Potential for multi-dimensional teaching for 'emergent scientific literacy' in pre-school practice

• 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.

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Utbildningsvetenskap -- Pedagogiskt arbete (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Educational Sciences -- Pedagogical Work (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Utbildningsvetenskap -- Didaktik (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Educational Sciences -- Didactics (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Early childhood education

science education

schoolification

aesthetics

emergent scientific literacy

pedagogiskt arbete

educational work

didactics of natural science

naturvetenskapens didaktik

Education

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)