Carter Bell
Pronouns: He/Him
Research Mentor(s): Jillian Webb
Research Mentor School/College/Department: LearnEarly / NonUM
Program:
Authors: Carter Bell, Jillian Webb
Session: Session 2: 10:00 am – 10:50 am
Poster: 100
Abstract
The focus of the research is centered around how scientific processes – specifically laboratory work – can be presented in a manner that will be comprehended and interesting to children ages 3-5, and how can we instill an interest in science as a career path to these students. The population of the project is two early childhood classrooms of students, aged 3-5. The process for data collection is styled in a prototype test and retest method, meaning after each session with the students, the activity prototype is analyzed to see what worked and then retested after making feedback informed adjustments. Data is analyzed by going over a video recording of each session and making observations of the students’ attentiveness and different responses to prompts. The goal of results are focused on the initial question of how scientific processes can be presented in a manner that will be comprehended and interesting to children ages 3-5. As prototypes move forward, there should be a positive correlation between comprehension in the sessions with the students and improvements on the initial prototype. Once the testing phase is complete, conclusions should be able to be drawn on how well the prototypes serve as effective resources for achieving the desired outcomes.
