Purpose
The study investigates how book chats can be used as an educational approach to teaching the Nature of Science (NOS) to kindergarten children. The aim was to contribute to increased knowledge about how book chats can be facilitated to promote children’s understanding of NOS, as well as to develop a didactic model that can support kindergarten teachers in planning, conducting and evaluating such conversations. The research questions are:
- To what extent is attention directed at different aspects of NOS during book chats?
- How is the interaction between kindergarten teachers and children related to different aspects of NOS?
- What resources do kindergarten teachers use and how do they use them to direct attention towards NOS?
Result
The results showed that book chats can be an effective way to introduce NOS, even with books not specifically designed for this purpose. Kindergarten teachers could use both textual and visual elements, as well as external context (such as previously read books and media features) to promote discussions about NOS. The children often responded when the adults initiated reflection questions, which indicates that NOS exploration is possible in kindergarten. The study presents a tentative model that can help kindergarten teachers analyse and plan NOS-related activities.
Design
The data consisted of audio recordings of 58 book chats with children aged 4-6 years, led by two experienced kindergarten teachers. The analysis included transcription and coding of conversations focusing on NOS-related statements and responses. The purpose of the study was to identify how adults used text, images and other resources to promote NOS understanding among children.
References
Leden, L., Hansson, L., & Thulin, S. (2022). Characteristics of book talks about Nature of Science. Science Education, 106(6), 1469–1500.
Online year: 2021
Issue year: 2022
Review year: 2022
Financed by
The Learning in Collaboration research platform, Kristianstad University, Sweden