An Early Understanding of Mechanism of Rainfall: A Study Examining the Differences Between Young Minority Immigrant and Native-Born Children

Abstract

Preschool and lower grades of primary education (that is, before the age of 8) are a crucial period to attempt to reduce the educational performance gap between minority immigrant and native-born children. Regarding the science education field, it is believed that early exposure to scientific explanations on natural phenomena may positively influence to not only a better comprehension of the surrounding world but, also, the pupils’ success in grasping subsequent and more formal scientific concepts. In this respect, little research has been conducted to examine whether the learning process on the subject of the comprehension of natural phenomena varies significantly in the case of young minority immigrant children in comparison with the mainstream process covered by native-born children. In this vein, this study aims to study how 5 to 7 year old children understand the rainfall phenomenon (N=124) and to examine whether this comprehension differs according to the differences regarding the socio-cultural background of the children comprised in the sample. To that end, children’s answers to a semi-open questionnaire and their pictorial representations are analyzed and socio-cultural perspectives on the human cognitive development are utilized to assign meaning to the results obtained. Key words: cognitive development, early understanding, natural phenomena, science education.