An investigation of Singapore preschool children’s emerging concepts of floating and sinking

ABSTRACT

Despite Singapore’s excellent science achievements in international benchmark tests such as the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), little is known about Singaporean children’s (aged 4-8) emerging science conceptions as formal science schooling begins at Grade 3 (aged 9). This paper builds on the well-established literature on preschool children’s emerging conceptions and play to illuminate children’s ideas about floating and sinking. Using narratives of a 90-minute activity involving a group of Singaporean children aged 6, we surfaced emerging conceptions that an object floats or sinks due to its weight, and that objects sink because water is “soft”—a conception that has not been reported in previous literature. We also observed a shift from binary discourse about floating and sinking to more graded descriptions (e.g. “sink a bit”) as the children played more. The play-based activity provided opportunities for the children’s emerging conceptions to be elicited because it was conceptually-oriented and created opportunities for social interactions. It allowed children who were not proficient in standard English to express their thinking in actions. In sum, this paper illustrates how play-based contexts could be used to identify children’s emerging conceptions.

KEYWORDS:

• Emerging conceptions
• float and sink
• children
• play

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by a grant (OER16/13TTW) from the Office of Educational Research, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent the views of the funding agency. We greatly appreciate the teachers and children in this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by a grant (OER16/13TTW) from the Office of Educational Research, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Notes on contributors

Tang Wee Teo

Tang Wee Teo is an assistant professor in the Natural Sciences and Science Education (academic group) at the National Institute of Education (NIE), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

Yaw Kai Yan

Yaw Kai Yan is an associate professor in the Natural Sciences and Science Education (academic group) at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

Woei Ling Monica Ong

Woei Ling Ong Monica is a teaching fellow in the Office of Education Research at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.