliffe (Eds.), Improving subject teaching: Lessons from research in science education. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oskarsson, M., & Karlsson, K. G. (2011). Health care or atom bombs: Interest profiles in science among 15-year old students in Sweden. NorDiNa, 7(2), 190–201.

    Google Scholar 

  • Qvortrup, J., Bardy, M., Sgritta, G. B., & Wintersberger, H. (Eds.). (1994). Childhood matters—Social theory, practice and politics. Avebury: Aldershot.

    Google Scholar 

  • Redfors, A. (2006). Project based astrophysics with role playing. In E. van den Berg, T. Ellermeijer, & O. Slooten (Eds.), Proceedings from GIREP 2006 GIREP 2006—Modeling in physics and physics education, August 20–25, 2006, Amsterdam, NL.

  • Roychoudhury, A. (2012). Connecting science to everyday experiences in preschool settings. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 9(2), 305–315. doi:10.1007/s11422-012-9446-7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Samuelsson, I. P., & Carlsson, M. A. (2008). The playing learning child. Towards a pedagogy of early childhood. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 52(6), 623–641.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schecker, H., & Niedderer, H. (1996). Contrastive teaching: A strategy to promote qualitative conceptual understanding of science. In D. F. Treagust, R. Duit, & B. J. Fraser (Eds.), Improving teaching and learning in science and mathematics. New York: Teachers College Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheridan, S., Samuelsson, I. P., & Johansson, E. (Red.). (2009). Barns tidiga lärande. En tvärsnittsstudie om förskolan som miljö för barns lärande [Children’s early learning. A cross-sectional study of preschool as an environment for children’s learning]. Göteborg: Acta Universitatis Gothoburgensis.

  • Siraj-Blatchford, J. (2001). Emergent science and technology in the early years. Paper presented at the XXIII World Congress Of OMEP. Santiago, Chile, July 31 to 4 August 2001.

  • Siraj-Blatchford, I., Sylva, K., Muttock, S., Gilden, R., & Bell, D. (2002). Researching effective pedagogy in the early years. Research report RR356. University of London: Institute of Education.

  • Sjøberg, S., & Schreiner, C. (2010). The ROSE project—An overview and key findings. Oslo: University of Oslo.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sommer, D. (2002). Barndomspsykologi—Utveckling i en förändrad värld [Childhood psychology—Development in a changing world]. Stockholm: Runa.

  • Spektor-Levy, O., Baruch, Y. K., & Mevarech, Z. (2013). Science and scientific curiosity in pre-school—The teacher’s point of view. International Journal of Science Education, 35(13), 2226–2253. doi:10.1080/09500693.2011.631608.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sundberg, B., & Ottander, C. (2013). The conflict within the role: A longitudinal study of preschool student teachers’ developing competence in and attitudes towards science teaching in relation to developing a professional role. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 34(1), 80–94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Svensson, L. (1984). Människobilden i INOM-gruppens forskning: Den lärande människan [The image of humans in the INOM-group research]. Göteborg: Pedagogiska institutionen, Göteborgs universitet.

  • Swedish Research Council. (2011). Good research practises. Stockholm: Vetenskapsrådet.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sylva, K., Melhuish, E., Sammons, P., Siraj-Blatchford, I., & Taggert, B. (2004). The effective provision of pre-school education (EPPE) project: Findings from pre-school to end of key stage one. Nottingham: DfES Publications. www.ioe.ac.uk/projects/eppe.

  • Thulin, S. (2006). Vad händer med lärandets objekt? En studie av hur lärare och barn i förskolan kommunicerar naturvetenskapliga fenomen [What happens to the object of learning? A study about how teachers and children communicate science in preschool. Licentiatavhandling i pedagogik]. Växjö: Växjö University Press.

  • Thulin, S. (2011). Lärares tal och barns nyfikenhet: Kommunikation om naturvetenskapliga innehåll i förskolan [Teacher talk and children’s queries: Communication about natural science in early childhood education]. Gothenburg Sweden: Acta Universitatis Gothoburgensis.

  • Thulin, S., & Jonsson, A. (2014). Child perspectives and children’s perspectives—A concern for teachers in preschool. Childhood, Learning and Didactics, EDUCARE, 2014(2), 13–37.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thulin, S., & Pramling, N. (2009). Anthropomorphically speaking: On communication between teachers and children in early childhood biology education. International Journal of Early Years Education, 17(2), 137–150.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tytler, R. (2007). Re-imagining science education. Engaging students in science for Australia’s future. Australian Education Review No. 51. ACER Press. https://www.acer.edu.au/aer.

  • Tytler, R. (2010). Ways forward for primary science education: A review commissioned by the Swedish National Agency for Education. Stockholm: Skolverket.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vygotsky, L. S. (1995). Fantasi och kreativitet i barndomen [Imagination and creativity in childhood]. Göteborg: Daidalos.

  • Yoshikawa, H., Wieland C., Brooks-Gunn J., Burchinal M. R., Espinosa L. M., Gormley W. T., et al. (2013). Investing in our future: The evidence base on preschool education. Society for Research in Child Development. http://fcd-us.org/resourcec/evidence-base-preschool.

  • Zetterqvist, A., & Kärrqvist, C. (2007). Naturvetenskap med yngre barn. En forskningsöversikt [Science in early childhood education. A research overview]. Göteborgs universitet, Interna rapporter, 07:04.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Kristianstad University, Kristianstad, Sweden

    Susanne Thulin & Andreas Redfors

Authors
  1. Susanne Thulin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Andreas Redfors
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Andreas Redfors.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Thulin, S., Redfors, A. Student Preschool Teachers’ Experiences of Science and Its Role in Preschool. Early Childhood Educ J 45, 509–520 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-016-0783-0

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-016-0783-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation