June 7, 2005

Purdue wins $1.5 million grant to study early science learning

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University's College of Education will receive $1.5 million from the U.S. Department of Education to test strategies on how parents and teachers can help children better prepare to learn science.

The three-year program, which will begin Aug. 1, will examine science learning among central Indiana students within the context of family and school experiences. Participants in the study will be children from public school kindergartens and Head Start programs, teachers and parents.

The researchers are Youli Mantzicopoulos, professor of educational studies; Helen Patrick, assistant professor of educational psychology and Ala Samarapungavan, associate professor of educational psychology.

"There is a critical need for research that examines how family income, language and interaction influence the educational path a child will take," said George Hynd, dean of the College of Education. "By encouraging parents to participate in discussions with their children about science, we believe students will get a better start and be more competitive in today's world."

The researchers will collaborate with teachers and families to create a developmentally appropriate, integrated, standards-based curriculum that promotes scientific literacy through:

• In-class inquiry activities that allow children to explore big ideas in science by asking questions and making initial predictions, observing and recording findings and summarizing results and drawing conclusions from what was learned;

• Parents and children reading books at home to reinforce school science curriculum;

• Encouraging teachers and parents to discuss science with children in ways that support learning.

"Young children's everyday interactions with adults, both teachers and family members, have a profound effect on conceptual development in all areas of learning," Mantzicopoulos said. "However, science typically receives little attention at home and school during the early school years. Also, teachers of K-2 students receive less preparation to teach science than other subjects, and as a consequence young children are often unprepared for later science learning."

"We’ve designed this curriculum to blend science and literacy," she said. "The project is an opportunity to link theory with practice by providing children with an integrated curriculum that fosters scientific inquiry and literacy skills, helps teachers and parents engage children in conversations about science, and stimulates children’s motivation to learn science."