Science in Early Childhood

Coral Campbell is Associate Professor in the School of Education at Deakin University. She has contributed significantly to the fields of science, education and educational research over three careers which span forty-six years. She is on the editorial board of the Journal of Emergent Science, and is the European Science Education Research Association's Early Childhood Science Special Interest Group Coordinator. In 2017, she received a Fellowship from the Association of Graduates of Early Childhood Studies to undertake a research project studying Science/STEM in early childhood. With a sustained interest in early childhood science education, Coral's research focus is on young children's learning in science and teacher professional learning which is reflected in her current projects. Wendy Jobling is a Lecturer at Deakin University's Burwood Campus in Victoria. Prior to joining Deakin, she taught for more than twenty years in Victorian primary schools. Her doctorate focused on the factors affecting the implementation of science and technology curricula in Victorian primary schools. Wendy has a long-held interest in teaching and learning in science and technologies education and has published extensively in these fields. Since joining Deakin, Wendy has taught undergraduate and postgraduate primary and early childhood teacher education students in science and technologies (design and digital) units. She has also been involved in research into early childhood science and technologies teaching and learning. Christine Howitt is an Associate Professor in Early Childhood and Primary Science Education at the Graduate School of Education at the University of Western Australia, Perth. Her research has focused on young children's science learning in informal contexts, and methodological and ethical approaches to including young children in research. Christine is co-editor of the science resource Planting the Seeds of Science, the product of a two-year nationally funded project to develop science resources for early childhood educators. She has been awarded various teaching excellence awards at the state and national level.

Part I. What Initial Information Should I Know to Teach Science?: 1. The place of science in the early years Coral Campbell and Christine Howitt; 2. Identifying the science in early childhood policy documentation Andrea Nolan; 3. Identifying the science in the Australian Curriculum documentation Kathryn Paige; 4. Learning theories related to early childhood science education Coral Campbell; Part II. How Can I Enhance Children's Learning of Science?: 5. Approaches to enhance science learning Coral Campbell; 6. Inquiry approaches to learning science Christine Howitt; 7. Teaching science inclusively Gemma Scarparolo; 8. Indigenous ways of knowing science Kate Chealuck and Coral Campbell; 9. Science learning through play Sandra Hesterman and Nicole Hunter; 10. Enhancing young children's science identity through pedagogical practice Elaine Blake and Christine Howitt; 11. STEM education in early childhood Christine Preston; Part III. How Can I Use the Learning Environment to Enhance Children's Science Understanding?: 12. Science learning in informal contexts Coral Campbell and Christine Howitt; 13. Learning science through the environment Chris Speldewinde and Coral Campbell; Part IV. How Do I Plan and Assess in Science?: 14. Planning for teaching science in the early years Christine Howitt and Wendy Jobling; 15. Intentional teaching of science Christine Howitt; 16. Observing, assessing and documenting science learning Coral Campbell; 17. Science education professional learning through reflective practice Christine Howitt and Coral Campbell.