PreSTAR Pilot

Nebraska and Brazil Collaborative Impact Project

About the Study

PreSTAR researchers in Nebraska collaborated with Brazilian researchers to conduct a two-year (2017-2019) pilot study to better understand preschool educators’ ideas, attitudes and engagement around science in the classroom and to compare findings from the different geographic settings. This research is part of the Nebraska-Brazil Early Childhood Partnership.

Project Details

Who was involved?
  • Nebraska researchers partnered with researchers at Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo to implement PreSTAR in Escola do Bairro (private school) and EMEI Ignacio (public school), both located in São Paulo.
  • In Lincoln, Nebraska, two Head Start program sites and one Kinder Care community child care program site implemented PreSTAR.
  • Participants included eight preschool educators, four from Lincoln and four from São Paulo.
  • Data were collected from eight preschool classrooms — four in Lincoln and four in São Paulo.
  • More than 160 children ages 4 and 5, mostly from low-income families, were part of the study.
Why was this study needed?

Science concepts are often overlooked in preschool classrooms, and many educators are reluctant to talk about science with young children. The study was needed to better understand educators’ perspectives, attitudes and engagement around science in the classroom. The findings informed the creation of culturally and contextually relevant professional development materials designed to strengthen teaching practices and boost educators’ confidence in talking about science with children.

Funding

The PreSTAR Pilot – Nebraska and Brazil Collaborative Impact Project was jointly funded by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the Maria Cecilia Souto Vidigal Foundation.

Goals
  • Investigate educators’ ideas and reflections about using science in the classroom.
  • Examine the change in educators’ reflections on children’s interactions with science-related materials and their practices over time.
  • Study the change in educators’ attitudes toward teaching science, as well as the how their science talk changes over time.
  • Examine the change in children’s science talk, behavior and engagement levels over time.
  • Develop a professional development model focused on science talk, including a set of user-friendly forms to help teachers implement reflective practices in early childhood science education.
Research Purpose

This project helped the team gain a better understanding of:

  • The science learning opportunities provided in early childhood classrooms through materials and activities.
  • How those opportunities are associated with the knowledge and skills children gain.
  • How teachers intentionally reflect on their practices, as well as any missed opportunities for science talk.
Findings

Explore our publications and resources to learn about the results from this cross-cultural study.