Mesut SAÇKES, L. Randy BELL, Kathy Cabe TRUNDLE

Science learning experiences in kindergarten and children’s growth in science performance in elementary grades

Bu çalışmanın amacı, anaokulunda verilen erken bilim eğitimi deneyimlerinin, çocukların ilköğretim yıllarında fen bilgisi alanında gösterdiği performansın gelişmesi üzerindeki etkisini incelemektir. Bu çalışmada Erken Çocukluk Boylamsal Araştırması – Anaokulu (ECLS-K) verileri kullanılmıştır. Fırsat-Eğilim Modellemesi kullanılarak araştırma değişkenleri arasındaki ilişkiler kuramsal olarak modellenmiş ve bu model Gizil Büyüme Eğrisi Analizi ile test edilmiştir. Sonuçlar, öncül değişkenlerin (cinsiyet ve SED) ve eğilim (yetenek ve motivasyon) değişkenlerinin çocukların fen bilgisi performanslarının anlamlı yordayıcıları olduğunu göstermiştir. Bununla beraber, anaokulunda sağlanan bilim öğrenme fırsatlarının, çocukların üç ile sekizinci sınıflar arasında fen bilgisi dersinde gösterdikleri performanstaki gelişmenin anlamlı yordayıcıları olmadığı bulunmuştur.

Anaokulunda sağlanan bilim öğrenme deneyimlerinin çocukların ilköğretim fen bilgisi derslerindeki performanslarına etkisi

The present study aims to examine the influence of early science experiences in kindergarten on children’s growth in science performance in elementary grades. The data for this study came from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Kindergarten cohort (ECLS-K). A model illustrating the relationships between the early learning experiences and later academic performance in science was developed using the opportunity-propensity framework and the model was tested using the latent growth curve modeling technique. Results indicated that the antecedent (gender and socio economic status) and propensity (aptitude and motivation) variables predicted children’s science performance. However, the science learning opportunities in kindergarten did not predict children’s growth in science performance from third grade to eighth grade.

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