Poster #80 - Reflective Practice in Preschool Science Teaching and Learning - PreSTAR

• In Event: 3-003 - Poster Session 09
  In Poster Session: PS 09 Section - Education, Schooling

Integrative Statement

Purpose: This study aims to investigate teachers’ ideas about incorporating science concepts and practice in their classroom practices and how their ideas change after participating in a 4-session professional development program focused on reflective practice and inductive thinking framework (i.e., Preschool Science Talk in Action and Reflection [PreSTAR]). We aimed to strengthen early childhood teacher’s ability to make close observations of children’s interactions with science materials to inform their practices and their ability to use observations in their reflection and planning of science teaching.

Background: Science provides children with various opportunities to develop knowledge about the world and scientific problem-solving skills (Bredekamp & Rosegrant, 1995) and supports children’s learning across many school readiness domains (Nayfield et al., 2013). However, science activities comprise the smallest proportion of the preschool day (Early et al., 2010) even though the level of instructional quality measured using CLASS was higher during science instruction when it happens (Cabell et al., 2013). One possible reason would be that early childhood teachers feel least competent about teaching science-related curricula (Torquati et al., 2013) and are hesitant to teach science not only because they lack science knowledge but also because they lack pedagogical content knowledge (Appleton, 2008). Early childhood teachers express a lack of science knowledge and training opportunities at both pre-service and in-service levels and, thus, are reluctant to use science talk with young children.

Methods: Participants included 8 preschool teachers serving 4- and 5-year-old children from mostly low-income families (4 teachers in the US; 4 in São Paulo, Brazil). Using a multi-phase mixed methods design (Plano et al., 2015), we conducted 4 sessions of observations and reflections guided by both countries’ science learning objectives, children’s interests in and interactions with science materials, and literature on reflective practice in early childhood. Teachers completed a survey on their classroom practices and their attitudes toward teaching young children science and an interview with questions focused on their ideas and experience incorporating science in their classroom.

Preliminary Findings: Results revealed that (1) similarities were found in how teachers plan for science activities; (2) set curriculum and/or guidelines exist in both contexts, but how teachers actually initiate and implement science activities seems to vary; (3) teachers in both contexts seem to think that science involves various materials specific to science experiments. Data from the US revealed that teachers’ ideas changed as they were participating in the PreSTAR professional development. Teachers started discussing strategies as (1) enhancing set curriculum through extension based on children’s interests and by adding new experiences; (2) using what they have when materials lack and looking for opportunities for science teaching and learning; (3) integrating science with other content areas; and (4) using reflective practice in teaching science (Table 2). Data collection has been completed in the US and will be completed in Brazil by November 2018. Final findings will provide implications for developing a professional development model and materials that promote reflective practice in early childhood science teaching and learning.

Authors

• Soo-Young Hong, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  Presenting Author

• Erin Hamel, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  Non-Presenting Author

• Anna Burton, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  Non-Presenting Author

• Yuengjung Joo, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  Non-Presenting Author

• Gisela Wajskop, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo & Escola do Bairros
  Non-Presenting Author

• Patricia Pastorello, Escola do Bairro
  Non-Presenting Author