But is it science?

Watts, Mike and Salehjee, Saima and Essex, Jane (2017) But is it science? Early Child Development and Care, 187 (2). pp. 274-283. ISSN 0300-4430 (https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2016.1237566)

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Abstract

Early years science education is not science, but a curricular construction designed to induct young children into a range of ideas and practices related to the natural world. While inquiry-based learning is an important approach to this, it is not of itself unique to science and there are a range of logico-mathematical constructions that come closer to the essence of science. In this paper we discuss just three: empirical question-asking, transgressive play, and good thinking. The challenge, of course is to induct early years practitioners to a different way of shaping early science.

ORCID iDs

Watts, Mike, Salehjee, Saima and Essex, Jane ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9938-8134;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)