Purpose
The study investigates how art activities can enrich the teaching of STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) in kindergarten. The research question is: How can children's participation in arts activities support kindergarten teachers' understanding of children's interests and knowledge in STEM education?
Result
The results show how different aspects of children's participation in play and creative activities related to art can develop and inspire kindergarten teachers' teaching knowledge in mathematics and science. Keeping track of the children and what they do in the art activities can also influence the teachers' knowledge and choice of teaching content and methods.
Design
The study included two forms of data collection: an online survey involving 300 kindergarten teachers and follow-up interviews with ten kindergarten teachers in different Swedish municipalities.
References
Magnusson, L. O., & Bäckman, K. (2021). “What is the capacity of A in the contexts of STEM?” Early years. DOI: 10.1080/09575146.2021.1914557
Financed by
Early Childhood Education research group at Gävle University, Sweden