In the beginning of the study the personal attitudes of the kindergarten teachers in the following areas are questioned:
• Motivation
• Self-concept
• Didactic skills
• Effort to work hard, exercise patience
Design of the project
„Early promotion of science“
Kindergarten Teachers
Training Workshop
(at University/ Phänomenta) Practical implementation of
newly gained knowldge in
„KiTas“
Integration of ‚science-education‘ into everyday life
of the „KiTas“
Motivation Feedback
Reflexion
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• Interest in science & early promotion of it.
The special focus of the project always lays on the learning results of the children on the experimental stations. In the first step we had to concentrate on the development and proving of suitable interactive exhibits, which could fulfill the criteria of suitable interactive experimental stations, so a self-navigated and informal learning process is possible. We found that the
‚walkable bridge’ offered the ideal criteria. On this station we could monitor the behaviour of children at the exhibits through a video-study. The analysis and categorization of results was then done in the program ‚Videograph’.
Fig. 2: "The Walkable Bridge"
The children receive a basic construct on which the endpieces of the bridge are tightly assembled.
Then the children build the rest of the bridge (the middle part) out of seven remaining, different shaped bridge-pieces, whereas the pieces have to be assabled in a certain arrangement in order to probably built it. This ‚preliminary investigation’ shows the observation results of the behavioural patterns (“Depth of Learning” (Barriault, 1999)) of children on the ‚walkable bridge’
station. The observations of behavioural patterns are presented here in a “depth of learning”
visual.
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Fig.
Fig.
Fig.Fig. 3333:::: Design of Investigation
Fig.Fig.
Fig.Fig. 4444:::: Screen "Videograph"
Categorisation by
Categorisation by „Videograph“ „Videograph“
Suitable Interactive exhibits
(„Walkable Bridge“)
Self-directed Learning
Assessment tool:
„Learning Behaviours“
Evaluation of the framework:
Video study with
„Videograph“
Children in preschoolare learning at interactive
exhibits
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The programm „Videograph“ allows a category-based investigation of the observed behaviours.
The categories are defined in schema Abb.5. This method of ‚learning behaviours’ has been used and been further enhanced during the analysis of the children approaches towards experimental stations in the Phaenomenta.
My work (Schließmann 2005; 2006a) also established this method among the academic field of didactics and natural science in Germany. It was noticed that for the analysis, documentation and categorization the technique of video study was the most suitable. In my study I have as a starting point listed the essential behavioural patterns of children during the building process of the bridge and have then have allocated them to their level of ‚depth of learning’.
Fig.
Fig.
Fig.Fig. 5555: : : : Classification "Depth of Learning"
Results
As you can see in the diagram there is a very small percentage of negative reactions, sixty-four percent were categorized within the high categories two and three. A study of Rogge shows, that the negative reactions in experimental education in physics were twice as much negative reactions.
Categories
Categories of Operation of Operation assigned assigned to to
„Depth of Learning“
„Depth of Learning“
Category 0
Negative Reactions Turn away from exhibit C 0.2.
Leaving the experiment after a short time C 0.1.
Category 1
„Initiation Behaviours“
Look closely at the exhibit C 1.3.
Playing with the components C 1.2.
Watching others engaging in the acitvity C 1.1.
Category 2
„Transition Behaviours“
Load test with brace support C 2.2.
Constructing the bridge arch C 2.1.
Category 3
„Breakthrough Behaviours“
„Flow“
Creative solutions in constructing the bridge C 3.2.
Load test without brace support C 3.1.
Categories
Categories of Operation Depth of Learningof Operation Depth of Learning
81 Fig.
Fig.
Fig.
Fig. 6666: : : : Results investigation "Depth of Learning"
Now I’d like to give you an overview over the essential behavioural patterns observed at the
‚walkable bridge’ and their classification into the categories of depth of learning.
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Anteil Kategorie
Kind26 Kind212
Gruppe 28 Aktivitäten der Kinder
stört abgelenkt konzentriert gestaltend
Fig.
Fig.
Fig.Fig. 7777: : : Acivity of two children :
The degree of concentration with which the children worked on the station is shown in this graphs. It could often be seen that one children took a leading role in the process - however the children are still engaged in team work. More results in (Schließmann, 2006b; 2006c).
Interfering Distracted Fo F oc cu us se ed d
Active Percentage "Depth of Learning" (Groups)
25%
50%
14%
11%
Lerntiefe1 Lerntiefe2 Lerntiefe3 Ohne Erfolg Initiation Behaviour (C1)
Transition Behaviour (C2) Negative Behaviour (C0)
Breakthrough Behaviour (C3)
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Conclusion
The observation made in this study suggest the following results:
• the project seems to be able to achieve educational results among the group of preschool children and initiate a sustainable interest in natural science
• The informal learning at the interactive exhibits is appropriate to the hands-on explorative approach of the children to recognize the world
• The workshops were able to motivate and enthuse kindergarten teachers to work and experiment with natural science projects together with the children.
• the method of video study and the categorization into the different levels of “depth of learning” act as an essential basis for further studies about informal and interest navigated learning in kindergarten.
References
Barriault, C (1999): “The Science Center Learning Experience: A Visitor-Based Framework”. In: The Informal Learning Review 1999.
Schließmann, Fritz (2005): Informelles Lernen an interaktiven Chemie-Stationen im Science Center (Diss.). Shaker Verlag Aachen
Schließmann, Fritz (2006a): Lernen im Science Center? In: Mathematischer und Naturwissenschaftlicher Unterricht, Jahrgang 59, 2/2006, S. 110 - 116
Schließmann, Fritz (2006b): Wie arbeiten Vorschulkinder an interaktiven Experimentier – Stationen? Eine kategoriegeleitete Untersuchung der Verhaltensweisen an der Station
„Begehbare Brücke“. Als pdf unter http://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/volltexte/2006/6796/pdf/BerichtKita.pdf
Schließmann, Fritz (2006c): Die begehbare Brücke Was passiert an einer interaktiven Experimentierstation? In: Kindergarten heute, Heft 9/2006 S. 26-30.
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