Preparing children for success: integrating science, math, and technology in early childhood classroom Academic Article uri icon

Abstract

  • The purpose of the present study was to study if purposeful math, science, and
    technology curriculum projects and activities would support Pre-K children’s
    performance in these subject matter areas. In this study, 58 Pre-K children from
    4 Pre-K classrooms in a public Pre-K programme in North Carolina participated.
    Through a quasi-experimental, pre–post intervention design, two experimental
    classrooms were involved in science curriculum projects that integrated
    meaningful math and technology content. The curriculum projects revolved
    around the principles of scientific inquiry process (e.g. engage, investigate,
    discover, and review). The experimental group classrooms were supported
    through periodic professional development sessions for teachers and materials to
    implement more hands-on activities. Results showed that the experimental group
    children made a significant improvement in their math skills compared to those
    in the control group. The children’s awareness and interest in science-related
    subjects as well as technology use such as ‘Googling’ to search or educational
    software games increased as the study progressed.
    Keywords: science; math; technology; pre-kindergarten

Publication Date

  • 2015-01-01