Science in early childhood

Abstract

Much research has been published about children’s science ideas and how to teach scientific phenomena and concepts to children in the upper primary and secondary schools. Research is now slowly growing with regards to the foundational knowledge and understanding of children at early childhood level and the role of teacher’s subject content in providing authentic science learning experiences. This paper reviews the science education literature relating to early childhood education and the early years of primary school. It discusses children’s foundational knowledge and understanding of science and teachers’ professional knowledge of science and understanding of children’s learning and development. It then examines the nature of teacher pedagogical content knowledge needed to provide quality and appropriate enriching learning experiences in the realm of science, and places this within Te Whaariki and other curriculum frameworks.