Promoting science education in early childhood: a research in a nursery school

Abstract

ABSTRACTEuropean and international research shows how the child has an attitude, in relation to the knowledge of the natural world, characterized by curiosity and free exploration. My research refers to the theoretical contribution of Dewey ([1933. How We Think: A Restatement of the Relationship of Reflective Thinking to the Educational Process. Boston: Houghton Mifflin]; [1938. Logic, the Theory of Inquiry. New York: Hennry Holt and Company]), Vygotsky ([1930. Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Harvard University Press]; [1934. Thought and Language. London: MIT Press]), Wood, Bruner, Ross ([1976. “The Role of Tutoring in Problem Solving.” Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 17: 89–100]), psychoanalysis regarding the psychic processes at the base of curiosity and to the experience of Susan Isaacs ([1930. The Intellectual Growth of Young Children. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul]; [1933. The Social Development of Young Children: A Study of Beginnings. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul]) at the Malting House. The approach of ‘promoting from within’ as a useful reference for designing and setting up adult intervention aimed at promoting the development of a scientific attitude. The main objective of the research is to highlight the conditions (space, material, adult approach) which best promote a scientific attitude in children. I collected the data through videotapes, observation protocols and I elaborated two analysis grids: one related to the epistemic conduct of the children and the other concerning the strategies and functions of the adult.A first analysis of audio and video recordings highlighted the different ways in which the child approaches the materials, explores and gets to knows them and the effects of different adult intervention approaches on children's scientific attitude. In particular, the analysis highlighted some interesting aspects suggesting that an adult approach based on participatory intervention strategies (promoting from within and ending conversation) allows the development of a scientific attitude in terms of the acquisition of critical thinking.