Abstract:

Teaching and learning involve much more than just providing theoretical knowledge. Teaching and learning Science involve, as well, more than just providing theoretical knowledge and activities of experimentation. Knowing the learners’ characteristics and interests, considering the spatial and material conditions where the scientific activities take place, and understanding Science from a plural and complex perspective (rather than from a reductionist and monolithic position) are also central to be able to offer a rich Science learning experience. These issues will be presented and examined in order to see how, when dealing with scientific education it is also important to take into account not only the adult’s role and scientific knowledge but also the adult’s conception about the children’s own potential and competence to carry on experiments and discoveries by themselves as intelligent individuals. It requires as well an awareness of the children’s use of space and of their tendency towards social interactions, so to better introduce and manage space and materials before, during and after the activity. To exemplify these ideas a recently created space, named Lab 0_6: Centre for Discovery, Research and Documentation Centre for the Scientific Education in Early Childhood, together with the enquiry-based proposals that can be found in it, will, be presented and analysed in detail, so to better understand spaces for science education addressed to children from 0-6 years old. Regarding some of the discussions concerning science and education, the Lab 0_6 was created as a space where procedures relevant to scientific practices, like experimentation proposals or proposals addressed to the observation and classification of natural phenomena, are introduced to children so to allow them a process of enquiry by means of play and free-interaction. The space has been designed taking into account the age specificities of children and their cognitive, emotional and motor processes. Yet, while a space designed for science ought to take into account a number of aspects concerning scientific practices and Pedagogical Theories, it cannot be once and for all designed without undergoing further changes. This is because teaching science implies also constantly investigating and discussing how science occurs (or ought to occur) and how scientific procedures, contents and attitudes ought to be presented to children at a specific age after previous results are obtained. For this reason the Lab 0_6 space, and its enquiry-based proposals will also be analysed in order to discuss to what extent they can be used as a blueprint for other spaces addressed to Scientific education.

Keywords:

Scientific education, enquiry-based proposals, play, STEM education, space, early childhood education.