The challenge of bringing science closer to preservice early childhood education teachers

Early childhood educators play a critical role in promoting scientific reasoning through inquiry-based and experimental approaches. Nevertheless, pre-service teachers in Spain frequently exhibit low levels of interest and self-efficacy in science, underscoring the need for initial teacher education programs to strengthen scientific competence and foster more positive attitudes toward the discipline. In response to this challenge, the present study analyzes the implementation of a collaborative learning methodology in the Didactics of Experimental Sciences course for third-year Early Childhood Education students. The intervention aimed to examine its association with students’ perceptions of collaborative learning, knowledge acquisition, and academic performance. The experience was carried out over two academic years and compared with six previous cohorts that had followed a traditional expository methodology. A total of 626 students participated: 105 in the experimental group and 521 in the control group. Data were collected through pre- and post-course questionnaires, a knowledge test, and a teaching evaluation survey. Results indicate that the collaborative learning methodology not only was associated with comparable levels of conceptual understanding and academic achievement but also students reported perceived improvements in key professional skills and competencies, such as emotional regulation, communication, empathy, research skills , leadership, classroom management, conflict resolution, decision-making, and teamwork. Furthermore, student and course evaluations revealed significant improvements in classroom climate, engagement, and interpersonal relationships among students and between students and the instructor. Overall, the findings support the effectiveness of collaborative learning as a pedagogical strategy that was associated with positive cognitive and socio-emotional outcomes, contributing to a more holistic and enriched educational experience in teacher training.