The aim is to analyse research articles connected to Early Childhood Science Education (ECSE) with a specific focus on “why it is important to teach and learn science in preschool practices”.

To teach and learn about science in preschool practices can be understood as e.g. learn to care for nature or to create knowledge about natural phenomena and processes. With a specific focus on Early Childhood Education, Hedefalk et.al (2015) and Somerville and Williams (2015) present surveys connected to Education for Sustainable Development, and Zohar and Barzilai (2013) present a review on research in Science Education in the field of metacognition.

This present study will use curriculum theory to analyse and critically discuss teaching traditions and learning content (see Svennbeck 2003, Öhman 2006).  

Words used in the ERIC database search was: early childhood, natural science,  science education.

Approximately 90 articles from Early Childhood Journals and Science Education Journals will be scrutinized regarding arguments for ECSE, using a coding scheme based on introductions and purposes of the studies.

Initial results from this ongoing review of articles show arguments that focus on ECSE as: i) laying the foundation for knowledge and interest in science, preparing for school, ii) making children able to engage in environmental issues, iii) offering children to explore everyday-science as lived experiences.  

Only peer-reviewed articles were chosen, and the same words were used during the complete search.

The result can be used in critical reflections on arguments for teaching and learning science in preschool, to create multifaceted teaching and learning environments.