Collaborative Research: Bridging Preschool and Kindergarten Science: Exploring Play-based Engagement with Scientific and Engineering Practices in Early Learning Environments

合作研究：连接学前班和幼儿园科学：探索早期学习环境中基于游戏的科学和工程实践的参与

• 批准号: 2201673
• 负责人: Alison Miller
• 金额: $ 95.14万
• 依托单位: Bowdoin College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-08-01 至 2026-07-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2201673&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Bridging; Preschool; Kindergarten

This project will investigate how and to what extent preschoolers and kindergarteners can engage in science and engineering practices in play-based learning environments. Young children are natural scientists, curious about the world around them, eager to pose questions, and ready to investigate their surroundings. They make sense of the world primarily through play, as has been recognized internationally as a fundamental component of child development. Science learning experiences for young children can reflect these facts about children. Rather than relying on adults to direct structured activity around a particular table or “station” in a classroom, children can interact freely with their environment both indoors and outdoors to have rich experiences that build on children’s creative and intuitive ways of engaging with science through play. The project will also explore how spaces, materials, and pedagogies can support and extend children’s engagement with science and engineering practices. Early childhood educators will engage in professional learning using a refined version of the Science and Engineering Practices Observation Protocol (SciEPOP), an observation tool that allows researchers to identify and describe high-quality play-based engagement with science and engineering practices. Through video-rich professional learning along with peer-based coaching, early childhood educators will grow in their ability to prepare play environments, identify nascent science and engineering practices, enhance and extend investigations through play, and record and reflect upon this learning.This project aims to deepen understanding of how to support and develop early childhood science learning by articulating science and engineering practices observed in children’s play. It also aims to develop early childhood educators’ abilities to identify and support nascent science and engineering practices with young children. Researchers will use a multi-method, design-based research approach to investigate the following research questions: (1) What are the key design elements of the SciEPOP tool and the surrounding professional learning experiences needed to support student engagement with science and engineering practices? (2) How does the use of the SciEPOP tool during professional learning progressively enhance teachers’ abilities to support children’s engagement with SEP in play? (3) How does the proposed teacher professional learning intervention impact classroom-level patterns of children’s engagement with science and engineering practices during play? (4) How does the proposed teacher professional learning intervention impact site and classroom-level knowledge and attitudes about SEP during play? These investigations will take place across more than 12 collaborating preschool and kindergarten classrooms from three demographically distinct areas. Key deliverables include a series of professional learning modules designed to support teachers in noticing, enhancing, and extending engagement with the science and engineering practices through play, a refined version of the SciEPOP tool for use by educators in growing their own practice, and a series of papers and publications written for both practitioner and researcher communities. The Discovery Research preK-12 program (DRK-12) seeks to significantly enhance the learning and teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by preK-12 students and teachers, through research and development of innovative resources, models and tools. Projects in the DRK-12 program build on fundamental research in STEM education and prior research and development efforts that provide theoretical and empirical justification for proposed projects. This project is also co-funded by the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program, which supports projects that build understandings of practices, program elements, contexts and processes contributing to increasing students' knowledge and interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and information and communication technology (ICT) careers.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该项目将调查如何以及在何种程度上的呈现和幼儿园可以在基于游戏的学习环境中从事科学和工程实践。幼儿是自然科学家，对周围的世界感到好奇，渴望提出问题，并准备调查周围的环境。通过比赛，它们在国际上被认为是儿童发育的基本组成部分，从而使世界主要有意义。幼儿的科学学习经验可以反映有关儿童的这些事实。孩子们可以在教室中的特定桌子或“站”周围指导结构化活动，而是可以在室内和室外自由地与环境自由互动，以拥有丰富的体验，这些体验以儿童创造性和直观的方式通过游戏来与科学互动。该项目还将探讨空间，材料和教学法如何支持和扩展儿童参与科学和工程实践。幼儿教育工作者将使用科学和工程实践观察协议（SCIEPOP）的精致版本进行专业学习，这是一种观察工具，允许研究人员识别和描述基于科学和工程实践的高质量游戏。通过视频丰富的专业学习以及基于同行的教练，幼儿教育者将在准备游戏环境，确定新生的科学和工程学实践，通过游戏中增强和扩展调查，并记录和反思这项学习的能力增强。该项目旨在深入了解如何通过在儿童游戏中表达科学和工程学练习来支持和发展幼儿科学学习。它还旨在发展幼儿教育者的能力，以识别和支持与幼儿的新生科学和工程实践。研究人员将使用基于设计的基于设计的研究方法来研究以下研究问题：（1）SciePop工具的关键设计要素以及周围的专业学习经验，以支持学生参与科学和工程实践？ （2）在专业学习过程中，SciePop工具的使用如何逐步增强教师在发挥作用中与儿童互动的能力？ （3）拟议的教师专业学习干预措施如何影响儿童在游戏过程中参与科学和工程实践的课堂级别模式？ （4）拟议的教师专业学习干预措施如何影响网站和课堂层面的知识，并在播放过程中参加SEP？这些调查将在12个以上的学龄前和幼儿园的教室中进行，来自三个人口不同领域。主要的可交付成果包括一系列专业的学习模块，旨在通过游戏来支持教师注意，增强并扩展与科学和工程实践的参与，这是Sciepop工具的精致版本，用于教育工作者在发展自己的实践方面使用，以及为实践者和研究人员社区编写的一系列论文和出版物。 Discovery Research Prek-12计划（DRK-12）试图通过研究和开发创新资源，模型和工具来显着增强PreK-12学生和教师的科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）的学习和教学。 DRK-12计划中的项目基于STEM教育和先前的研发工作的基础研究，这些研究为拟议项目提供了理论和经验的理由。 This project is also co-funded by the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program, Which supports projects that build understandings of practices, program elements, contexts and processes contributing to increasing students' knowledge and interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and information and communication technology (ICT) careers.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed precious of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual优点和更广泛的影响审查标准。