Emerging interest in science during early childhood period and evaluating its effectiveness

A growing global trend emphasizes the integration of science education into early childhood curricula. This has led to the development and implementation of policies aimed at promoting the teaching of scientific inquiry skills. The attitudes and beliefs of early childhood educators significantly influence the successful adoption of these pedagogical innovations. The present study focused on fostering interest in science among underprivileged children belonging to government early childhood education centres in Telangana state, India. The research initiated with the development of seven science experiments, designing science kits for conducting these experiments, and training the teachers on how to conduct the experiments. The study involved a total of 60 children from both urban and rural areas of Telangana State, India. When teachers conducted the science experiments with children aged 4 to 6 years, videos were carefully recorded. Video analysis was done through the Behavioural Observation Research Interactive Software (BORIS). For each experiment, ethogram was set with different behaviour codes, selected children as focal subjects, and extracted the data from the software. The results revealed that children showed high levels of engagement in learning science experiments. They acquired basic science concepts and improved their vocabulary. Children not only gained hands-on experience but also nurtured intellectual curiosity and a scientific temper. This research also emphasized the significance of introducing science during the early years of childhood.