Page 328 - 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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ja Plazar
Saçkes et al. 2011). Insufficient teaching of natural science in early childhood
can lead to a negative attitude of pupils to science-related content that can
persist until high school years and even longer (Mullis and Jenkins 1988). On
the other hand, supporting children’s natural thinking in the early years of
childhood can lead children to transfer their own scientific way of thinking
to other fields of science, and thus foster success and self-confidence in all
areas of learning (Kuhn and Pearsall 2000).
The Contribution of Early Science Education to Scientific Literacy
What children of preschool age learn in terms of general science has shown
to be a strong predictor of their future science achievement in school and
later in life (Areljung 2018). Already early in life children develop a positive
attitude towards science and lay the foundations for the further develop-
ment of basic scientific concepts (Eshach and Fried 2005; Krnel 2008). The
aims of science education are now commonly expressed in terms of devel-
oping ‘scientific literacy,’ which is used as a term indicating the essential un-
derstanding that should be a part of everyone’s education, rather than a de-
tailed knowledge of facts and theories as required by scientists (Harlen and
Qualter 2009). Science affects all our lives at every level. It governs the mate-
rials used to construct our homes, the way our food is grown and processed,
the processes by which electricity is generated, the purpose of medicines
and medical technology, and communication and transport technology. All
fields children will be curious about at some time during development. A de-
gree of scientific literacy is essential for everyone to enable making informed
decisions about the scientific advances and developments which affect us all
(Brunton and Thornton 2012). Therefore, the goal is to educate an individual
who, in addition to the basic concepts, would be equipped with the abilities
to understand abstract ideas and to discover nature and solve problems in a
logical and scientific way (Krnel 2008). The PISA definition of scientific literacy
is the capacity to use scientific knowledge, to identify questions and to draw
evidence-based conclusions in order to understand and help make decisions
about the natural world and the changes made to it through human activity
(Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development 2003, 133).
Learning Science Concepts
Science is not just about exploration, but also about sharing and understand-
ing accumulated knowledge. For children, the problem with science is to
learn facts, which includes new words, or new contexts of words, because
science, like many other activities, has its own technical vocabulary. A further
328
Saçkes et al. 2011). Insufficient teaching of natural science in early childhood
can lead to a negative attitude of pupils to science-related content that can
persist until high school years and even longer (Mullis and Jenkins 1988). On
the other hand, supporting children’s natural thinking in the early years of
childhood can lead children to transfer their own scientific way of thinking
to other fields of science, and thus foster success and self-confidence in all
areas of learning (Kuhn and Pearsall 2000).
The Contribution of Early Science Education to Scientific Literacy
What children of preschool age learn in terms of general science has shown
to be a strong predictor of their future science achievement in school and
later in life (Areljung 2018). Already early in life children develop a positive
attitude towards science and lay the foundations for the further develop-
ment of basic scientific concepts (Eshach and Fried 2005; Krnel 2008). The
aims of science education are now commonly expressed in terms of devel-
oping ‘scientific literacy,’ which is used as a term indicating the essential un-
derstanding that should be a part of everyone’s education, rather than a de-
tailed knowledge of facts and theories as required by scientists (Harlen and
Qualter 2009). Science affects all our lives at every level. It governs the mate-
rials used to construct our homes, the way our food is grown and processed,
the processes by which electricity is generated, the purpose of medicines
and medical technology, and communication and transport technology. All
fields children will be curious about at some time during development. A de-
gree of scientific literacy is essential for everyone to enable making informed
decisions about the scientific advances and developments which affect us all
(Brunton and Thornton 2012). Therefore, the goal is to educate an individual
who, in addition to the basic concepts, would be equipped with the abilities
to understand abstract ideas and to discover nature and solve problems in a
logical and scientific way (Krnel 2008). The PISA definition of scientific literacy
is the capacity to use scientific knowledge, to identify questions and to draw
evidence-based conclusions in order to understand and help make decisions
about the natural world and the changes made to it through human activity
(Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development 2003, 133).
Learning Science Concepts
Science is not just about exploration, but also about sharing and understand-
ing accumulated knowledge. For children, the problem with science is to
learn facts, which includes new words, or new contexts of words, because
science, like many other activities, has its own technical vocabulary. A further
328
