Young children’s emergent science competencies in everyday family contexts: a case study

ABSTRACT

To address the lack of research in early science learning and young children’s informal science experiences, this exploratory case study investigated a 7-year-old girl’s (Abigail) emergent science competencies and how they are related to her science experiences in everyday family contexts. Data sources included observations, interviews, parent journals, and the child’s digital journals that were collected over six months. Open-ended coding and constant comparison were used to analyse data. Findings revealed that Abigail’s emergent science competencies were naïve but playful and included a developing, but sophisticated, understanding of the nature of science; family learning included both spontaneous and purposeful learning that contributed to her naïve theories and islands of expertise; and her mother’s scaffolding played an important role in her emergent science competencies. The study suggests ways to connect formal science learning with informal science engagement to further young children’s science competencies.

KEYWORDS:

• Informal science learning
• everyday family context
• emergent science competencies
• young children

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Kathryn J. Andrews is an instructor in the Department of Learning and Instruction at the State University of New York at Buffalo. She is also the Retention Specialist in the Student Support Services Department at University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. Her primary research interests include early childhood education in informal contexts and retention in higher education. Dr. Andrews is actively involved in professional organizations such as AERA, NACADA, and TRIO PA.

X. Christine Wang, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Department of Learning and Instruction and the Director of Fisher-Price Early Childhood Research Center at the State University of New York at Buffalo. She is also Project 985 Professor at Beijing Normal University (2012-2015) and a Visiting Professor at Shandong Yingcai University (2016-Present). Her primary research interests include technology and young children's learning and development, digital literacy and scientific inquiry, and early childhood education in international contexts. Her research projects have been funded by Spencer Foundation, and Elva Knight Foundation etc. Winner of AERA 2007 “Jan Hawkins Early Career Contributions to Humanistic Research and Scholarship in Learning Technologies Award,” Dr. Wang has published numerous research articles in journals such as Early Childhood Research Quarterly, Early Education and Development, Journal of Research on Technology in Education, Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, Reading Psychology, and Literacy Research and Instruction, and presented in national and international research conferences. Dr. Wang is actively involved in professional organizations such as AERA, NAYEC, and ACEI. Currently, she is the Associate Editor of Early Childhood Research Quarterly and the Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Research on Childhood Education.

ORCID

Kathryn J. Andrews http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9377-1642