Young children’s motivation for learning science

Abstract

What accounts for the change between young children’s very early and incessant curiosity about the world around them and the consistent finding that middle- and high-school students are typically not highly motivated to learn about science? Children’s typical motivational trajectories during elementary school, and particularly the early grades, are largely unknown. Furthermore, research is sparse on how young children’s science instruction is related to their motivation to learn and understand science-related concepts and processes. In this chapter we provide an overview of the limited research findings about young children’s science motivation, and discuss why it is crucial that more research during this developmental period is generated. We review and critique the nature of the existing research in terms of both its theoretical underpinnings and the various methodological approaches used. We also outline our thoughts about the methodological and theoretical advancements we believe to be necessary for researchers to learn more about young children’s science motivation. Finally, we consider implications of science motivation research for teaching practices and curricular approaches used in preschool and the early elementary grades.