CAREER: Supporting Metacognition to Strengthen Early Childhood Science Teaching and Learning in Rural Idaho

About This Grant

Preschool and kindergarten-aged children are still developing the skills needed to reflect on and manage their own thinking, a process often referred to as metacognition. Without strategic support from their teachers, young children may struggle to make sense of inquiry-based science activities and possibly form enduring misconceptions that may hamper future science learning. Yet, many teachers are unfamiliar with the metacognitive processes or how to intentionally facilitate their development. This project explores both how to improve early childhood teachers' understanding of metacognition and develop strategies to guide teachers in using language and feedback to more effectively support emerging metacognition and science learning in young children. Working with teachers and children in rural Idaho, the project includes classroom observations, experimental studies on teacher-child interaction, and the development of a professional development program designed to help teachers strengthen young children's reasoning and reflection. The findings will contribute to improving science instruction in early childhood and offer practical guidance for teacher education and professional learning. The project includes three interconnected research studies designed to explore and enhance how early childhood teachers support young children's science learning through metacognitive development. Study 1 will assess current science instruction in rural Idaho classrooms by collecting data from 55 teachers and 330 children, including classroom observations, teacher-child interactions, and child science assessments. Quantitative and qualitative analyses will identify features of classroom environments that support or hinder metacognitive engagement. Study 2 uses an experimental design with 121 children to examine feedback type-either focused on their performance or aimed at helping them reflect on their thought processes- delivered either during or after structured science activities influence performance. Researchers will analyze how these variations influence children's ability to reflect on their own thinking using coded video data and statistical comparisons. Study 3 builds on these findings to design and evaluate a year-long professional development program for 25 teachers, incorporating online modules, curriculum implementation, and in-person coaching. Throughout the program, the research team will gather classroom observation data, teacher and child surveys, and interview responses to evaluate changes in teaching practices and children's learning. Findings from all three studies will inform both theory and practice by identifying effective ways to support teachers' conceptions and awareness of metacognition as well as how they can use language and feedback to support young children's metacognitive growth in science. The CAREER award is funded by the Discovery Research preK-12 program (DRK-12) which seeks to significantly enhance the learning and teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by preK-12 students and teachers, through research and development of innovative resources, models and tools. Projects in the DRK-12 program build on fundamental research in STEM education and prior research and development efforts that provide theoretical and empirical justification for proposed project. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.