J E S The Journal of Emergent Science JES9 Summer 2015 J E Contents S Issue 9 Summer 2015 Editors: Jane Johnston Sue Dale Tunnicliffe Editorial contact: Jane Hanrott 3. Editorial [email protected] Cover Photo Courtesy of: 5. Contributing to JES Linda McGuigan & Terry Russell see page 34 8. News from the Primary Science Teaching Trust (PSTT) Publisher: Emergent Science Network c/o ASE, College Lane, Hatfield, Main Articles Herts, AL10 9AA, UK 10. Dr. Blasto: Five to six year­old students’ portrayal ©Emergent Science Network 2015 of a fictional science villain ISSN: 2046­4754 Michael­Anne Noble and Christine D. Tippett The Journal of Emergent 23. When is a cow not a cow? When 6­8 year­old children Science (JES) is published by draw a cow described in a story by another animal the Emergent Science Network and is supported by the Catherine Bruguière Association for Science Education (ASE). From issue 34. Using multimodal strategies to challenge early years 10 onwards, ASE will be the children’s essentialist beliefs publisher for this prestigious Linda McGuigan and Terry Russell journal, with the support of the Primary Science Teaching Trust (PSTT). 42. What’s inside an earthworm? The views of a class of English 7 year­old children From this issue onwards, Sue Dale Tunnicliffe this journal will be free to access for all. Our thanks go to 49. Notes and News our loyal subscribers, ASE members and sponsors for the support given to JES over the 51. Resource Review past eight issues. 53. About the ASE 54. The ASE 2016 Annual Conference J E Editorial S ■ Jane Johnston The future of JES: new horizons I began my research career at a very early age, consolidated my two interests of early years when I was a primary school child in Kent and was science and educational research, and I became part of the Nuffield Primary Science Project. This a Reader in Education. experience fuelled my interest in science and, later, as a newly qualified but unemployed primary However, I found it very difficult to be taken science specialist, my interest in research was seriously at science education research established when I worked as a researcher prior conferences, as my contributions were often to my first job as a classroom teacher. Even later, misunderstood, placed in sessions with papers on membership of the ASE Validation Board and astrophysics or similar, and eminent professors Research Committee and a move into HE even questioned whether young children could The Editor (centre) as part of the Nuffield Primary Science Project in the 1960s. Editorial JES9 Summer 2015 page 3 actually understand scientific concepts! Twenty (Jane Johnston), and were the copyright of the years after the introduction of the science National Emergent Science Network. The journal filled Curriculum in the UK, the situation for primary an existing gap in the national and international science research, let alone early years science market and complemented the ASE journal, research, was relatively unchanged, and so a group Primary Science, in that it focused on research of early years professionals grouped together to and the implications of research on practice and become the Emergent Science Network, to raise provision, reported on current research and the profile of early years science education, show provided reviews of research. how young children develop their scientific ideas, skills and attitudes and bust the myth that young It has been interesting to look at the themes, children cannot grapple with complex scientific countries involved and age ranges within the issues. Two important contributions of the Network early years covered in the articles in the first have been the establishment of an early years eight editions. There have been 25 full articles and strand within ESERA (the European Science 15 extended abstracts from both the ESERA and Education Research Association) and the launch the World Science conferences, from 14 countries, of the Journal of Emergent Science (JES). mainly UK and the rest of Europe, but also a few from North and South America and one each from JES was launched in early 2011 as a biannual Africa and Japan. The themes of the articles include e­journal; a joint venture between ASE and the mainly aspects of children’s understandings, Emergent Science Network and hosted on the ASE such as those about skeletons, misconceptions, website. It took the international definition of early insects, brine shrimps, magnetism, seeds/plants, years (that is, birth to 8 years of age) as its focus, the solar system, trees, drama, shadows and thus spanning key stages of development and metamorphosis (13), and learning approaches such transitions from home to foundation stage to Key as photobooks, group work, mind maps, taxonomy Stage 1 (age 5­7) and to Key Stage 2 (age 7­11). and creativity (12). There are, however, themes of language in early editions and books in later ones, JES has the following key features: as well as a sprinkling of skills (observation, prediction, curiosity, investigation) and teacher ■ It contains easily accessible yet rigorous education (2). The majority of the articles and support for the development of professional extended abstracts focus on the 5­8 years age skills; range, but with the 3­5 age range also being ■ it focuses on effective early years science very popular. practice and leadership; ■ it considers the implications of research The need for JES is as great in 2015 as it was in into emergent science practice 2011; maybe even greater, as early years and and provision; primary science education has been squeezed ■ it contains exemplars of good learning and and ‘watered down’ in the current over­packed development firmly based in good practice; curriculum. JES can also not only continue to raise and the profile of the 3­8 age range, but also throw a ■ it supports analysis and evaluation of light on the youngest children’s scientific professional practice. development. It can widen its scope from Europe to the rest of the world and share expertise, as This is based on the important premise that it is only by sharing our experiences that we will good learning and teaching relies on good research become more knowledgeable and help young (not just good scholarship) and that any children to develop their emergent educational research is pointless if it does not understandings, skills and attitudes. In addition, impact on practice or provision; that is, have there is a continued need to develop understanding a ‘so what?’ factor. of educational research and, in particular, practitioner research, as distinct from scientific The first nine editions were co­ordinated by the research. Practitioner, educational founding Editors, Sue Dale Tunnicliffe and me research is likely to be qualitative in Editorial JES9 Summer 2015 page 4 nature; to be evaluative, which aims to illuminate, by another animal, identifies how fiction and fact reflect on or clarify an issue; action research, which can support each other in the scientific aims to develop practice; and observation, which development of young children, so that ‘reading of aims to understand learning and teaching. The a realistic fiction picture book [and]… the use of articles in JES can help us to understand research fictional drawings offers new learning opportunities by looking at the methodology and methods used in sciences’. Michael­Anne Noble and Christine by the authors. Tippett’s paper, Dr. Blasto: Five to six year­old students’ portrayal of a fictional science villain looks It is in this climate that we move to a new era for at how fictional depiction can affect views of JES, one that raises the profile of emergent science science and scientists. Linda McGuigan and Terry higher and sees its importance further recognised Russell’s paper, Using multimodal strategies to by ASE, who will be taking over the publishing and challenge early years children's essentialist beliefs copyright of JES from the Emergent Science examines the teaching and learning of ‘Evolution Network. This edition of JES sees a return to ‘open and Inheritance’ on its reintroduction to the UK access’, so that a wider range of early years science curriculum after some years of absence. professionals can: They identify that young children ‘tend to hold essentialist views of living things that lead them to ■ engage in emergent science issues; regard all individuals within a species as identical – a ■ be supported by both ASE and PSTT; and view at odds with biological reality’. They stress the ■ learn from and with the early years and importance of good early years interventions to research expertise within a new and stronger support later learning, whilst Sue Dale Tunnicliffe’s Editorial Board, with a really international paper, What’s inside an earthworm? The views of a feel and with shared knowledge of early years class of English 7­year­old children, indicates the science, educational research, or both. importance of first­hand experience to support understanding. This edition of JES contains four full articles of research carried out in France, Canada and Overall, the four articles help us to understand the England. Three of these articles (Bruguière, complex nature of learning and teaching in the Noble & Tippett and Tunnicliffe) use drawings early years and pave the way to a successful as a research tool, and two (Bruguière and Noble transition for JES. I am very proud to have been & Tippett) look at how fact and fiction can be involved in early years science research, from mutually supportive in developing early years Nuffield Primary Science to emergent science. understandings. Catherine Bruguière’s paper, When is a cow not a cow? When 6­8 year­old Jane Johnston children draw a cow described in a story Co­Editor of the Journal of Emergent Science Editorial JES9 Summer 2015 page 5 J E S Contributing to the Journal of Emergent Science About the journal ■ contains exemplars of good learning and The Journal of Emergent Science (JES) was launched development firmly based in good practice; in early 2011 as a biannual e­journal, a joint venture ■ supports analysis and evaluation of between ASE and the Emergent Science Network professional practice.