This study aims to explore the meanings communicated by young children with visual cultural semiotic resources available in the science classroom. It is a case study in an Early Childhood Education classroom of 23 children (3-4 years old) and their teacher, all engaged in a long-term science project about snails. We focus on the analysis of two…

Swedish preschool science practice is confined to a unique educational setting where upbringing, care, and education are intertwined. This allows teachers to develop innovative cross-curricular and multidimensional science teaching. At the same time, society demands the digitalization of preschool practice, which has caused concern not only about…

Background: Preschool teachers play a key role in early scientific education, and their understanding and ability to communicate scientific concepts are crucial. Researchers have extensively studied their grasp of basic scientific concepts, but their understanding of important concepts related to buoyancy, such as floating and sinking, remains…

In recent years, there has been a growing concern in science education on the enhancement of preschoolers' knowledge and motivation for concepts by implementing efficient teaching methods. This study explored the development and effectiveness of the E-sky Module in increasing the development of preschoolers in Project-based Learning (PBL)…

Experimentation is widely accepted as being central to science education. However, anxiety about experimentation often prevents its use. While a considerable number of studies on anxiety related to laboratory experimentation have been conducted, studies on in-class experimentation is limited. In the research study reported on here we explored the…

Preschoolers receive inadequate science instruction despite preschool science benefits and adopting early learning science standards in New Jersey. This qualitative exploratory case study explored 17 preschool teachers of 4-year-old students' perceptions of using the New Jersey Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards for science and how they…

This paper presents and discusses the inclusive inquiry-based alternate reality game (IB-ARGI) approach, a pedagogical gamified approach supporting inclusive contemporary educational contexts. The IB-ARGI approach comprises Inquiry-based Learning, Alternate Reality Games, Universal Design for Learning and Augmented Reality technology in order to…

Recently, much importance has been placed on early science education. This study examined the associations between kindergarten teachers' science teaching self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and their integration of science into teaching, and investigated how four potential factors (i.e. mastery experience, interpersonal support, previous science…

There is increasing interest in early childhood science education and a corresponding increase in research in this area. Studies have shown that in some countries the teaching of science in the early years remains low. These studies show that science pedagogy in the early years needs attention, despite the myriad opportunities afforded for the…

In this study, it is aimed to examine the opinions of prospective teachers about the design of digital educational comics designed within the scope of science education and their use in educational environments. This study, conducted with 129 prospective teachers determined by purposeful sampling method, is suitable for a case study. After the…

This paper describes analysis of teaching instances that are part of an in-service preschool teachers programme about chemistry and physics in preschool. The aim is to develop knowledge about the communication established between teacher and children in relation to an object of learning, specifically the role of intersubjective communication in…

The aim of this study is to determine preschool teachers' science education activities, problems they encounter and solutions they devise, and methods and techniques they use during those activities. Phenomenology, which is a qualitative research design, was used. The study sample consisted of 15 female preschool teachers of primary schools in the…

In this article we explore the places pre- and primary school (K-6) student teachers associate with their science learning experiences and how they view the relationship between these places and science. In doing so, we use "place" as an analytical entry point to deepen the understanding of pre- and primary school student teachers'…

Background: This work is based on the idea that young children benefit from early introduction of scientific concepts. Few researches describe didactical strategies focusing on physics understanding for young children and analyse their effectiveness in standard classroom environments. Purpose: The aim is to identify whether didactical strategies…

The Swedish school system offers curriculum-based early childhood education (ECE) organised as preschool (for 0-5-year-olds) and preschool class (for 6-year-olds). The intention to create a playful and educational environment based on children's perspectives, interests, and questions is strongly based on historical and cultural traditions. This…