The Quality of Teacher–Child Interactions during the Enactment of Playful Science Games in Preschool

ABSTRACT

Research Findings: This research aims to examine the affordances for high quality instructional support offered by the Northern Territory Preschool Science Games, alongside differences between classroom quality during the enactment of this teaching resource and the broader early childhood program. Applying a multiple-case study approach, quality was measured via classroom observations in three preschools at two points, teacher interviews on science practice were thematically analyzed and content analysis was conducted to determine the instructional support affordances of the Northern Territory Preschool Science Games. Results demonstrated that the games most frequently offer affordances for concept development interactions, in particular analysis and reasonging. Further, classroom observations revealed that instructional support quality was higher during the time teachers enacted a Northern Territory Preschool Science Game compared with the broader early childhood education program. In line with the primary affordance of the games, there was also a marked increase in concept development during these periods. Practice or Policy: These findings suggest that this science teaching resource provides a supportive structure for teachers to transform pedagogical prompts into teaching practice.

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship and the Collette Tayler Indigenous Education Scholarship. Travel expenses for this research were supported by the Northern Territory Department of Education.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.