Science and thematic teaching in preschool: students’ expressions of child perspective and children’s perspective

In focus of the present study is student preschool teachers’ expressions of child perspective and children’s perspectives in thematic teaching involving science, before and after their exam works. Research shows how preschool teachers’ science knowledge is linked to their competence to teach science (Fleer, 2009) and a report points to science in preschool being treated as single ‘happenings’, not part of thematic teaching (Swedish Schools Inspectorate, 2018). Research also highlights student teachers questioning the weak connection between their exam theses and their teacher profession (Arneback et al. 2016, Erixon Arreman & Erixon 2015). The theoretical framework is developmental pedagogy (Pramling Samuelsson & Asplund Carlsson, 2008) and the concepts ‘child perspective’ and ‘children’s perspectives’ (Sommer, Pramling Samuelsson & Hundeide, 2013). Student teachers’ views have been collected through questionnaires, recorded pre-/post interviews, and planning meetings. A mixed methods approach is used, including qualitative content analysis (Bryman, 2018). Participants were informed and agreed to voluntary participation. Specific attention was given to anonymity and secure use and storage of data, the data is only used for research purposes. (Swedish Research Council, 2017).A more pronounced reflection on child perspective and children’s perspectives are seen after completion of the exam thesis, indicating the value of student preschool teachers analysing thematic science teaching in their exam work. Studies of student preschool teachers’ science teaching are still lacking (Fridberg et al 2019, Fleer et al 2014). This is addressed here through focus on exam-work in preschool teacher education, where experience of thematic teaching including science is analysed.