Promoting Early Learning in Science and Mathematics Through an Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Teacher Preparation Course

该项目正在制定、实施和推广一门本科课程，旨在提高幼儿教育学生向幼儿教授科学和数学的信心和能力。它利用了合作机构的优势：（1）劳伦斯科学大厅（LHS），加州大学伯克利分校的公共科学中心;（2）Los Medanos学院（LMC），位于加利福尼亚州埃因霍温堡的社区学院，为大量攻读欧洲经委会证书和学位的学生提供服务。四十多年来，LHS一直是为所有年龄段的人开发和教授实践，发展适当的科学和数学课程的领导者。LMC带来了儿童发展和教师准备方面的教育专业知识。LMC校园内的儿童研究中心是一个实地体验、观察和收集真实课堂活动的真实文件的场所。该项目基于这样一个想法，即当教师自己操作和研究具体材料、花时间发展和测试想法、体验一个支持和协作的环境，培养他们的好奇心。该课程是专为满足大量社区学院的幼儿教育学生谁是“非传统的学习者的需求。“注重非传统的大学生发展对于满足进入幼儿教育的不同人口的需求很重要。幼儿教育工作者往往缺乏科学和数学背景，他们往往怀疑自己是否有能力有效地促进这些领域的教学。鉴于幼儿早期科学和数学经验的重要性，至关重要的是，幼儿职前和在职教师获得科学和数学内容和教学技能的适当结合，以提高对科学和数学教学的信心和态度。项目组正在收集和分析数据，以了解该课程对幼儿教育学生的内容知识、对适合发展的教学法的理解以及让幼儿参与科学和数学的信心和舒适度的影响。调查人员还在开发一个课程指南，沿着辅助教学材料，以便在全国高校的幼儿教育项目中实施该课程。最终，该项目旨在促进变革，改善社区大学与幼儿科学和数学教学有关的课程和实践经验。

This project is developing, conducting, and disseminating an undergraduate-level course designed to increase the confidence and ability of early childhood education (ECE) students to teach science and mathematics to young children. It leverages the strengths of the partnering institutions: (1) the Lawrence Hall of Science (LHS), the public science center at the University of California, Berkeley; and (2) Los Medanos College (LMC), a community college located in Pittsburg, CA, which serves a large number of students pursuing certificates and degrees in ECE. LHS has been a leader in developing and teaching hands-on, developmentally appropriate science and mathematics programs for people of all ages for over four decades. LMC brings educational expertise in child development and teacher preparation. The Child Study Center on the LMC campus serves as a site for field experiences, observations, and collection of authentic documentation of real-world classroom activities.The project is based on the idea that preparing teachers to teach early childhood science and mathematics is most effective when they themselves manipulate and investigate concrete materials, take time to develop and test ideas, and experience a supportive and collaborative environment that nurtures their curiosity. The course is tailored to meet the needs of the large number of community college ECE students who are "nontraditional learners." The focus on nontraditional college student development is important in addressing the needs of diverse populations entering ECE. Early childhood educators often lack a background in science and mathematics, and they often doubt their capacity to effectively facilitate teaching and learning in those areas. In light of what is known about the importance of early science and mathematics experiences for young children, it is critical that early childhood pre-service and in-service teachers acquire the appropriate blend of science and mathematics content and pedagogical skills to increase confidence and attitudes toward science and mathematics teaching.As part of the evaluation, the project team is collecting and analyzing data to understand the impact of the course on ECE students' content knowledge, understanding of developmentally appropriate pedagogy, and confidence in and comfort with engaging young children in science and mathematics. The investigators are also developing a course guide, along with supporting instructional materials, to allow the course to be implemented in early childhood programs at colleges and universities nationwide. Ultimately, the project is designed to promote change and improve community college coursework and practical experiences related to teaching science and mathematics in early childhood settings.