Ala Samarapungavan|Panayota Mantzicopoulos|Hugh T. Patrick
Learning science through inquiry in kindergarten
Purdue University West Lafayette|Purdue University West Lafayette|Purdue University West Lafayette
abstract paper examines nature kindergarten students science learning inquiry unit investigated life cycle monarch butterfly unit implemented public school serving socioeconomically ethnically linguistically diverse student population paper provides descriptive data childrens science learning investigations descriptive data collected implementation inquiry unit using electronic portfolio system second set data science learning collected using objective researcherdesigned instrument called science learning assessment sla data collected children intervention completed inquiry unit comparison group kindergarten students similar demographic characteristics receive systematic science instruction comparison group provides baseline data kindergarten students science concepts absence targeted science instruction 100 participants 65 intervention 35 comparison students results indicate intervention students demonstrated functional understanding scientific inquiry processes important life science concepts investigations statistical analyses sla data indicate intervention group showed significantly better understanding scientific inquiry processes comparison group 2008 wiley periodicals inc sci ed 92 868908 2008