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Creating Participatory Discourse for Teaching and Research in Early Childhood Science

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Journal of Science Teacher Education

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a study conducted with second grade students and pre-service teachers. This study examined the possibilities for engaging children in critical discourse about their classroom science experiences. At the heart of this discussion lies the desire to provide a space for teachers and children to develop relationships and to explore the learning of science together. Themes that emerged include: (1) on-going, focused, critical dialogue between children and teachers supported children in developing agency in the classroom, and (2) on-going conversations created the opportunity for children to reveal their ways of knowing and developing interpretations of the practice of science.

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Notes

  1. “Teacher participants” is used to denote all teachers that participated in the cogenerative dialogues; the pre-service teachers, classroom teachers, and professors.

  2. Pre-service teacher and students names are pseudonyms to protect participants’ privacy.

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Correspondence to Christina A. Siry.

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Siry, C.A., Lang, D.E. Creating Participatory Discourse for Teaching and Research in Early Childhood Science. J Sci Teacher Educ 21, 149–160 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10972-009-9162-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10972-009-9162-7

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