The aim of this study is to explore how cultural factors interact with preschool teachers' shaping of activities with science content, and also how Activity Theory (AT) as a theoretical framework can be useful for examining interrelations within preschool systems. Qualitative data was collected from three preschools in the form of guided group discussions with preschool teachers, observations and video recordings of activities, and stimulated recall discussions based on the recorded practices. The preschools displayed diverse approaches for experiencing and learning science, some with great creativity. In all preschools learning was integrated with care, upbringing and play. To support children's interest and confidence was central. How science activities were shaped mainly depended on how children's interests were allowed to govern practice. The use of AT as an analytical tool was proven to be effective in identifying the elements, relationships and tensions crucial for understanding the framing of science activities.

In this study, Activity Theory (AT) is used to analyse general patterns for how cultural and historical factors interact with the shaping of science activities in preschools. Data was produced from field notes, video observations, video stimulated recall group discussions and individual interviews with preschool teachers at fourteen preschool units, where science activities were described as a common feature of the practice. Two factors were found to be particularly important for how and whether science learning opportunities were afforded the children: the structure of the preschool community and the type of educational culture within it. In communities characterised by weak mutual commitment and without joint understanding of the purpose of the activities, the science learning objects of the activity often became fragmented and thereby elusive. This was also true for strong communities, with a shared approach and a joint understanding of the purpose of the science activities, but with educational cultures where science learning was not actively supported. In contrast, a strong community combined with an educational culture that allowed teachers to lead and intentionally frame the science content, offered child-centred science activities with clear science learning objects.

Karin Due är lektor i fysikdidaktik vid Institutionen för naturvetenskapernas och matematikens didaktik, Umeå universitet. Hennes forskningsintressen rör genus och lärande i naturvetenskap och hur kulturella faktorer i praktikgemenskaper formar de lärandemöjligheter som erbjuds de yngsta barnen.Britt Tellgren är lektor i pedagogik vid institutionen för Humaniora, Utbildningsvetenskap och Samhällskunskap vid Örebro universitet. Hennes forskningsintressen rör förskollärarutbildning i ett historiskt perspektiv, yngre barns kamratrelationer samt yngre barns mänskliga rättigheter i utbildning. Sofie Areljung är lektor vid Institutionen för tillämpad utbildningsvetenskap, Umeå universitet.. Hennes avhandling handlar om kunskapssyn, genus och fysisk miljö i förskolans naturvetenskapsundervisning. Ett ytterligare forskningsintresse rör undersökande arbete i NO-undervisningen i skolans år 4-6. Christina Ottander är fil.dr i växtfysiologi och docent i ämnesdidaktik med inriktning mot naturvetenskap vid Umeå universitet. Hennes forskningsintressen rör lärares professionella utveckling av undervisning i naturvetenskap i förskola och skola. Bodil Sundberg är lektor i biologi vid institutionen för Naturvetenskap och Teknik vid Örebro Universitet, Sverige. Hennes forskningsintressen berör hur lärare för yngre åldrar tänker om, och utformar aktiviteter för, lärande i naturvetenskap och hållbar utveckling samt hur kulturella och historiska aspekter påverkar detta. Hon är sedan 2013 koordinator för intressegruppen "Early Years Science" kopplad till ESERA . how preschool teachers, who include a scientific content in their practice, describe their practice and their view of science in preschool. The study is based on 20 interviews in 9 Swedish preschools. The theoretical and analytical framework combine "communities of practice"(Lave & Wenger) and "positioning theory" (Harré & Langehove) Abstract This article discusses . The stories reveal a strong position for the pre-school curriculum and traditions. A prominent storyline is that Science in preschool is something different from science in school. This includes an anti-authoritarian view with a focus on "the competent child". The preschool teachers affirm fantasy, creativity and intuition as a part of science and they position science as easy to access. They also position themselves as pedagogues competent to manage science in preschool. One of the dilemmas is about letting children's interests and initiatives drive the activities while educators curriculum-based goals have certain intentions to fulfill.Karin Due m.fl.

