A Cultural and Artistic Approach to Early Childhood Science Education: Shadow Play

Abstract

Attitudes towards science and scientific perspectives in the future depend on early childhood science experiences. Preservice teachers who are provided with the opportunity to develop positive attitudes and self-efficacy towards science teaching before they enter professional life are more likely to help preschoolers develop positive attitudes towards science in their professional life. The aim of this 12-week study was, therefore, to determine the effect of a shadow play workshop on early childhood preservice teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs and attitudes towards science teaching and to investigate their workshop experiences and application processes. This study employed an explanatory sequential mixed methods design. The sample consisted of 24 first-year early childhood preservice teachers. Quantitative data were collected using the Early Childhood Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Science Teaching (TSAS) and the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI) and were analyzed using the Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test and the dependent sample t-test. Qualitative data were collected through focus group interviews and observations and were analyzed using content analysis. Results showed that shadow play had a positive effect on participants’ self-efficacy beliefs and attitudes towards science teaching, indicating that shadow play is an interesting, fun, and effective material that can be used in early childhood science education to turn abstract concepts into concrete forms. Results were discussed with reference to literature, and recommendations were made for future studies.