Educational
Approach
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This series of short videos will prepare you for your upcoming Little Scientists workshop. They will also support you to implement inquiry-based STEM learning into your practice once you return to your setting. The videos include:
Video 1. Our Educational Pillars
Video 2. Our Educational Approach
Video 3. Our Workshop Values
If you’d prefer to read this information, a written transcript is included below each video.
▶️ Video 1: Our Educational Pillars
Inquiry-based learning, Metacognition, & Co-construction
Transcript
In this first video, we will explore the three educational pillars that underpin all Little Scientists’ workshops.
Inquiry-Based Learning
- Inquiry-based learning is an educational approach centered on children’s investigations and problem-solving. Inquiry-based learning is led by children’s excitement or interest, which in turn feeds their engagement.
- As children engage in hands-on and open-ended play, they make discoveries, for example, children might notice shadows in your outside space moving as morning turns to afternoon. These discoveries often prompt children to ask questions like “Where have the shadows gone?”, which can then form the starting point for further research and exploration.
- Inquiry-based learning is ideal for early STEM education as so many of children’s questions are STEM-related, for example “Why is it raining if the sun is still out?”.
- Take a moment to think about some of the questions children have asked you recently. Can you ‘Spot the STEM’?
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Co-constructed Environments
- A co-constructed environment embraces flexibility in the use of spaces, materials, and time to allow children to explore freely. Children should have ample opportunity to actively participate in hands-on activities and share ideas and discoveries with each other.
- In a co-constructed environment, educators create invitations for children to play and explore and foster a space where both children and adults learn and discover together.
- The role of the educator is to support children to develop their sense of “I can.” This means empowering children to share their ideas, lead their own experiments, and find answers to their own questions.
- Educators can ask children open-ended questions, provide prompts, facilitate the sharing of different ideas, and share observations to extend children’s thinking.
- It’s important for educators to be attuned to children’s needs and use intentional teaching strategies to ensure children are developing skills, dispositions, and learning outcomes appropriate to their developmental level.
- Simply put, in a co-constructed environment, educators explain less and inquire more.
Metacognition
- Metacognition is the act of learning about learning. It helps children become more aware of how they think and learn. When children use metacognition, they can better understand what they already know, what they still need to learn, and what strategies help them learn best.
- Metacognition helps to build children’s confidence and support them to become active, engaged, and lifelong learners.
- Reflective thinking is a key part of metacognition. It involves children looking back on their learning and recognising how their thinking has changed over time. Through guided reflection, children can notice when their ideas or understandings have shifted and sense of why and how this has occurred.
- Early childhood educators play a vital role in supporting children to develop metacognitive skills. A key starting point is recognising that all children bring their own knowledge, experiences, and cultural background to the table.
- When educators identify and build on children’s prior learning, they can create meaningful learning experiences that connect with each child’s world. This supports children to develop important dispositions for learning such as curiosity, confidence, and persistence, and to become effective communicators who express ideas and reflect on their thinking.
▶️ Video 2: Our Educational Approach
Transcript
Little Scientists’ educational approach aligns closely to the EYLF V2.0.
- Each child is an individual — they come with their own interests and ways of learning.
- Children are confident and involved learners — especially when given the opportunity to do so.
- Children have prior knowledge, competencies and experiences — we utilise these to support their learning as mentioned in our educational pillars video.
- Children’s interests are in the focus — learning is richer when it relates directly to children’s interests.
- Children participate in decision-making processes — as a result of co-constructing their environment, they are actively engaged in their community.
- Concepts are temporal and are constantly refined based on new learning — what we know now changes as we build our understanding and knowledge base.
- Adults’ genuine curiosity, wonder, and questioning are central — you are critical to children’s learning journey.
▶️ Video 3: Our Workshop Values
Transcript
Little Scientists workshops are aligned with our Educational Pillars and Educational Approach, which are explored in the first two videos. Workshops are a mix of theoretical and pedagogical deep dive, group discussion, and hands-on participation. All workshops are interactive and encourage your active participation from start to finish. Our 3 key workshop values are:
- Shape your learning: Many of our hands-on activities provide prompts or invitations to use materials. If any of these don’t speak to you, feel free to adapt the activities/resources to better suit you.
- We like buzzing! During the hands-on explorations, there are often several stations available. Tired of an activity? Want to try something else? Go for it. Buzz between stations as you like!
- 50/50 approach: The Little Scientists trainer and workshop participants should equally contribute to a constructive and positive workshop environment. We learn best by sharing ideas and knowledge with each other so please come prepared to be an active participant.