But is it science?

Mike Watts, Saima Salehjee, Jane Essex

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)
43 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Early years science education is not science, but a curricular construction designed to induct young children into a range of ideas and practices related to the natural world. While inquiry-based learning is an important approach to this, it is not of itself unique to science and there are a range of logico-mathematical constructions that come closer to the essence of science. In this paper we discuss just three: empirical question-asking, transgressive play, and good thinking. The challenge, of course is to induct early years practitioners to a different way of shaping early science.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)274-283
Number of pages10
JournalEarly Child Development and Care
Volume187
Issue number2
Early online date9 Jan 2017
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Feb 2017

Keywords

  • question asking
  • transgressive play
  • scientific thinking

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