Children’s Creative Inquiry in STEM PDF
Preview Children’s Creative Inquiry in STEM
Sociocultural Explorations of Science Education 25 Karen Janette Murcia Coral Campbell Mathilda Marie Joubert Sinead Wilson Editors Children’s Creative Inquiry in STEM Sociocultural Explorations of Science Education Volume 25 Series Editors Catherine Milne, Steinhardt School of Education, New York University, New York, NY, USA Christina Siry, University of Luxembourg, Ossining, NY, USA The series is unique in focusing on the publication of scholarly works that employ social and cultural perspectives as foundations for research and other scholarly activities in the three fields implied in its title: science education, education, and social studies of science. The aim of the series is to promote transdisciplinary approaches to scholarship in science education that address important topics in the science education including the teaching and learning of science, social studies of science, public understanding of science, science/technology and human values, science and literacy, ecojustice and science, indigenous studies and science and the role of materiality in science and science education. Cultural Studies of Science Education, the book series explicitly aims at establishing such bridges and at building new communities at the interface of currently distinct discourses. In this way, the current almost exclusive focus on science education on school learning would be expanded becoming instead a focus on science education as a cultural, cross-age, cross-class, and cross- disciplinary phenomenon. The book series is conceived as a parallel to the journal Cultural Studies of Science Education, opening up avenues for publishing works that do not fit into the limited amount of space and topics that can be covered within the same text. Book proposals for this series may be submitted to the Publishing Editor: Claudia Acuna E-mail: [email protected] More information about this series at https://link.springer.com/bookseries/16729 Karen Janette Murcia • Coral Campbell Mathilda Marie Joubert • Sinead Wilson Editors Children’s Creative Inquiry in STEM Editors Karen Janette Murcia Coral Campbell Australian Research Council Centre of Deakin University Excellence for the Digital Child Geelong, VIC, Australia Curtin University Perth, WA, Australia Sinead Wilson Australian Research Council Centre of Mathilda Marie Joubert Excellence for the Digital Child Sheridan Institute of Higher Education Curtin University Perth, WA, Australia Perth, WA, Australia ISSN 2731-0248 ISSN 2731-0256 (electronic) Sociocultural Explorations of Science Education ISBN 978-3-030-94723-1 ISBN 978-3-030-94724-8 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-94724-8 © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. This Springer imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Switzerland AG The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland Preface Throughout this book, we present rich descriptions of applied research drawn from diverse learning contexts from across the world. As editors bringing the book together, we took the position that creativity is relevant in all aspects of life and is essential for adaptable and innovative thinking. We believe the importance of cre- ativity in children’s learning and development should be recognised, valued and nurtured. A common theme shared by all chapter authors was their unique way of seeing the creativity in children’s play and inquiry learning in STEM. Each of these authors reflect on their research and share their observations of children exploring everyday problems, seeking solutions and playfully imagining possibilities. Children were observed applying concepts from multiple STEM fields as they were thinking creatively, generating ideas, solving problems, finding alternative solutions or constructing a new and different insight. The pedagogical principles, applied practices and elements of quality learning environments provoking and supporting children’s creativity and STEM inquiry, surfaced in the chapters through the analy- sis and reporting of empirical research. We have positioned and developed our book through a socio-cultural construc- tivist lens which framed the meta-analysis and enabled a responsiveness to the broader international settings shared in each chapter. Authors used a range of cultur- ally influenced definitions, habits and frameworks of creativity for shaping their research designs and interpretations of children’s creative thinking and STEM inquiry. Through a socio-cultural constructivist philosophical lens, authors collec- tively critiqued literature and considered the questions “what is creativity?” and “how is creativity expressed and developed by young children?” The importance of creative learning and teaching was recognised as important for engaging children with quality learning opportunities. Yet this book goes further, promoting critical reflection and questioning about creative practices. In critiquing the research and editing the book, we questioned “who was doing the original thinking?” and “was the creative vision and voice of the child heard and given agency?” The thought leaders contributing to this book highlight both challenges and opportunities for developing children’s creativity. The book addresses these chal- lenges by placing children’s creative inquiry centre stage within STEM learning v vi Preface contexts. Together, the chapters provide a set of rich and diverse exemplars that capture the essence, characteristics and nuances of children’s creativity across mul- tifarious international learning settings. This book redresses the traditional imbal- ance of undervaluing children’s creativity in STEM learning by recognising that teachers’ values, design of STEM learning environments and pedagogical practices impact on children’s opportunities for creative thinking and doing. It is evident that children’s agency impacts on their ability to think creatively, and is in contrast with controlled learning experiences where children followed, replicated or were pro- ducing