Structured Abstract
Setting
Sample
Research design and methods
Control condition
Key measures
Data analytic strategy
People and institutions involved
IES program contact(s)
Products and publications
Journal article, monograph, or newsletter
Mantzicopoulos, P., and Patrick, H. (2010). The Seesaw is a Machine That Goes Up and Down: Young Children's Narrative Responses to Science-Related Informational Text. Early Education and Development, 21(3): 412-444.
Mantzicopoulos, P., and Patrick, H. (2011). Reading Picture Books and Learning Science: Engaging Young Children With Informational Text. Theory into Practice, 50(4): 269-276.
Mantzicopoulos, P., Patrick, H., and Samarapungavan, A. (2008). Young Children's Motivational Beliefs About Learning Science. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 23(3): 378-394.
Mantzicopoulos, P., Patrick, H., and Samarapungavan, A. (2013). Science Literacy in School and Home Contexts: Kindergarteners' Science Achievement and Motivation. Cognition and Instruction, 31(1): 62-119.
Mantzicopoulos, P., Samarapungavan, A., and Patrick, H. (2009). We Learn how to Predict and be a Scientist: Early Science Experiences and Kindergarten Children's Social Meanings About Science. Cognition and Instruction, 27(4): 312-369.
Patrick, H., Mantzicopoulos, P., and Samarapungavan, A. (2009). Motivation for Learning Science in Kindergarten: Is There a Gender Gap and Does Integrated Inquiry and Literacy Instruction Make a Difference?. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 46(2): 166-191.
Patrick, H., Mantzicopoulos, P., and Samarapungavan, A. (2009). Reading, Writing, and Conducting Inquiry About Science in Kindergarten. Young Children, 64(6): 32-38.
Patrick, H., Mantzicopoulos, P., Samarapungavan, A., and French, B.F. (2008). Patterns of Young Children's Motivation for Science and Teacher-Child Relationships. Journal of Experimental Education, 76(2): 121-144.
Samarapungavan, A., Mantzicopoulos, P., and Patrick, H. (2008). Learning Science Through Inquiry in Kindergarten. Science Education, 92: 868-908.
Samarapungavan, A., Mantzicopoulos, P., Patrick, H., and French, B.F. (2009). The Development and Validation of the Science Learning Assessment (SLA): A Measure of Kindergarten Science Learning. Journal of Advanced Academics, 20(3): 502-535.
Samarapungavan, A., Patrick, H., and Mantzicopoulos, P. (2011). What Kindergarten Students Learn in Inquiry-Based Science Classrooms. Cognition and Instruction, 29(4): 416-470.
Supplemental information
Co-Principal Investigators: Helen Patrick and Ala Samarapungavan
By fourth grade, students from minority and economically disadvantaged backgrounds lag behind white, middle-class students in science achievement on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. This research team seeks to develop a preschool science curriculum that would better prepare young children for later science learning. They are creating and pilot testing a comprehensive instructional program designed to enhance preschool and kindergarten children's early scientific literacy.
In Year 2, the researchers will conduct a small experimental study to test the pilot version of the intervention. 12 kindergarten teachers will be randomly assigned to the intervention condition, and equal numbers to the comparison condition. Those classrooms selected to implement the SLP curriculum will serve as pilot sites in Year 2 and as implementation sites in Year 3.
In Year 3, the researchers will evaluate the Science Literacy intervention and conduct research activities in the classrooms of the 24 teachers (12 SLP and 12 comparison) who participated in the pilot phase of this project. Fidelity of implementation will be assessed through (a) classroom observations and (b) analysis of weekly videotapes of classroom activities. Fidelity of implementation for the home component will be tracked by means of (a) bi-weekly checklists from parents noting activities completed for each assignment and (b) analysis of three videotaped sessions of story-book reading.
Questions about this project?
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