Science in Early Childhood Education - Teachers' communication

To develop knowledge about how science is communicated by the teachers in the preschool context, specificallyteachers' communication about science while planning the intended object of learning. Preschool teachers'attitudes and perceptions of the mission, and what the child in preschool should and can learn, is of outmostimportance for work with science, but also preschool teachers' knowledge of both science and science education(Eshach & Fried, 2005; Fleer, 2009; Thulin, 2011). However, the mission is manifold and further investigations ofhow different aspects come into play when planning science activities are needed. The theoretical framework isprimarily based on phenomenography focusing on developmental pedagogy (Marton & Booth, 1997; PramlingSamuelsson & Asplund Carlsson, 2008). Design-based research (Barab & Squire, 2004) is used to develop andimplement viable practices concerning science activities with a focus on communication. Video and audio areused to collect data. The research adheres to the ethical guidelines of the Swedish Research Council. Allparticipants and children's caregivers are informed and agree to voluntary and anonymous participation with aright to abandon participation. The video-data collection of teachers planning consecutive activities withchildren focusing the intended object of learning (forces and motion) is on-going. Initially, the teachers tend tofocus prerequisites and other aspects of their mission, the relation to the object of learning will be problematizedduring the symposium. The importance of content specific and educational knowledge, and teachers'experiences of their mission is stressed. The significance and complexity of this intertwined perspectives arediscussed.