The educational nature of different ways teachers communicate with children about natural phenomena

Abstract

This empirical study analyses the qualitatively different ways in which teachers approach children's learning in and about nature. The empirical data consists of video observations of children and teachers communicating with one another around natural phenomena found during excursions into a forest. Variation theory is presented as a framework for analysing the opportunities teachers provide for children's learning. The study identifies three qualitatively different ways in which teachers communicate with children: one based on the principle of opening up dimensions of variation, the second building on presumed shared previous experience as a resource for making sense of a novel observation and the third involving children through using a make-believe playful approach. The implications of these three different approaches for children's learning are discussed. IntroductionAccounts of children's learning generally indicate a preference for exploration as the mechanism of learning. A clear example of this is Piagetian theory. In contrast, more recent theoretical accounts of children's learning have increasingly emphasised and empirically shown how participation in different kinds of conversations is decisive for the child's learning. Through implication, this latter view ascribes important roles to other participants in the child's everyday life, including other children and, most importantly, the teacher. For example, as shown by Sylva and her colleagues in the Effective provision of pre-school education (EPPE) project (Sylva et al. 2010; cf. Siraj-Blatchford and Manni 2008), providing good learning opportunities for children in early childhood education involves 'sustained shared thinking' (SirajBlatchford 2007). This concept denotes that interlocutors (in this context, typically a teacher and a child) are engaged over a prolonged time in a mutual task, such as telling a story together. Rather than simply emphasising that other people and communication are important to the child's learning, recent research has made clear that the nature of this communication is decisive. In other words, how the teacher and child communicate about a phenomenon is of vital importance to the child's emerging understanding of that phenomenon (e.g.

Curious children and knowledgeable adults – early childhood student-teachers’ species identification skills and their views on the importance of species knowledge

“…However, several Norwegian researchers have identified a need for more critical reflection on the pedagogical content of the time spent outside and question if simply being outdoors in itself is sufficient to meet the objectives in the curriculum concerning outdoor play and exploration (Kaarby & Tandberg, 2017;Moser & Martinsen, 2010;Skarstein, Berrefjord Ugelstad, & Grøsvik, 2018). Matters of concern have also been raised by Swedish researchers on early childhood (EC) teachers' abilities to recognise and fully facilitate the learning possibilities available outdoors, and particularly regarding the manners in which the teachers communicate with children about nature (Gustavsson & Pramling, 2014;Thulin, 2006;Thulin & Pramling, 2009). Gustavsson and Pramling (2014) point out that on nature excursions it seems that children are often left to make their own experiences and discoveries, although children also need assistance in order to notice different phenomena when learning about nature.…”

“…Matters of concern have also been raised by Swedish researchers on early childhood (EC) teachers' abilities to recognise and fully facilitate the learning possibilities available outdoors, and particularly regarding the manners in which the teachers communicate with children about nature (Gustavsson & Pramling, 2014;Thulin, 2006;Thulin & Pramling, 2009). Gustavsson and Pramling (2014) point out that on nature excursions it seems that children are often left to make their own experiences and discoveries, although children also need assistance in order to notice different phenomena when learning about nature. Furthermore, a study by Thulin (2006) showed that children's questions about nature were often answered by a counter question from the EC teacher or were simply left unnoticed.…”

Lärares uppfattningar av undervisning och naturvetenskap som innehåll i förskolans verksamhet

“…(2009) tecken på en förskola med hög kvalitet. Lärares emellanåt förgivettagna förhållningssätt när det gäller barns tidigare erfarenheter kan försvåra barns lärande då läraren i kommunikation kring ett innehåll utgår från ett antagande om att barnet och läraren har samma tidigare erfarenhet istället för att försöka möta barnen utifrån hur de uppfattar innehållet (Gustavsson & Pramling, 2014).…”

“…Detta val har sin bakgrund i tidigare studier som fokuserat naturvetenskap i förskolan (Se t.ex. Fleer, 2009;Gustavsson & Pramling, 2014;Thulin, 2011). Dessa studier visar att förskollära-res inställning till sitt uppdrag i hög grad kommer att prägla de ramar för innehållets behandling och barns lärande som upprättas på den enskilda förskolan (Jfr.…”

Quality of Kindergarten Teacher Training in regard to Science: a Joint Nordic Approach

“…Tanken er at antropomorfe uttrykksmåter gjør den naturvitenskaplige dialogen til lek og mer spennende for barna, selv om det er vist at barn som stiller naturvitenskapelige spørsmål ofte forventer naturvitenskapelige svar (Thulin, 2011). Det er også vist at barn som møtes med gode naturvitenskapelige forklaringer kan holde interessen mot fenomenet lenger enn de som møtes av antropomorfe uttrykksmåter (Gustavsson & Pramling, 2013). En mulig forklaring på bruk av antropomorfisering er mangel på faglig kunnskap, og at de er redd for at barnehagen blir for lik skolen (Thulin, 2011), men også barnehagelaerere med solid faglig bakgrunn kan bruke antropomorfe uttrykk (Gustavsson & Pramling, 2013).…”