The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the Primrose® Balanced Learning® Curriculum on young children's science performances. The sample of this study included 158 children attending two private preschools. The study utilized a single group pre-post-test design. The children were tested before and immediately after the…

Attitude toward science has been recognized as highly influential in students' engagement with science and future career choices. Science is important in our everyday lives as well, in a society demanding more scientific vocations and higher levels of scientific literacy. There is little research on how attitudes develop and evolve at early ages,…

Educational policies increasingly emphasise early childhood science engagement. As key influencers in children's early learning, parents (n = 85) attending a science workshop in three urban schools in Ireland were surveyed regarding their attitudes towards science. Seventy per cent of parents believed that science education should begin in the…

Although young children display various types of interests, little is known regarding the potential impact of these interests on subsequent learning and development. Of particular importance is the question of whether or not children's early interests are instrumental in their later academic achievement. The current study fills this gap in the…

Relations between parental reports of children's interests related to science and opportunities for science learning were examined longitudinally in 192 children between ages 4 and 7 years. Science interests were tracked during 1-year periods (ages 4-5, 5-6, and 6-7) and were more prevalent among boys, particularly prior to age 6 years. Gender…