RT Book,_Section
T1 Preparing Early Childhood Teachers to Support Young Children's Equitable Science Sensemaking
A1 Zembal-Saul, Carla
A1 Siry, Christina
A1 Fernández Monteira, Sabela
A1 Bose, Frances
A2 Luft, Julie A.
A2 Jons, M. Gail
K1 Childhood teachers
K1 Science teaching
K1 Preparing teachers
AB This chapter explores what is known about preparing early childhood teachers for scienceteaching. A review of recent research literature revealed findings closely related to those from elementary teacher preparation, with the majority addressing how various interventions, predominantly in science methods courses, shape preservice teachers’ knowledge and beliefs about science, the nature of science, and science teaching. A subset of studies examines preservice teachers’ interactions with children, the development of science teaching practices, and issues of equity and access. These studies are complementary with emergent perspectives on science in early childhood that privilege children’s innate curiosity about the world and drive to figure things out; consider the whole child, including their multiple and embodied ways of knowing; and foreground disrupting unjust interactions in science. Building from the review findings, the authors call for a holistic, asset-based approach to designing and studying teacher preparation for science in early childhood, including opportunities for candidates to investigatescience alongside children. The authors raise questions about expertise, language, and power forthe field, and expand the emphasis on teacher knowledge to address identity, a pedagogy oflistening and responsiveness, an inquiry stance toward teaching and learning, and a strong socialjustice orientation.In this chapter, the authors set out to review the research literature on the preparation of earlychildhood preservice teachers (EC-PSTs) for teaching science, with a goal of drawingimplications for future research and practice. In recent years, there has been mounting interestamong researchers and practitioners regarding young children and science, a focus also reflectedin contemporary Early Childhood Education (ECE)  reform globally. Science in ECEemphasizes the integrated nature of science learning for young children, presenting a holisticview of children and their proficiencies for investigation and embodied sensemaking practices(Siry & Gorges, 2020). Support for science in early years is grounded in children’s innatecuriosity about how the world works and their drive to “figure it out” (National ResearchCouncil [NRC], 2007). A growing body of research indicates young children are capable ofreasoning that reflects the work of the scientific community (Kirch, 2009; Metz, 1995; Monteira& Jiménez-Aleixandre, 2016; Trundle & Saçkes, 2012). Children who are exposed to scienceinstruction early develop positive attitudes and interest in science (Eshach & Fried, 2005); whenthis does not happen, interest in science may drop off (Mullis & Jenkins, 1988). However,children from communities that experience unequal distribution of resources and power, or whoare part of groups that have been historically marginalized in science, tend not to have access toequitable science instruction (see Haverly et al., 2020). Gaps in opportunities that begin early areamplified later in schooling and career choice (Mbamalu, 2001), creating an urgent need toattend to inequities embedded in science for ECE. The authors of this chapter position children as capable learners with multiple ways of knowing,who have the right to experience the natural world, make sense of it, and have their ideas takenseriously (UN General Assembly, 1989). Children’s learning in science is as much about theprocess of inquiry as it is about developing meaningful understanding of science concepts.Haverly and colleagues (2020) extend sensemaking in science to include classroom interactionsthat disrupt dominant epistemological orientations and normative ways of knowing andexpressing understanding. Equitable sensemaking in science is conceptualized as a coconstruction of knowledge incorporating students’ epistemic resources—including languagepractices, discursive forms, and cultural practices (Nasir, Rosebery, Warren, & Lee, 2006)–notalways traditionally legitimized in classroom spaces (Haverly et al., 2020, p. 65-66). Engagingwith children in science in ways that cultivate their multiple and embodied ways of knowing canbe challenging for teachers of young children, who have themselves been characterized aslacking confidence and knowledge for science teaching.The authors here assert that teachers of young children are uniquely equipped to support theirscience sensemaking (Zembal-Saul, et al., 2020). Given EC classrooms are often self-containedand emphasize socio-emotional development, EC teachers are positioned to notice, explore, andconnect with children's differing cultural and linguistic resources, lived experiences, and valuesystems. This relational work can support a classroom community in which children feel safeand valued, shifting historicized positions of power (Haverly et al., 2020). Further, EC teachers’proficiency in literacy instruction can be reimagined as an asset to facilitate science sensemaking– a collective discourse-rich endeavor (NRC, 2007). As such, the authors encourage readers to consider how teacher preparation experiences might be designed to build upon these overlookedassets.In sum, when EC teachers prioritize children’s equitable science sensemaking, they positionyoung children as capable of asking and investigating scientific questions as part of developingscience knowledge and practices, as well as reaching their full potential as human beings. Giventhese uniquely favorable features of the EC profession more generally, what is known from theliterature about preparing EC-PSTs to support young children’s equitable science sensemaking?It is this question that frames the chapter, which continues with a description of the searchmethods, findings from the literature review, and discussion of emergent questions and futuredirections for the design and study of EC teacher preparation for science.
PB Routledge
SN 9781003098478
YR 2022
FD 2022-04-27
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10347/32330
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10347/32330
LA eng
NO Zembal-Saul, C., Siry, C., Monteira, S. F., e Bose, F. N. (2022). Preparing early chilhood teachers to support young children's equitable science sensemakimg. En Luft, J.A. e Jones, M.G. (Eds.). Handbook of Research on Science Teacher Education (pp. 69-82). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003098478-8
DS Minerva
RD 28 abr 2026