LESIC: The Role of Effective Learning Environments in Preschool Children’s Understanding of the Scientific Inquiry Cycle

LESIC: The Role of Effective Learning Environments in Preschool Children’s Understanding of the Scientific Inquiry Cycle

 

Duration 05/2020-12/2022

Funding DFG (German Research Foundation) (STE 1816/6-1)

Scientific literacy comprises two central knowledge components: conceptual knowledge and knowledge about the acquisition of scientific knowledge. The latter includes an understanding of the scientific inquiry cycle (SIC) which describes the steps from asking questions and hypothesis generation to data interpretation and emphasizes the cumulative character of scientific inquiry. Main question of the project is under what conditions children at the age of 5 to 6 years would be able to recognize and compare steps of the SIC across examples and contexts and develop a first understanding of the SIC. We employ a quasi-experimental intervention study with pre- and post-intervention assessments. In a first step we compare learning environments with high instructional support with a control group which participates in a learning environment with the same science activities but without instructional support and with a baseline group without intervention. In a second step we compare both intervention groups with instructional support which differ in regards to exploring conceptually similar scientific phenomena and exploring conceptually dissimilar phenomena.

Researchers

Henning Dominke, University of Hamburg

Jana Mohr, Leibniz-Institute for Science and Mathematics Education IPN

Dr. Daniel Schmerse, Leibniz-Institute for Science and Mathematics Education IPN