How tablets and microscopes are reshaping science teaching in preschools
A new study of Swedish preschools reveals how digital tools like tablets and digital microscopes change the way teachers guide young children's scientific thinking. The findings matter for schools investing in classroom technology and for edtech companies designing tools for the youngest learners.
Originaltitel: Teachers' and children's engagement with science content through digital tools in preschool settings
<p><strong>Background:</strong> As digital tools become prevalent in preschool settings, more research is needed on how preschool teachers and children engage with science content through these tools.</p><p><strong>Purpose:</strong> This study aims to explore how preschool teachers and children interact when engaging with science content supported by digital tools during science activities. Guided by a sociocultural perspective, this study views science teaching and learning as a social practice that involves essential artefacts, such as digital tools, for interaction.</p><p><strong>Sample:</strong> The qualitative data consists of eight video-recorded science activities involving eight teachers and 22 children across three Swedish preschools where digital tools were used. The tools included smartphones, tablets, a digital microscope, projectors and digital resources such as films and applications.</p><p><strong>Design and Methods:</strong> Teachers developed science activities based on pedagogical considerations using content representation (CoRe). The use of CoRe supported teachers in articulating key ideas for teaching science content by prompting consideration of appropriate methods, tools and children’s learning needs. Science activities involving digital tools were then video-recorded and analysed.</p><p><strong>Results:</strong> Our findings show that teachers used digital tools to create learning environments for engagement, recreating and extending engagement, visualising abstract phenomena and facilitating communication about science content. Additionally, digital tools enable real-time engagement and support further learning by connecting previous experiences with new ones, thereby enabling sustainedengagement across contexts.</p><p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> Our findings confirm digital tools as significant mediators of science content and suggest further research on their role in supporting science teaching and learning in preschool science contexts.</p>