| 1. |
- Areljung, Sofie, 1983-, et al.
(author)
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Why and how teachers make use of drawing activities in early childhood science education
- 2021
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In: International Journal of Science Education. - : Routledge. - 0950-0693 .- 1464-5289. ; 43:13, s. 2127-2147
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Researchers have provided many arguments for why drawing may contribute to science learning. However, little is known about how teachers in early childhood education (ECE) make use of drawing for science learning purposes. This article examines how teachers’ views and framing of drawing activities influence the science learning opportunities afforded to children in the activities. We use activity theory to analyse teacher interviews and observation data from ten science classrooms (children aged 3–8 years) where drawing activities occurred. The interviews reveal that few of the teachers relate drawing to science learning specifically. Rather, they portray drawing as a component of variation in teaching and learning in general. Looking at what happens in the classrooms, we conclude that drawing has a relatively weak position as means of communicating and learning science. Instead, the teaching emphasis is on writing or on ‘making a product’. However, there are examples where teachers explicitly use drawing for science learning purposes. These teachers are the same few who, in interviews, relate drawing to science learning specifically. Based on these findings, we encourage school teachers, teacher educators, and researchers to identify, and overcome,obstacles to realising the pedagogical potentials of drawing in ECE science classrooms.
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| 2. |
- Sundberg, Bodil, 1966-, et al.
(author)
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Opportunities for and obstacles to science in preschools : views from a community perspective
- 2018
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In: International Journal of Science Education. - : Routledge. - 0950-0693 .- 1464-5289. ; 40:17, s. 2061-2077
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this study, Activity Theory (AT) is used to analyse general patterns for how cultural and historical factors interact with the shaping of science activities in preschools. Data was produced from field notes, video observations, video stimulated recall group discussions and individual interviews with preschool teachers at fourteen preschool units, where science activities were described as a common feature of the practice. Two factors were found to be particularly important for how and whether science learning opportunities were afforded the children: the structure of the preschool community and the type of educational culture within it. In communities characterised by weak mutual commitment and without joint understanding of the purpose of the activities, the science learning objects of the activity often became fragmented and thereby elusive. This was also true for strong communities, with a shared approach and a joint understanding of the purpose of the science activities, but with educational cultures where science learning was not actively supported. In contrast, a strong community combined with an educational culture that allowed teachers to lead and intentionally frame the science content, offered child-centred science activities with clear science learning objects.
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| 3. |
- Areljung, Sofie, 1983-, et al.
(author)
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Potential for multi-dimensional teaching for 'emergent scientific literacy' in pre-school practice
- 2018
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In: Journal of Emergent Science. - : Association for Science Education. - 2046-4754. ; 15, s. 20-27
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- How can pre-school teachers form science teaching in a landscape of increasing focus on academically oriented learning outcomes, without losing the unique character of pre-school pedagogies? Seeking to contribute to the discussion of what pre-school science can be, we have analysed data from activities in fourteen Swedish pre-schools (for children aged 1-5 years), to examine if and how multi-dimensional teaching may be combined with teaching for scientific literacy.The overall picture is that elements of ‘emergent scientific literacy' can be combined with a wide range of teaching dimensions, such as empathy, fantasy and storytelling.These results contribute important perspectives to what pre-school science can be and how it can be researched in a way that is suitable for the preschool’s conditions.We suggest our analytical questions, and the dimensions displayed in our results, as a tool for teachers who plan or evaluate science teaching in the early years.
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| 4. |
- Areljung, Sofie, 1983-
(author)
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Science-Arts as Verbs : New Figurations in Early Childhood
- 2019
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In: Why Science and Art Creativities Matter. - : Brill | Sense. - 9789004421639 - 9789004396111 - 9789004421585 ; , s. 148-165
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Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This chapter examines how STEAM education may transform education in the STEM subjects towards education for a sustainable future. Particularly, it examines the potential of combining science and arts in preschool practice (children aged 1–5 years) for the sake of fostering sustainable knowing and being in the world. Here, it pursues the idea that everyday science verbs (e.g., rolling, bouncing and sticking) may be referents for children–matter relations in which science learning and creativity emerge. The chapter includes two stories from a collaboration with preschool teachers who have implemented verb-based science-arts education in practice. In one story, the verbs “sprout and grow” were combined with painting and drama, and in the other story, the verb “shade” (to cast a shadow) was combined with music, dancing and painting. Grounded in Edvin Østergaard’s plea to make more room for aesthetic experience in science education, in Barbara McClintock’s scientific creativity and “feeling for the organism”, and in Karen Barad’s agential realism, the chapter portrays examples of science-arts education that allow children to be intensely involved in the world. It concludes that the arts may help children not only to communicate and explore science phenomena, but also to sympathise with nature’s goings on from within; from their own multifaceted experiences of what it is like to cast a shadow, sprout and grow.
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| 5. |
- Areljung, Sofie, 1983-, et al.
(author)
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Teaching for Emergent Disciplinary Drawing in Science? Comparing Teachers' and Children's Ways of Representing Science Content in Early Childhood Classrooms
- 2022
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In: Research in science education. - : Springer. - 0157-244X .- 1573-1898. ; 52:3, s. 909-926
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This classroom-based study aims to contribute knowledge about children's opportunities to make use of drawing to make meaning in science. Employing a social semiotic approach to drawing, we examine what ways of representing science content that are (1) made available by the teacher and (2) adopted in children's drawings. We analysed observation data from 11 science lessons in early childhood classrooms (children aged 3 to 8 years), including the drawings that children made during those lessons (129 drawings in total). Our findings suggest that the semiotic resources that teachers provide have a large impact on how children represent science content in their drawings. Moreover, we interpret that teachers strive to support children's 'emergent disciplinary drawing' in science, since they predominantly provided semiotic resources where the science content was generalised and decontextualised. Finally, we propose that 'emergent disciplinary drawing' is incorporated as an element of science pedagogy in ECE practice and ECE teacher education.
