| dc.description.abstract | Science is a process of finding our knowledge about ourselves and the world, through exploration and use of senses which help to develop and use scientific skills. It is a unique subject that enhances positive attitudes in the face of reliable evidence, through thinking in a clear logical way, formulating concepts, identifying problems and solving problems. In this view, there has been a lot of emphasis for an instructional shift from authoritarian, strict, preordained knowledge approaches of science, to those that allow numerous and endless opportunities for practical exploration of the environment, through self selected activities for instance experimentation, observation, prediction, self discovery and exploration.
Such opportunities have been echoed in teaching of the modem science as they help in transforming the minds thoughts, feelings, desires, wishes and aspirations making up the life of a learner in a preschool classroom enjoyable and meaningful. Based on this realization and also that approaches of traditional education are too irrelevant in delivering science skills and are not enough in satisfying learners' natural curiosity, discovery learning (DL) has been identified as one reliable approach for learners' of the twenty first century.
DL provides opportunities for meaningful construction of knowledge, recognizes learners' needs and helps develop life long science skills. Surprisingly, a great number of preschool children are still predominantly instructed using expository approaches; work with inadequate learning resources within poorly organized classroom environment in which learners' differences and styles are uncared for. This has been established to inhibit their participation in science activities.
It is against this background, that the study sought to establish the extent to which choice of DL as an approach to science learning, affects learner participation (LP) in science in early childhood classrooms. Guided by five objectives and five research questions, the study adopted a descriptive survey research design due to its ability to elicit diverse information and wide responses. Data collection items were constructed, pilot tested in three preschools targeting, heads of schools and teachers. This preceded administration of tools and a reconnaissance visit to seek rapport with respondents.
Thereafter, with the use of two tools, a questionnaire and an observation checklist, data collection went on for about three months where inferences were made without manipulating variables, after coding and thematically grouping coherent information. From a population of 15 preschools, 15 head teachers and 33 teachers were randomly sampled to respond to the study. All respondents were found to be having requisite basic education and training where 90% had certificate and diploma qualification in Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE).
However, massive numbers of teachers were found to possess poor perception as far as DSL activities are concerned. This was identified as a limitation on their choice of learning activities because of inadequate skills, knowledge and low opinion of this approach for good science classroom management. On the other hand, learners who were handled by diploma holders were well taken care of in terms of choice of learning approaches, provision of learning resources and appropriate learning environment. Poor choice of instructions was found to be attributed to lack of adequate skills, knowledge and creativity in resource management among others.
In a bid to improve LP in science activities in ECE classrooms, the study recommended that Ministry of Education and KESI to empower preschool teachers and give comprehensive guidance on prioritizing science learning through Discovery Science Learning (DSL) activities. Expansion of resource allocation to enhance capacities of preschool teachers as well as employing more skilled QASOs to monitor science learning was also suggested to be some of the government priorities. | en_US |
