A Starting Point: Provide Children Opportunities to Engage with Scientific Inquiry and Nature of Science

This paper explores the effect teachers’ participation in a targeted inquiry-based/nature of science (NoS) continuing professional development programme had on Irish primary children’s experiences of scientific inquiry and developing conceptions of NoS. Data were gathered from 459 children from 10 Dublin schools. The findings revealed that their teachers’ engagement with the targeted professional development programme had positive effects on the children’s experiences of scientific inquiry and on their developing NoS conceptions. It was apparent that professional development methodologies were effectively implemented throughout the school year. which led to a significant increase in these children’s engagement with more child-led inquiry-based approaches and a significant decrease in engagement with more teacher-led methodologies. Furthermore, engagement with the professional development methodologies resulted in the children developing more elaborate conceptions regarding ‘general aspects’ of NoS. The findings are significant in that that they add to the growing body of literature that asserts that pedagogy regarding ‘general aspects’ of NoS is an appropriate starting point in supporting the development of young children’s NoS conceptions. Furthermore, engagement with the programme methodologies during school science enabled the children to make sense of science in their everyday lives. Science education policy documents worldwide highlight the importance of scientific literacy and suggest that if students are to become scientifically literate it is essential that they develop their understanding about the processes of science and the type of knowledge science produces and have the ability to apply this scientific knowledge in every day contexts. The findings in this study are significant in that it is apparent that engagement with inquiry-based and NoS pedagogies appeared to have been a very good starting point in supporting the development of these young children’s scientific literacy skills.