The Puppets Project: Using Puppets to Promote Engagement and Talk in Science

Abstract

The PUPPETS Project uses puppets as a stimulus for children to engage in conversations involving reasoning in primary science lessons. Data were gathered using a variety of methods, including audio and video recording, and analysed using an open coding approach based on grounded theory. The data indicate that puppets are engaging and motivating for children; that they promote talk involving reasoning; that they can be particularly effective with reluctant speakers; that they appear to be effective across the whole primary age range; and that they promote significant changes in teachers' professional practice