TY - JOUR
T1 - The role of imagination in science education in the early years under the conditions of a Conceptual PlayWorld
AU - Fleer, Marilyn
N1 - Funding Information:
A Conceptual PlayWorld is a pedagogical model developed to support teachers to design teaching programs where concepts act in service of the children's play. Based on over 10 years of research (Fleer 2005–2018), the intervention foregrounds imagination in STEM concept formation. The model of teaching begins with a children's book (Characteristic 1), that becomes the basis for an imaginary space (Characteristic 2), that children and teachers enter (Characteristic 3), and meet play problems that need to be solved using STEM concepts (Characteristic 4). Teachers and children jump into the story in character (Characteristic 5) and live the problems and design the solutions in play. The Scientific Conceptual PlayWorld that was the focus of the study reported in this paper was The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. In this story of an orphaned child, Mary lives in luxury in a manor house but is lonely. In her quests, she meets other characters, including Colin who relies on a wheelchair to move around. When she follows a Red Robin, she discovers an abandoned garden that she explores. In the story friendships emerge as the characters go on adventures and help each other. In the Conceptual PlayWorld designed by the teachers, the imaginary situation of the abandoned secret garden is turned into space travel and the NASA space station, where understanding the relations between the Sun, moon, and the earth were needed to solve play problems that arise. Specifically, a social problem was introduced to the children whilst in the imaginary situations of space travel and visiting the NASA space station - Rescuing Cousin Robin from the far side of the moon and later, rescuing Colin who was on the near side of the moon.With thanks to all the research participants, the members of the Conceptual PlayLab research team, Drs Rebecca Lewis, Sue March, Taj Jahora and Oriana Ramunno, Monash University, and the Australian Research Council [FL180100161; DP 140101131] for Laureate Fellowship funding.
Funding Information:
Marilyn Fleer holds the Foundation Chair of Early Childhood Education and Development at Monash University, Australia. She was awarded the 2018 Kathleen Fitzpatrick Laureate Fellowship by the Australian Research Council and was a former President of the International Society of Cultural-historical Activity Research (ISCAR). Additionally, she holds the positions of an honorary Research Fellow in the Department of Education, University of Oxford, and a second professor position in the KINDKNOW Centre, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences.
Funding Information:
With thanks to all the research participants, the members of the Conceptual PlayLab research team, Drs Rebecca Lewis, Sue March, Taj Jahora and Oriana Ramunno, Monash University , and the Australian Research Council [ FL180100161 ; DP 140101131 ] for Laureate Fellowship funding.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Author(s)
PY - 2023/10
Y1 - 2023/10
N2 - Scientists imagine when thinking scientifically, often conceptualised as thought experiments (Albert Einstein), reconciling both the study of the universe and the molecular world (Stephen Hawking) or when engaging with complex ideas, such as in genetics when imagining going down a microscope to study genes (Barbara McClintock). These imaginings are important in science. But does imagination matter in science education? What is the role of imagination in science education in the early years of school? To answer this question, we undertook a cultural-historical study of 18 children (5.6–7.4yers mean 6.4) and 4 teachers who participated in an educational experiment of a Conceptual PlayWorld over 11 weeks. A total of 34.2 h of digital video data were recorded. The results show how imagination was brought to bear on the scientific problem of the relations between the earth, moon, and Sun. The complex science being imagined by children and teachers brought forward imaginary moments and situations as embodied actions, socially engineered affective imagining, common play problems for motivated conditions for science learning, and the need for creating tangible pivots. These conditions developed different expression of imagination: affective imagining, embodied imagining, amplified imagining, and collective imagining. We argue that complexity in science under the conditions of a Conceptual PlayWorld develops different forms of imagining, thereby contributing to a more nuanced understanding of imagination in science education.
AB - Scientists imagine when thinking scientifically, often conceptualised as thought experiments (Albert Einstein), reconciling both the study of the universe and the molecular world (Stephen Hawking) or when engaging with complex ideas, such as in genetics when imagining going down a microscope to study genes (Barbara McClintock). These imaginings are important in science. But does imagination matter in science education? What is the role of imagination in science education in the early years of school? To answer this question, we undertook a cultural-historical study of 18 children (5.6–7.4yers mean 6.4) and 4 teachers who participated in an educational experiment of a Conceptual PlayWorld over 11 weeks. A total of 34.2 h of digital video data were recorded. The results show how imagination was brought to bear on the scientific problem of the relations between the earth, moon, and Sun. The complex science being imagined by children and teachers brought forward imaginary moments and situations as embodied actions, socially engineered affective imagining, common play problems for motivated conditions for science learning, and the need for creating tangible pivots. These conditions developed different expression of imagination: affective imagining, embodied imagining, amplified imagining, and collective imagining. We argue that complexity in science under the conditions of a Conceptual PlayWorld develops different forms of imagining, thereby contributing to a more nuanced understanding of imagination in science education.
KW - Cultural-historical
KW - Elementary
KW - Imagination
KW - Play
KW - Science
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85167979857&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.lcsi.2023.100753
DO - 10.1016/j.lcsi.2023.100753
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85167979857
SN - 2210-6561
VL - 42
JO - Learning, Culture and Social Interaction
JF - Learning, Culture and Social Interaction
M1 - 100753
ER -