ERIC Number: EJ1217650
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014-Aug
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2407-9898
EISSN: N/A
Discovering the Worlds of Life Sciences, Objects and Material in Nursery Schools: Teaching Practices and Training Proposals
Charles, Frédéric
Athens Journal of Education, v1 n3 p223-235 Aug 2014
In French nursery schools ("l'école maternelle française"), primary school teachers take charge of the content organised into teaching areas of activities. The prescribed teaching activity "Discovering the world of life sciences, objects and material" refers to biology, physical sciences, chemistry and technology. The children's learning path concerning these worlds represents the early stages of the curriculum. Many research studied these children's learning (e.g. Bisault, 2005; Fleer, 1996; Ravanis & al., 2013). This paper focuses on teachers and aims at describing and analysing the implementation of the practices of this early childhood education. In a curriculum perspective (Dillon, 2009; Martinand, 2003; Ross, 2000), an inquiry about the practices reported both in teachers' logs and questionnaires, reveals the contents, activities and issues associated with these educational experiences. The results show biology is privileged and preferred to technology by the teachers. The research indicates an interrelated scientific and technological curriculum and a science and technology mostly found, in what I called, "compositional schemes". The discovery of this world, through these compositional schemes, takes various positions according to the priorities assigned by the teachers. The research at last allows me to discuss the professional training of preschool teachers in order to improve the teaching practices in science and technology.
Descriptors: Preschools, Teaching Methods, Preschool Teachers, Curriculum Implementation, Foreign Countries, Teacher Attitudes, Instructional Improvement, Science Instruction, Technology Education, Biology, Physical Sciences, Chemistry, Intellectual Disciplines, Interdisciplinary Approach, Diaries, Young Children, Discovery Learning, Intellectual Development, Masters Degrees, Teacher Qualifications, Faculty Development
Athens Institute for Education & Research. 8 Valaoritou Street, Kolonaki, Athens 10671, Greece. e-mail: education@atiner.gr; Web site: https://www.athensjournals.gr/aje
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Preschool Education; Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: France
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A