Young children’s imagination in science education and education for sustainability

This article deals with children’s ability to use already established notions of the world when investigating a problem, situated in cultural and social practices. The aim of this article was to investigate the notions the children create based on their knowledge about and understanding of reality (imaginative blends). The researchers approach imagination as a situated, open, and unscripted act that emerges within transactions. The study had three research questions:

1. What types of experience do the children use when new notions about the world arise?
2. How do these notions change when the children involve themselves in them?
3. In what ways do children’s imaginations work in relation to their understanding of sustainability-related problems?

The analysis indicated that the notions created by the children played a significant role when children provide different solutions which may be useful in the future regarding sustainability-related problems. If the purpose of an educational experience in some way supports children’s imaginative flow, then practicing an open, listening approach becomes vital.  Thus, by encouraging children to explore their concerns and questions related to sustainability issues more thoroughly, without recommendations or suggestions from adults, the process of imagination might flourish.

The data collection was based on a pragmatic and action-oriented approach where the children’s exploration was the focus. The data was retrieved from a larger study, of which this article focused on 9.5 hours of video recording from one kindergarten. In addition, the researchers collected documentation of the children’s drawings, pedagogical documents and field notes from this section. The participants in the study were 20 kindergarten children and 3 kindergarten teachers at a pre-school in Sweden.

Caiman, C. & Lundegård, I. (2018). «Young children’s imagination in science education and education for sustainability». Cultural Studies of Science Education, 13(3):687-705.