Engagement of science process skills for teaching science concepts in early childhood

Abstract

This study aimed to explore how early childhood teachers engage science process skills for teaching science concepts in early childhood settings. Social constructivist theory was employed as the guiding framework for this study. Four Grade R teachers were purposefully selected and engaged through qualitative research methods. Data generation was informed by semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis. Thematic data analysis was used to unpack the aim of the study. Results reveal that the low engagement of science process skills by participants was strongly influenced by their limited knowledge of content and science process skills when teaching the concepts. This finding implies that the training of early childhood teachers needs to improve and be supported with continuous development programs. This finding may inform teacher training programs and curriculum development efforts geared toward improving science education in the crucial early years of a child’s academic journey.

Keywords

• Early childhood
• Science concept formation
• Teaching and learning of science
• Teaching experience