Enhancing Early Childhood Educators' Reflective Practice and Content Knowledge to Increase Children's Capacity for Science Talk

该项目旨在加强幼儿教育工作者的关键能力，包括（1）建立科学内容知识和信心，指导幼儿的科学调查，（2）密切观察儿童与科学材料的互动，（3）将这些观察结果用于反思，规划和实践科学教学。幼儿园和幼儿教育机构认识到，有效的科学教学需要与科学概念和实践有关的内容知识以及教学知识。然而，幼儿保育员，特别是农村社区的幼儿保育员，表示缺乏科学内容知识，也没有信心将科学相关的对话纳入其早期护理和教育环境，他们认为这可能是与科学内容相关的专业培训有限的结果。为了满足幼儿教育者更多地了解科学概念和实践的愿望，幼儿科学专业发展（PD）应包括资源，支持和明确的指导，将科学谈话融入幼儿环境中与儿童的日常互动。PD模式还必须提高幼儿园的科学内容知识和他们注意科学谈话机会的能力，并鼓励幼儿继续提出问题和进行科学调查。通过该项目开发的幼儿科学PD将使幼儿园成为基于科学概念和实践的坚实知识的反思者，从而对其教学实践产生重大影响，进而影响儿童的学习。农村幼儿园往往缺乏教授科学概念和实践的适当培训，因此，他们不认为自己有能力规划和教授与科学相关的课程。这些幼儿园需要一个幼儿科学PD模型，提供资源和从业者社区。本项目旨在（1）开发和测试一个幼儿园科学PD模型的可行性，该模型包括材料和资源，以加强幼儿园的科学内容知识和反思实践，并将在农村早期护理和教育环境中实施;（2）使用一个改进的PD模型，确定关键组件，探索幼儿园对其教学实践的反思水平的变化，科学概念和实践的知识，以及在实践中使用科学谈话，沿着这些变化如何与儿童在早期护理和教育环境中使用科学谈话和科学调查相关联。在第一年，该团队将开发和完善农村社区的PD模型。在第二年，该团队将使用混合方法收敛设计来测试PD模型与农村社区的一小群ECE。本计画将建立一个EC科学PD模式，使EC建立科学内容知识，并有效地利用反思性实践来改善他们的科学教学实践。项目合作模式将使幼儿保育和教育机构能够与其他幼儿保育和教育机构合作-这是农村社区的幼儿保育和教育机构表达的迫切需要-同时提高它们在与幼儿互动时纳入与科学有关的对话的能力。与科学和教育委员会专家合作开发的PD材料将提高教育委员会的能力，使幼儿参与有意义的科学学习体验，并进一步支持他们对科学主题的兴趣。与参与的学校/中心管理人员和农村社区的家庭保育院提供者的持续沟通也将提高影响幼儿园的反思和科学教学实践的能力，这反过来将影响其整体教学质量。该项目产生的知识将使欧洲经委会各社区了解教与学科学概念和实践的变革方法。此外，这项探索性研究将进一步吸引研究人员参与关于多学科方法的对话，以解决农村社区的幼儿PD问题。该项目由发现研究preK-12计划（DRK-12）资助，旨在通过研究和开发创新资源，模型和工具，显着提高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项目中的项目建立在STEM教育的基础研究以及为拟议项目提供理论和经验依据的先前研究和开发工作的基础上。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project aims to strengthen key capabilities in early childhood educators (ECEs), including the ability to (1) build science content knowledge and confidence in guiding young children's scientific investigation, (2) closely observe children's interactions with science materials, and (3) use those observations in the reflection, planning, and practice of science teaching. ECEs understand that effective science teaching and learning requires content knowledge related to science concepts and practices and pedagogical knowledge. However, ECEs, especially in rural communities, express a lack of science content knowledge and confidence in incorporating science-related conversations in their early care and education settings, and they believe this might be a result of limited professional training relevant to science content. To address ECEs' desire to know more about science concepts and practices, early childhood science professional development (PD) should include resources, support, and explicit guidance for integrating science talk into everyday interactions with children in early childhood settings. The PD model must also enhance ECEs' science content knowledge and their capacity to notice opportunities for science talk and encourage young children to continue to ask questions and conduct scientific investigations. An early childhood science PD developed through this project will empower ECEs to become reflective thinkers based on solid knowledge of science concepts and practices, significantly impacting their teaching practices and, in turn, children's learning.Rural ECEs often lack adequate training in teaching science concepts and practices and, thus, do not feel competent in planning and teaching science-related lessons. These ECEs need an early childhood (EC) science PD model that provides access to resources and a community of practitioners. This project aims to (1) develop and test the feasibility of an EC science PD model with materials and resources that strengthen ECEs' science content knowledge and reflective practice to be implemented in rural early care and education settings and (2) use a refined PD model with the critical components identified, explore the change in the level of ECEs' reflection on their teaching practices, knowledge of science concepts and practices, and use of science talk in their practices, along with how each of these changes is associated with children's use of science talk and scientific investigation in their early care and education settings. In year 1, the team will develop and refine a PD model for rural communities. In year 2, the team will use a mixed methods convergent design to test the PD model with a small group of ECEs in rural communities. This project will generate an EC science PD model that empowers ECEs to build science content knowledge and effectively use reflective practice to improve their science teaching practices. The PD model will allow ECEs to collaborate with other ECEs - a critical need expressed by ECEs in rural communities - while enhancing their capacity to incorporate science-related conversations in their interactions with young children. The PD materials, developed in collaboration with science and EC experts, will enhance ECEs' capacity to engage young children in meaningful science learning experiences and further support their interests in science topics. Ongoing communication with participating school/center administrators and family childcare home providers in rural communities will also build greater capacity to impact ECEs' reflection and science teaching practices, which will, in turn, influence their overall teaching quality. The knowledge generated from this project will inform ECE communities of transformational approaches to teaching and learning science concepts and practices. In addition, this exploratory study will further engage researchers in conversations about multidisciplinary approaches to addressing early childhood PD in rural communities. This project is funded by the Discovery Research preK-12 program (DRK-12) that 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 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.