The teaching of Natural Sciences in kindergarten based on the principles of STEM and STEAM approach

Abstract

Across all levels of education, Natural Sciences is a scientific field that is gaining considerable research interest. However, in recent years a growing interest in the introduction of Science in Preschool Education can be seen among scientists, as they realize that the children’s first experiences will be the cornerstone of the relationship they are going to develop with this scientific field in the future. It is accepted that children approach and understand the new knowledge taught in the classroom in the context of what they already know. Their pre-existing beliefs and experiential knowledge are the foundations upon which the new concepts will be merged. Based on these perceptions, children approach, "decode," and understand new knowledge through the interaction of the two cognitive systems, the pre-existing and the taught new enriched cognitive patterns. The kindergarten environment cannot remain isolated and uninfluenced by the developments in a constantly changing world. The goal of Kindergarten is to properly prepare its students to become active citizens of their country by helping them get all the necessary skills. In this way, the STEM and STEAM approach seems to be progressively gaining ground in Preschool Education. Various researchers emphasize the importance and positive outcomes of implementing a STEM education program in Kindergarten, as children can acquire at an early age all the necessary resources that will play a decisive role in their later life. According to the above, this study is a literature and article review with its primary purpose to verify the above assumptions. More specifically, this article showcases the importance of teaching Science in Preschool Education and its practicability at this age group. There is also a presentation of the holistic educational STEAM approach. The main goal of this presentation is to emphasize the contribution of this educational approach towards a more effective teaching of Science in Kindergarten and in-depth learning and understanding of natural concepts by preschoolers.

Application of Augmented Reality in Teaching and Learning in Engineering Programs

“…En ambos hubo satisfacción por parte de los estudiantes y cambios de mentalidad de sus autoridades. Además, los autores [20], [21] realizaron sus estudios de una forma experimental teniendo 2 grupos en estudio, uno de control y el otro experimental, a diferencia del trabajo de investigación no fue experimental, pero en ambos estudios la finalidad es mejorar el proceso de la enseñanza aprendizaje mediante uso de tecnologías emergentes como la AR.…”

“…On the other hand, the authors [20], [21] emphasize the contribution of pedagogy to more effective science teaching in preschool children and to learning and understanding through digital programs. Therefore, they intend to develop an intervention program to test whether technological tools improve learning in preschool children.…”

Marine plastic pollution in kindergarten as a means of engaging toddlers with STEM education and educational robotics

“…Considering the failure of the traditional teaching of the separate subjects of science, mathematics and technology, the new approach, known as STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) (Kastriti et al, 2022;Strataki, 2022), also attempts to introduce these concepts from an early age. The STEM approach is defined as a total of the following (National Academy of Engineering and National Research Council, 2009):…”

The use of the mobile application Actionbound in the teaching of local history

“…Prensky (2001) asserts that gamebased learning develops skills while at the same time incentivizing and entertaining learners (Papadakis et al, 2020). Nevertheless, he notes differences between "digital natives" and "digital immigrants" in how they learn, play, communicate, work and form communities (Kastriti et al, 2022;Papadakis, 2020). In terms of education, gamification increases student engagement and engagement by adding game elements to learning teaching, making it more engaging (Simões & Redondo, 2013).…”