Fostering Scientific Thinking in Early Childhood
Description
This data presents the findings of a longitudinal comprehensive qualitative study that focuses on the formation and development of scientific thinking in children aged 5-9 years. The study introduces a unique and innovative extracurricular STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) intervention program designed to cultivate various components of scientific thinking. These components include the ability to ask questions, conduct research, formulate hypotheses, design experiments, analyze data, and draw conclusions. The Formation and Development Program spanned a period of 240 weeks and involved 37 participants in the experimental group and 35 participants in the control group, all aged 5 to 9 years. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected to assess the effectiveness of the program. The study employed a formative experiment to evaluate the impact of the intervention on the development of scientific thinking in children. The analysis of scientific thinking components led to the identification of criteria, indicators, and assessment methods that provide valuable insights for educators and practitioners seeking to enhance the development of scientific thinking in children through experiential learning approaches. The study contributes to the field by presenting a comprehensive evaluation framework and highlighting the importance of integrating STEAM education and experiential learning to foster scientific thinking in young learners. The findings of this study have implications for educators, policymakers, and researchers interested in promoting scientific thinking skills and enhancing STEM education in early childhood.