Using Technologies to Spatialize STEM Learning by Co-Creating Symbols with Young Children

Bibliographic Data

ID22048969
AuthorsYutong Liang (0000-0003-1372-772X, Education University of Hong Kong), Xinyun Hu (0000-0002-0265-0299, Education University of Hong Kong, corresponding author), Nicola Yelland (0000-0002-3096-5845, The University of Melbourne), Mingwei Gao (Department of Early Childhood Education, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China), M L Gao (0000-0003-0497-4948, Education University of Hong Kong)
Year2025
Volume15
Issue4
Pages431
Publication date2025-03-29
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEducation Sciences (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2227-7102 • E-ISSN: 2227-7102
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/educsci15040431
OpenAlexW4408999987
LanguageEN
References cited34

There has been an increasing number of calls to apply new technologies to learning contexts for STEM education. However, limited studies have explored the role of technology in bridging teachers and children to create STEM knowledge collaboratively. Therefore, early childhood teachers encounter challenges integrating digital technologies to support children’s STEM learning. The challenges include developing effective and innovative scaffolding strategies to incorporate digital technology and visualize the processes of using technologies in children’s STEM knowledge building. This study reports on an in-depth exploratory case study from a kindergarten classroom in Hong Kong, exemplifying a new approach to integrating digital technologies within spatialized STEM learning. The case selected continuity learning episodes from a spatially directed STEM learning unit on making a safe traffic city. Under digital technology-integrated scaffolding, the teacher and children co-created a traffic symbolic system by designing symbols of landmarks, developing and applying spatial language, making maps and traffic games with rules. The thematic analysis was adopted to analyze the teachers’ STEM activity plans and reflective reports. The finding indicated that the process through which the teacher and children collaboratively created STEM knowledge via technology-integrated scaffolding involved recalling spontaneous understanding about everyday concepts, exploring ideas in authentic contexts, sorting and organizing their collected information, and identifying and correlating abstract concepts with corresponding everyday practices. The children required two levels of technology-integrated scaffolding strategies to engage in STEM knowledge collaborative creation: scaffolding for technology using and scaffolding through use of technology. Three novel roles of technology emerged that transform learning from knowledge delivery to collaborative creation in inquiries STEM tasks for young children: application, mediator, and catalyst. The study also highlights teachers and children transforming into new roles in knowledge collaborative creation processes in spatialized STEM learning under the technology-integrated scaffolding strategies. Moreover, it spotlights the reconceptualization of the STEM learning culture in the technology-integrated knowledge co-create classroom from teacher-centered to more open child-centered learning

Educational technology · Mathematics education · Multimedia · Child Development and Digital Technology · Computer Science · Education and Technology Integration · Mobile Learning in Education · Psychology

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