creative outcomes according to instructions. The authors contributing to the book highlight research into pedagogical practices in which creativity is positioned as a social, interactional and meaningful process. In conclusion, this book reinforces that the STEM disciplines are highly creative in nature and that children’s engagement is enhanced by embedding creative teach- ing into learning environments. The field of creativity has been advanced by filter- ing the contributions of STEM researchers through a range of creative practice frameworks and lenses. Ultimately, this work is a celebration of children’s creativity and educator ingenuity to nurture children’s creativity in widely diverse settings. In this fast-changing world, learning to think and act creatively, learning to generate novel solutions that have value to society, and learning to solve problems that haven’t yet been invented have become a basic human right that all children deserve. This book celebrates educators who are ready to deliver quality practices that meet this challenge. Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence Karen Murcia for the Digital Child, Curtin University Perth, WA, Australia Deakin University Coral Campbell Geelong, VIC, Australia Sheridan Institute of Higher Education Mathilda Joubert Perth, WA, Australia Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence Sinead Wilson for the Digital Child, Curtin University Perth, WA, Australia June 2021 Acknowledgements This book arose out of the European Science Education Research Association (ESERA) Conference (2019) where the Special Interest Group (SIG) in Early Childhood Science discussed the possibility of harnessing research on creativity in STEM. Many of the authors whose chapters form part of this book presented at this conference, and the invitation to contribute was sent to all ESERA SIG members. We acknowledge the role that this important SIG has played in the creation of the book – firstly by supporting the initial idea but also for offering SIG members an opportunity to contribute. This book includes chapters from others as well, as those ESERA contributors reached out to colleagues and research collaborators to recount their explorations of children’s creative STEM experiences. The conference, research networks and aca- demic partnerships brought together 38 collaborating authors from across the world. The authors include high-achieving academic researchers who have worked with their PhD students, teachers and other researchers. This dynamic mix of perspec- tives from universities, educational institutes and industries provides a wealth of research expertise and diverse experience that underpins each chapter. The editorial team commends the chapter authors who have been working and finalising their chapters throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We especially appre- ciate the resilience and persistence of our chapter authors, who despite experiencing lockdown restrictions, working from home (often combined with childcare and home-schooling) as well as looking after vulnerable loved ones have continued to edit and format their chapters and meet deadlines. We acknowledge and thank all authors. A book of this nature requires commitment and many hours of dedication from the editors, who have collaborated across institutions and the states of Western Australia and Victoria. The editors gratefully acknowledge the vital assistance of our editors’ assistant and copy-editor, Linda Jaunzems. Her attention to detail, organisational skills and deep experience of the editing process was instrumental to bringing this book to completion. We are also indebted to Springer for its editorial support and valuable advice and insight throughout the publishing process. vii viii Acknowledgements Finally, we would like to acknowledge and thank the anonymous peer referees who provided our chapter authors with valuable feedback. Their thoughtful com- ments and suggestions were much appreciated and contributed to ensuring a high- quality publication, underpinned by academic rigour. This book exists in the current form due to the dedicated efforts of the contribut- ing authors. We are grateful to you all. Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence Karen Murcia for the Digital Child, Curtin University Perth, WA, Australia Deakin University Coral Campbell Geelong, VIC, Australia Sheridan Institute of Higher Education Mathilda Joubert Perth, WA, Australia Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence Sinead Wilson for the Digital Child, Curtin University Perth, WA, Australia Endorsements Professor Susan Danby Centre Director Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child QUT, Brisbane, Australia Play, creativity, digital experiences, science, engineering and the outdoors – what do these all have in common? At the heart of early childhood education is the core understanding that children learn in a myriad of ways that cannot be arbitrarily separated. This outstanding collection of investigations advances innovative peda- gogy and curriculum for young children’s inquiry and learning in STEM. A highly readable book that is a must read for scholars, educators, and policy makers. Professor Susan Edwards Director Early Childhood Futures Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia A robust collection of enjoyable and rigorous research conducted by academics in genuine collaboration with children and educators. Provides rich new insights into the process of creativity and how this interfaces with STEM learning. An important book for researchers, graduate students and teachers alike. Russell Tytler Alfred Deakin Professor and Chair in Science Education Deakin University, Geelong, Australia This book represents a significant contribution to understanding children’s creativ- ity; how we frame it and how we can develop it. Full of fascinating case studies across diverse STEM settings globally, it will be a valuable resource for researchers, teachers, policy makers and parents. ix
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