Page 325 - Čotar Konrad Sonja, Borota Bogdana, Rutar Sonja, Drljić Karmen, Jelovčan Giuliana. Ur. 2022. Vzgoja in izobraževanje predšolskih otrok prvega starostnega obdobja. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem
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The Significance of the Constructivist
Approach in Preschool Science Education
Janja Plazar
University of Primorska
janja.plazar@pef.upr.si
Science education is of crucial importance to many aspects of a child’s devel-
opment, therefore it is suggested that it should begin already during the early
childhood period. Nowadays, science education is based predominantly on
the principle of constructivism according to which children act as active partic-
ipants in the learning process and construct their own knowledge on the basis
of experience. This enables them to acquire scientific knowledge and develop
the ability to think and solve problems in a logical way. Many authors recom-
mend that it is necessary to start science education in the early preschool pe-
riod, with competent preschool teachers, who could develop science concepts
correctly and maintain positive attitude towards science in children. Alarm-
ingly, many studies agree that science teaching all over the world tends to be
deprioritized in early childhood education, compared to teaching literacy, nu-
meracy and arts, mostly due to insufficient science knowledge of the preschool
teachers. Therefore, solutions are proposed to provide positive outcomes to
preschool science education by increasing both science knowledge and the
skills of preschool teachers.
Keywords: preschool science education, constructivism, competent preschool
teachers, science concepts, scientific literacy
Introduction
During the early preschool period, children establish the bases of knowledge
and skills which are going to be used throughout their life. Very early in their
lives, children start to observe nature and events, seek for answers and ques-
tions, and get to understand the primary science related concepts. Hence,
there are several good reasons for starting science education already in the
preschool period. The teachers working in preschool classrooms have a sig-
nificant responsibility to develop science concepts correctly and to maintain
positive attitudes towards science. Preschool science education should be
therefore introduced using appropriate instructional approaches, in which
children learn to pay attention, ask questions, observe, analyse, explore and
make deductions. One of the most pronounced contemporary science teach-
ing approaches of the last decades is constructivism, according to which chil-
Čotar Konrad, S., B. Borota, S. Rutar, K. Drljić in G. Jelovčan, ur. 2022. Vzgoja in izobraževanje
predšolskih otrok prvega starostnega obdobja. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem.
https://doi.org/10.26493/978-961-293-134-6.325-338
Approach in Preschool Science Education
Janja Plazar
University of Primorska
janja.plazar@pef.upr.si
Science education is of crucial importance to many aspects of a child’s devel-
opment, therefore it is suggested that it should begin already during the early
childhood period. Nowadays, science education is based predominantly on
the principle of constructivism according to which children act as active partic-
ipants in the learning process and construct their own knowledge on the basis
of experience. This enables them to acquire scientific knowledge and develop
the ability to think and solve problems in a logical way. Many authors recom-
mend that it is necessary to start science education in the early preschool pe-
riod, with competent preschool teachers, who could develop science concepts
correctly and maintain positive attitude towards science in children. Alarm-
ingly, many studies agree that science teaching all over the world tends to be
deprioritized in early childhood education, compared to teaching literacy, nu-
meracy and arts, mostly due to insufficient science knowledge of the preschool
teachers. Therefore, solutions are proposed to provide positive outcomes to
preschool science education by increasing both science knowledge and the
skills of preschool teachers.
Keywords: preschool science education, constructivism, competent preschool
teachers, science concepts, scientific literacy
Introduction
During the early preschool period, children establish the bases of knowledge
and skills which are going to be used throughout their life. Very early in their
lives, children start to observe nature and events, seek for answers and ques-
tions, and get to understand the primary science related concepts. Hence,
there are several good reasons for starting science education already in the
preschool period. The teachers working in preschool classrooms have a sig-
nificant responsibility to develop science concepts correctly and to maintain
positive attitudes towards science. Preschool science education should be
therefore introduced using appropriate instructional approaches, in which
children learn to pay attention, ask questions, observe, analyse, explore and
make deductions. One of the most pronounced contemporary science teach-
ing approaches of the last decades is constructivism, according to which chil-
Čotar Konrad, S., B. Borota, S. Rutar, K. Drljić in G. Jelovčan, ur. 2022. Vzgoja in izobraževanje
predšolskih otrok prvega starostnega obdobja. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem.
https://doi.org/10.26493/978-961-293-134-6.325-338
