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Questioning Strategies in the Early Years Science

Activity and Discourse

Diane Harris

PhD Research Plan

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Requirements of the DfES

• The ‘Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage’ was introduced in September 2000 and became a statutory requirement on 27th July 2002.

• It applies to children aged 3 to 5 years old who may be in a range of settings: nursery, pre-school, playgroup, reception class, with a child minder or at home.

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The Foundation Stage document identifies six areas of learning:

• Personal, social and emotional development

• Communication, language and literacy

• Mathematical development

• Knowledge and understanding of the world

• Physical development

• Creative development

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Each area of learning has its own Early Learning Goals

Knowledge and understanding of the world includes four early learning goals which relate to science under the heading of

‘Exploration and Investigation’

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Exploration and Investigation

1 Investigate objects and materials by using all of the senses as appropriate.

2 Find out about, and identify, some features of living things, objects and events they observe.

3 Look closely at similarities, differences, patterns and change.

4 Ask questions about why things happen and how things work.

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Reasons for the Research • I teach trainee primary school teachers to teach

science and, based on the science literature

available, I have to advocate the use of open-

ended questions.

• To gain experience of working with the new

‘Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage’,

I worked as a volunteer in a nursery during the

summer of 2001.

• Many of the children there appeared confused by

open-ended questions.

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What could be causing the problem?The vocabulary

and grammar used by theteacher and understood

by the child.

The maturity of thechildren’s language

generally.

It might be my fault–the way I am asking

the questions.

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Or is it……..

Open-ended questions?

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Psychologists and Questioning Strategies

“….relying on open-ended interviews, as has been done in Piagetian studies of causality, would have run the risk of seriously under-representing children’s competencies.” Springer and Keil (1991, p. 768)

Their preferred questioning strategy with 4 to 7-

year-olds is to offer the children choices.

Springer, K. and Keil, F. (1991) Early differentiation of causal mechanisms appropriate to biological

and non-biological kinds. Child Development, 62, 767-781.

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Scientists and Questioning Strategies

• The SPACE Research of 1987 to 1992 recommended that teachers should ask open and person-centred questions.

• Subsequently, many authors of books concerning the teaching of science in primary schools have also recommended the use of open and person-centred questions.

• The ‘Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage’ (2000) advocates the use of open questions.

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Terminology

Closed Questions can be answered with:• a single word or short phrase• either ‘yes’ or ‘no’

Example: Are all the snails the same size?

Open Questions require the child to:• think and reflect• provide opinions and feelings• give longer answers

Example: How are the snails different?

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Person-Centred Questions ask for the child’s opinion:

Example: Why do you think your bean grew more quickly than the one in the cupboard?

Subject-Centred Questions ask for a specific answer:

Example: Why did this bean grow more quickly than the one in the cupboard?

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Suggestions for QuestionsOpen person-centred questions:• What can you see here?• Can you find a way to….?• Why would you go there?Open subject-centred questions:• How can we….?• What would happen here if….?• What else can we try?

Taken from the ‘Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage’

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Research Questions 1. What qualitatively different questioning

strategies do early years’ practitioners use when interacting with early years’ children in 'science' activities?

2. Are there preferred questioning styles with early years’ children that might be

distinguished from later stages? 3. What are the effects of these different

strategies on the teaching and learning of science?

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Research MethodsResearch Question 1 Research Question 2

MethodSurvey

MethodSurvey

Data to be collectedTypes of questions used in

both science and non-science activities

Data to be collectedTypes of questions used

with different ages of children in both science

and non-science activities

AnalysisANOVA

AnalysisANOVA

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Considerations

• What is science?

• Reliability

• Number of teachers

• Teacher background information

• Types of school

• Location of schools

• Ages of children

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Selecting the Year Groups

Tweenies FoundationPreschool Stage PreoperationalReceptionYear 1 Key Stage 1Year 2Year 3 ConcreteYear 4 Key Stage 2 Operational Year 5Year 6

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Research Question 3

MethodMultiple case study

Data to be collectedThe discourse itself

Observations, reflections, value/judgements

Other sources of evidence:

Documents, interviews, physical artefactsYin (1994) & Stake (1995)

AnalysisDiscourse analysis