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| 6. |
- Due, Karin, 1953-, et al.
(author)
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Teachers’ conceptualisations of science teaching–obstacles and opportunities for pedagogical continuity across early childhood school forms
- 2023
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In: International Journal of Early Years Education. - : Routledge. - 0966-9760 .- 1469-8463. ; 31:3, s. 790-805
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This study aims to contribute knowledge about obstacles and opportunities for pedagogical continuity in science across early childhood education. We use activity theory to analyse individual interviews and group meetings with teachers from preschool (age 1–5), preschool class (age 6) and grade 1–3 (age 7–9) in three Swedish school units. The teachers’ descriptions of their science teaching indicate both obstacles and opportunities for pedagogical continuity. For example, all teachers want to establish an interest in, and foster a caring attitude to nature, a similarity that facilitates continuity. However, some crucial differences indicate obstacles. There is a shift concerning ownership; from following children’s initiatives in preschool in bodily and play based experiences towards an emphasis on pre-planned content, verbal knowledge and written documentation in grade 1–3. Our findings also suggest that teachers lack knowledge about each other's teaching and curricula. Hence, the conditions for pedagogical continuity largely rest upon what children share in the science class. We argue that there is need for an in-depth exchange of experiences, regarding content, teaching methods and frame factors, between teachers from different school forms.
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| 7. |
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Skrivdidaktik i grundskolan
- 2022. - 1
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Editorial collection (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Skrivandet är en självklar del av skolans alla ämnen, kanske till och med så självklar att vi inte riktigt tänker på den mängd av färdigheter som ingår. Så vad är då viktigt att ha kunskap om för att kunna stötta elevers skrivutveckling? Och hur går man till väga rent praktiskt?I den här boken tar författarna avstamp i skrivdidaktisk forskning. I tydliga resonemang lyfter de fram en rad viktiga aspekter på skrivande och skrivundervisning, men också hur vi kan förstå dem i samspel och som en helhet. I kapitlen ryms bland mycket annat interaktionen mellan läsande och skrivande, multimodalt skrivande, skrivande genom dataspelande och lek, svårigheter i skrivande och skrivande i flerspråkiga klassrum. Målet är att ge lärare redskap för att tänka bredare och djupare om sin skrivundervisning och därmed kunna utveckla den.Boken riktar sig till såväl lärarstudenter som lärare i grundskolan. Samtliga kapitel visar forskningens potential att göra skillnad för elevers skrivutveckling och ger många konkreta undervisningsexempel från grundskolans alla stadier.
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| 8. |
- Areljung, Sofie, 1983-
(author)
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Att rita i NO-undervisningen
- 2020
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Other publication (pop. science, debate, etc.)abstract
- Skolverkets presentation av moduldelen: Elever får ofta rita som en del i NO-undervisningen. Den här delen ställer frågan varför eleverna ska rita och på vilket sätt ritande kan användas som utgångspunkt för samtal och för att introducera eleverna till naturvetenskaplig praktiker som observationer och experiment. Målet är att väcka tankar om när, hur och varför det kan vara värdefullt för eleverna att rita och hur det kan kombineras med skrivande.
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| 9. |
- Areljung, Sofie, 1983-
(author)
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Att undersöka fysikaliska fenomen och kemiska processer utifrån vardagsverb
- 2015
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Det är vanligt att naturvetenskapsteman har namn i form av substantiv, som Skogen, Vatten, Svampar och Kroppen. Här presenteras idén att istället utgå från vardagsverb – som rulla, snurra, balansera, blanda och fastna – i undersökandet av naturvetenskapliga fenomen. Idén att utgå från verb har utvecklats i samarbete med ett pedagogiskt utvecklingscentrum och en förskola och de praktiska exemplen kommer från förskolans arbete med ”rulla, snurra” (fysik) och ”blanda” (kemi). Under presentationen behandlas frågor som: Hur får man fatt i fysikaliska fenomen och kemiska processer i barns samspel med omvärlden? Vilka frågor kan man ställa som blir praktiskt undersökningsbara? Hur kan man arbeta undersökande med flera estetiska uttryckssätt?
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| 10. |
- Areljung, Sofie, 1983-
(author)
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Barns ”working theories” (provisoriska förklaringsmodeller) om naturen och den sociala världen – en riskabel terräng?
- 2015
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Begreppet ”working theories” härstammar från Nya Zeelands läroplan och rör barns provisoriska förklaringsmodeller för olika företeelser i omvärlden – både i den sociala världen och i naturen. Det kan gälla allt från barns idéer om hjärtats roll i kroppen och varför saker låter olika när man knackar på dem, till idéer om hur det går till när man går på bio eller hur en bra vän ska bete sig. ”Working theories” är en kombination av barns kunskaper, erfarenheter och fantasi och de utvecklas allteftersom barnen gör sig fler erfarenheter och ställs inför ny information.Denna presentation utgår från exempel från både svenska och nyzeeländska förskolor. Här lyfts möjliga fördelar med att använda ”working theories” som ett begrepp i arbetet med naturvetenskap i förskoleverksamheten och även hur olika risker kan påverka hur och när förskolans personal hanterar barns ”working theories”. Exempel på fördelar är att inte behöva sätta etikett på barns förklaringar som ”rätt” eller ”fel” eller att se ”faktabaserade resonemang” som oförenligt med kreativt tänkande och fantasi. Exempel på risker är: att riskera relationer i barngruppen, att etablera feluppfattningar hos barnen eller att riskera sin roll som ”Vetande vuxen” eller ”Konfliktlösande”.
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