Abstract
At the University of Ioannina, there is a program preparing preservice teachers to teach science at the early childhood level. In Chap. 8, we present this teacher training program for the realization of the perspectives and the limitations of a CHAT approach. We analyze the curriculum scene as a matter of activity and trace the potentialities and limitations of the concept of activity/activism to become the central organizing unit in|for early childhood teacher training programs. In the program exemplifying our approach, the development of communicative skills, collaborative and creative work, problem solving, and critical thinking is among the priorities of the curriculum planning and development. In|for early grades, learning and knowing different subjects – for example, language, mathematics, studies of the environment, drama, music, and physical education – are not considered as independent fields but as resources that are mobilized in integrated activity. In this program, preservice early childhood teachers are familiarized with different types of learning environments – for example, labs, schools, museums, and environmental parks. They also adapt and adopt analytical methods of the interactions when science education occurs. They are trained to analyze children’s arguments and the use of childhood daily cultural tools: cartoon animations. Dealing with scientific concepts with the aid of a popular cartoon character contributes to a better understanding of science, to connecting with cultural knowledge, and to building a strong interactive network to achieve meaningful learning.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
The university students who participated in the LIGHT project included future teachers of science for early childhood (Greek), primary (Swedish, Cypriot, and Irish), and secondary levels (Italian, Portuguese, and Dutch).
- 2.
The intensive program also begins to involve Master’s level students, which means that in the future, the program may be expanded to become an international Master’s course for which students may receive credit in their home institutions.
- 3.
The idea of the learning circle parallels the practice of the circle characteristic in the education of young children and elementary students (see, e.g., Chap. 4).
- 4.
In music, an ensemble plays a beautiful symphony – literally, sound (phony) together (sym-) – whereas a collection of individual musicians produces a cacophony.
References
Husserl, E. (1939). Die Frage nach dem Ursprung der Geometrie als intentional-historisches Problem. Revue Internationale de Philosophie, 1, 203–225.
Pontecorvo, C., & Girardet, H. (1993). Arguing and reasoning in understanding historical Topics. Cognition and Instruction, 11, 365–395.
Resnick, L. B., Salmon, M., Zeitz, C. M., Wathen, S. H., & Holowchak, M. (1993). Reasoning in conversation. Cognition and Instruction, 11, 347–364.
Roth, W.-M. (2010a). Activism: A category for theorizing learning. Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education, 10, 278–291.
van Eijck, M., & Roth, W.-M. (2008). Keeping the local local: Recalibrating the status of science and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) in education. Science Education, 91, 926–947.
Vygotskij, L. S. (2005). Psykhologiya razvitiya cheloveka [Psychology of human development]. Moscow: Eksmo.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Roth, WM., Goulart, M.I.M., Plakitsi, K. (2013). Magnifying Effects with LIGHT. In: Science Education during Early Childhood. Cultural Studies of Science Education, vol 6. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5186-6_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5186-6_9
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-007-5185-9
Online ISBN: 978-94-007-5186-6
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawEducation (R0)