Early understandings of simple food chains: A learning progression for the preschool years |
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Authors: | Michael Allen |
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Institution: | 1. Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education, School of Education, Kingston University, Kingston upon Thames, UKm.allen@kingston.ac.uk |
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Abstract: | ABSTRACTAspects of preschoolers’ ecological understandings were explored in a cross-age, quantitative study that utilised a sample of seventy-five 3- to 5-year-old children. Specifically, their concepts of feeding relationships were determined by presenting physical models of three-step food chains during structured interviews. A majority of children, particularly 5-year olds, were capable of grasping concepts inherent in food chain topics that are scheduled to appear later in their schooling. In part, age differences in children’s reasoning can be accounted for by attentional theory based on evolutionary predator avoidance adaptations, which tended to become significant at 5 years. Data suggest that these aspects of preschool ecological education could be increased in sophistication, thus accelerating children’s understandings about the environment beyond what is currently the case. |
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Keywords: | Preschool science ecology education food chains learning progression |
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