In this article, we exemplify and discuss how preschool science education may contribute to Education for Sustainability (EfS). We draw on data from science activities in fourteen Swedish preschools, in which we have previously identified examples of ‘multidimensional science teaching’, hence, teaching that intertwines children’s science learning with multiple dimensions of children’s lives, such as emotions, fantasy, play and aesthetic modes of expressions. By re-analysing these activities through an EfS lense, we show several examples of how multidimensional science teaching provide opportunities for children to develop agency and empowerment as well as connectedness with the environment, and some examples of creative problem solving. Yet, we advocate that teachers’ active participation is crucial for realising multidimensional science teaching in a way that contributes to EfS.

Numerous initiatives are carried out across the world to support science teaching in early childhood education. However, professional development research shows that in order for teaching interventions to bring about successful changes in practice, it is key that teacher's beliefs, confidence and knowledge change. As a complement to studies showing how teachers change, this article examines why teachers adopt a pedagogical idea for teaching science in preschool. Drawing on Clarke and Hollingsworth's model for teacher professional growth, the article analyses interviews with teachers that have implemented and developed a pedagogical idea for teaching science in preschool. The results indicate that teachers adopt the pedagogical idea because it helps them to discern and build on science content in everyday practice, which they prefer to their previous way of teaching science through occasional experiments. Further the results show that teachers balance several external influences on what is good preschool pedagogy. The particular pedagogical idea eases that balancing act since it aligns with, and helps teachers to make meaning of, many of these influences.

Researchers have provided many arguments for why drawing may contribute to science learning. However, little is known about how teachers in early childhood education (ECE) make use of drawing for science learning purposes. This article examines how teachers' views and framing of drawing activities influence the science learning opportunities afforded to children in the activities. We use activity theory to analyse teacher interviews and observation data from ten science classrooms (children aged 3-8 years) where drawing activities occurred. The interviews reveal that few of the teachers relate drawing to science learning specifically. Rather, they portray drawing as a component of variation in teaching and learning in general. Looking at what happens in the classrooms, we conclude that drawing has a relatively weak position as means of communicating and learning science. Instead, the teaching emphasis is on writing or on 'making a product'. However, there are examples where teachers explicitly use drawing for science learning purposes. These teachers are the same few who, in interviews, relate drawing to science learning specifically. Based on these findings, we encourage school teachers, teacher educators, and researchers to identify, and overcome,obstacles to realising the pedagogical potentials of drawing in ECE science classrooms.

This paper communicates the pedagogical idea of approaching scientific phenomena through verbs. The idea has sprung from a collaboration between preschool practitioners and a researcher, addressing science education in preschool (children aged 1-5 years). Drawing on a joint problem inventory, the project group aimed to create a teaching model that supports inquiry-oriented approaches to science, and teachers' ability of distinguishing chemical processes and physics phenomena in everyday practice. The core idea of the teaching model turned out to be a list of everyday verbs, connected to scientific phenomena. Starting from verbs appear to help teachers to recognise the scientific phenomena in everyday practice. Further, the verbs guide the formulating of questions that can be answered by scientific inquiry, such as: ''what matters to how something melts/rolls/mixes?''.The goal of this article is twofold, one being to present experiences from a design-based practitionerresearcher collaboration, particularly the issues of power and ownership in a process where participants join in at different stages. A second goal is to present the pedagogical idea that has emerged from this collaboration, namely the idea of using science verbs as a tool for investigating chemical processes and physical phenomena in everyday practices.

STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) education is currently gaining ground in many parts of the world, particularly in higher stages of the educational system. Foreseeing a development of STEAM policy and research also in the early years, this colloquium seeks to bring questions of gendering processes to the table. The authors aspire to prevent the development of a gender-blind STEAM discourse for early childhood education. Instead, they encourage practitioners and researchers to make use of STEAM education to recognise and transcend gendered norms connected to children’s being and learning in the arts, STEM and STEAM.