Teresa Zamalloa

Microorganisms are ubiquitous and play a fundamental role in sustaining life and maintaining the functioning of humans, ecosystems, and the planet. They contribute to food production, biotechnology...

Several studies demonstrate the importance of science education in early childhood. By using scientific practices in class, children can better comprehend the world around them, test hypotheses and develop positive attitudes towards science. These early experiences not only build a solid foundation for understanding abstract and concepts but also prepare children for continued learning in primary, secondary, and high school, ultimately supporting their success in higher education. The present study aims to study how an inquiry teaching sequence promotes the incorporation of scientific practices in early childhood education students and to what extent the teacher’s questions mobilises the children’s scientific operations and scientific practices in the context of a project about rain. The dialogues between the teacher and 3-year-old children during an inquiry session were analysed. The results show that scientific practices were present through all the Stages of the sequence, especially inquiry and argumentation. Moreover, the type of scientific practice shown by the children corresponded with the scientific practice the teacher tried to encourage. Therefore, we can conclude that 3-year-old children are able to engage in scientific practices and that the teacher’s scaffolding has a direct impact on it.

The human nutrition model is one of the most relevant models in Biology, but its understanding presents challenges. For this reason, educators recommend that students engage in modeling practices that include the representation of the model. It has been shown that the level at which a model is expressed is influenced by the context in which that representation is framed. However, it has not yet been thoroughly investigated how performing contextualized representations throughout a modeling sequence contributes to model construction. This study examines what model of human nutrition future early childhood education teachers (FTs) develop when they participate in a modeling sequence that includes creating a phenomenon-contextualized physical model. The written explanations and final drawings of 47 FTs (Cohort 2) were compared with those of 32 FTs (Cohort 1) who had participated in the same sequence but without insisting on the contextualization of the physical models. In addition, the study analyzed how FTs in Cohort 2 incorporated the phenomenon when explaining their physical models. The FTs from Cohort 2 showed a more developed final nutrition model than those from Cohort 1. That is, placing the physical models in a phenomenon-oriented context facilitated a more complete final representation of the model. The phenomenon was primarily introduced during intermediate stages of the explanations, serving as a link between different processes and giving meaning to the whole explanation. El modelo de nutrición humana es uno de los más relevantes en Biología, pero su comprensión presenta dificultades. Es por ello que las y los educadores recomiendan que el alumnado desarrolle prácticas de modelización que incluyan la representación del modelo. Se ha demostrado que el nivel en el que se expresa un modelo está influenciado por el contexto en el que se enmarca dicha representación. Sin embargo, aún no se ha investigado en profundidad cómo ayuda a la construcción del modelo el realizar representaciones contextualizadas a lo largo de una secuencia de modelización. Este estudio examina qué modelo de nutrición humana desarrolla el futuro profesorado (FP) de Educación Infantil cuando participa en una secuencia de modelización que incluye la realización de una maqueta contextualizada en el fenómeno. Se compararon las explicaciones escritas y dibujos finales de 47 FPs (Cohorte 2) con los de 32 FPs (Cohorte 1) que habían participado en la misma secuencia, pero sin que se incidiera en la contextualización de las maquetas. Además, se analizó cómo los y las FPs de la Cohorte 2 incorporaron el fenómeno al explicar sus maquetas. El FP de la Cohorte 2 mostró un modelo final de nutrición más desarrollado que el FP de la Cohorte 1. Es decir, el situar las maquetas en un contexto orientado al fenómeno facilitó una representación final del modelo más completa. Dicho fenómeno fue introducido principalmente en momentos intermedios de las explicaciones, haciendo de enlace entre los distintos procesos y dando sentido a la parte de la explicación que se desarrollaba a continuación.

The aim of this article is to present an overview of the current state of the mathematical and scientific competences in Primary Education in Spain and how their development is assessed in STEAM experiences (with students of 6–12 years of age). To this end, a systematic review based on the PRISMA 2020 protocol was carried out in the Scopus, Web of Sciences, and Dialnet databases, analyzing all articles published from 1993 to 2022 relating to the subject. In total, 53 articles were selected, most published in the last five years and primarily in the Dialnet database. It was found that the majority of the targeted objectives in the experiences were related to STEAM competence, but only 14 evaluated aspects related to mathematical or scientific competence. The mathematical competence was evaluated by the measurement of geometry or number content and their corresponding operations and by how information data (statistics) are graphically represented. In a few cases, the evaluation is also related to computational thinking and orientation skills. In the case of scientific competence, its evaluation was mainly based on the assessment of the understanding of concepts, with those concepts being related to Physics in 80% of the cases. The only evaluated aspect of scientific competence other than concept understanding was hypothesis formulation, which was featured in two articles. These results highlight the need to systematically incorporate assessments that provide a clearer view of mathematical or scientific competence development in implementing STEAM experiences in primary education.

Driven by current educational policies and the community of science education researchers, inquiry-based science education (IBSE) poses a challenge for both in-service and pre-service teachers (PSTs). This research aims to explore, describe, and characterize PSTs’ perceptions of their preparedness to implement IBSE in primary school classrooms. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected through a questionnaire administered to 102 PSTs in two moments of their IBSE training at a university during their Primary Education degree. According to the findings, almost all PSTs demonstrated a strong willingness to implement IBSE in their future classrooms. However, these PSTs perceive their preparedness differently: some PSTs feel very prepared; some others only feel prepared if certain obstacles do not exist; there are PSTs who believe they lack knowledge on IBSE; some PSTs need more confidence; and some PSTs need all of the above (the least prepared). Additionally, it was found that some PSTs exhibit overconfidence. In conclusion, the data reveal diversity in preparedness for IBSE among PSTs, underscoring the importance of conducting this type of exploration to develop strategies that address the unique strengths and limitations of each PST.

The human nutrition model is relevant in Biology education. Researchers and policymakers propose the introduction of modelling practices in science education, including the representation of the model. Despite being scarce, previous studies have shown that the guideline given to students conditions their performance when representing their models. This study addresses how the context given to 79 preservice teachers (PSTs) in two cohorts at the end of a modelling sequence conditions the representations of the nutrition model constructed by them. The contexts were a child running and a lactose intolerant person. Written explanations and drawings of PSTs were analyzed according to the components-mechanisms-phenomena (CMP) framework. PSTs of both cohorts expressed a more developed nutrition model in a running context than in an intolerance context with respect to CMP aspects, which was shown by statistically significant differences. Therefore, the conclusion is that the context conditions the expression of the model. In this case, it was the context that appealed directly to the circulatory system and implied the use of energy, the one that led to a more complete representation of the human nutrition model. Keywords: evaluation context, preservice teachers, nutrition model, model representation

Currently, the world needs health-literate citizens who are able to make informed decisions about COVID-19 and other diseases. Here, we propose a COVID-19 roadmap consisting of four commented maps about infection, diagnosis, defense, treatment, and prevention. We built the maps based on those from the Atlas of Science Literacy following a qualitative methodology. Main ideas about health linked to COVID-19 and how they relate to each other can be visualized in the maps in an organized structure and according to K-levels. The maps are accompanied by a text that relates the health ideas to the COVID-19 disease. This tool can be used to promote health education and, ultimately, health literacy through the teaching and learning of COVID-19.