Greek pre-service and in-service early childhood teachers’ beliefs about approaching and teaching Science in the early years

ELENI ZOTTI, GLYKERIA FRAGKIADAKI

Abstract

Many contemporary societies anticipate Science education to have a critical role in educational reality in early childhood settings. However, several studies have shown that a significant proportion of early childhood teachers, both pre-service and in-service, face a lack of confidence and competence in approaching and teaching Science. This study aims to give an insight into Greek early childhood teachers’ beliefs in Science as well as into the way their beliefs are formed during diverse phases of their career such as at the end of their academic studies and after gaining teaching experience. Fifty-four pre-service and thirty-two in-service early childhood teachers in Greece participated in the study. The analysis has shown an overall positive positioning towards approaching and teaching Science as well as a coherence between the self-reported beliefs of the two groups. Issues associated with the broader orientation of early childhood teachers’ academic and professional learning and development in Science teaching are discussed to inform policy.

Keywords

Pre-service and in-service early childhood teachers, professional learning and development, beliefs, early childhood education, early years, science, science pedagogy

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References

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.26220/mje.3402

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Mediterranean Journal of Education | ISSN: 2732-6489 |  Department of Educational Sciences and Early Childhood Education - University of Patras.

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