Abstract

The main purpose of this research was to identify 4 to 6-year-old children’s ideas about microorganisms, taking into consideration the learning processes carried out in different educational contexts. To this end, data were collected from two institutions – a science museum and a kindergarten – by means of interviews, recorded conversations, drawings, and the application of a didactic sequence with the kindergarten group. A qualitative analysis of the data revealed that children associate the presence of microorganisms with dirty places and see them as pathological agents. The children demonstrated that they understand the idea of scale and the need for magnifying instruments. We found that they consider microorganisms morphologically similar to insects and that they use various scientific words appropriately. It was concluded that young children understand the theme “microorganisms”, and that it should be addressed more actively by institutions that teach four- to six-year-olds, which are responsible for contributing to their scientific literacy and science learning in childhood. It is proposed that the following themes be developed in educational activities with young children: biodiversity, scale, biological functions, and relationships with humans and food.

Highlights

  • How would children of an early age face issues of scientific concern? There are not many inquiries that have dealt with this question

  • It is relevant to note that, in addition to the fact that there is little research related to the conceptions of young children on microorganisms, none of the references analyzed is related to science museums or scientific exhibitions with this theme

  • We found that most of the children at both the museum and the kindergarten understand the existence of microorganisms and that, when prompted to talk about them, spontaneously use words associated with the subject, indicating that they have already begun to learn the meanings of specific terms

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Summary

Introduction

How would children of an early age face issues of scientific concern? There are not many inquiries that have dealt with this question. How would children of an early age face issues of scientific concern? Investigations, as the ones carried out by Dominguez (2001), Goulart (2005) and Siry, Ziegler, and Max (2012), that deepen discussions about ‘whether’ and ‘how’ very young children can learn concepts related to scientific knowledge, are rare. There are works that investigates how children understand microorganisms, they are generally targeted at children over six years of age (White, Elsom, & Prawat, 1980; Miguel, 2010; Byrne, Grace, & Hanley, 2009; Byrne, 2011). It is relevant to note that, in addition to the fact that there is little research related to the conceptions of young children on microorganisms, none of the references analyzed is related to science museums or scientific exhibitions with this theme

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