A Case Study of Kindergarten Teachers’ Science Practices: Reflections of Knowledge and Attitude
Keywords:
early childhood education, kindergarten teachers, science education, scientific knowledge, teachers’ attitudes towards teaching scienceAbstract
It is becoming increasingly recognized and accepted that providing children with quality science experiences during their early years can positively impact their science achievement and process skills in their later years. To provide such experiences, it is critical to explore how early childhood teachers' attitudes toward science and their level of knowledge in science impact their science teaching in the classroom. The study aimed to examine the science practices of kindergarten teachers with different levels of scientific knowledge and attitudes toward teaching science. The study was a holistic multiple-case study with a qualitative design. The participants of the study were two kindergarten teachers with different levels of scientific knowledge and attitudes toward teaching science. The participants were selected through an extreme case sampling method using the Early Childhood Teachers' Attitudes Toward Science Teaching Scale and the Achievement Test on Scientific Concepts results. The data was collected through interviews and observation; and analyzed through deductive thematic analysis. The results indicated that science knowledge and attitudes of teachers were related to; the frequency of science activities, the resources they used, planning processes, teaching methods, making accurate scientific explanations, and child involvement in science activities.
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