Astronomy and astrophysics
Teaching Physics and Astronomy in the Early Years
by
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Europe/Stockholm
Klein Auditorium
Klein Auditorium
Description
Recent research suggests that during their early-years children begin to
construct science concepts of increasing complexity. From the educational
perspective, there is a growing realization that appropriate scientific
work can and should begin in infant classes as science in the early-years
is expected to contribute to the formation of a background which will lead
to better understanding of difficult scientific concepts and scientific
phenomena studied later in a more formal way.
To create quality teaching and learning opportunities for the young learners, science education in the early childhood should be in knowledgeable hands. Early- years teachers themselves need to have science knowledge and pedagogical skills as well as the ability to appropriately synthesize the two. However research has found that non-science-specialist teachers, in their work, face several problems related to different factors.
In this colloquium I will present reasons for exposing children to science early in life, the aims of early-years education and ways to approach it. I will review teachers' difficulties that have been identified by many years of research and I will present the work of our action research group composed of experienced early-years teachers and of a specialist in science. This group developed and implemented sequences of activities for the initiation of young children aged 4-6 into science. Finally I will present two of these sequences which concern concepts and phenomena of physics and astronomy and I will discuss their impact on children's learning and attitudes as well as on the teachers' knowledge and practices.
Streaming video
To create quality teaching and learning opportunities for the young learners, science education in the early childhood should be in knowledgeable hands. Early- years teachers themselves need to have science knowledge and pedagogical skills as well as the ability to appropriately synthesize the two. However research has found that non-science-specialist teachers, in their work, face several problems related to different factors.
In this colloquium I will present reasons for exposing children to science early in life, the aims of early-years education and ways to approach it. I will review teachers' difficulties that have been identified by many years of research and I will present the work of our action research group composed of experienced early-years teachers and of a specialist in science. This group developed and implemented sequences of activities for the initiation of young children aged 4-6 into science. Finally I will present two of these sequences which concern concepts and phenomena of physics and astronomy and I will discuss their impact on children's learning and attitudes as well as on the teachers' knowledge and practices.
Streaming video