Development of a parent’s guide for the Singapore primary science curriculum: Empowering parents as facilitators of their children’s science learning outside the formal classrooms

Parents can play a vital role in enhancing children’s science learning experiences outside the school. Science education research has shown that children begin to develop science literacy even before they begin their formal education in schools (e.g., Bredekamp & Copple, 1997; Chaille & Britain, 1991; Crowley, Callanan, Jipson, Galco, Topping & Shrager, 2001). It has been noted that learning is a cumulative process which involves making connections and reinforcement between the learning experiences a child encounters in school and at home (e.g., Dierking & Falk, 1994; Falk & Dierking, 1997). As such, science education cannot be based in school alone but must also include the full range of learning environments outside the formal classrooms in which parents play a fundamental role (e.g., Callanan & Jipson, 2001; Crowley & Callanan, 1998; Crowley & Galco, 2001; Gerber, Cavallo, & Marek, 2001; Schauble, Beane, Coates, Martin, & Sterling, 1996). In fact, research has reported that children’s out-of-school activities and learning environments are linked to motivation and success in the formal classrooms (e.g., Gottfried, Fleming, & Gottfried, 1998). Therefore, successful informal science learning experiences not only allow children to acquire science knowledge and skills but also enable them to feel that science learning can be meaningful and rewarding.

Many informal learning settings outside the formal classrooms can provide good opportunities for children to engage in less structured and more authentic learning activities (e.g., Crowley & Galco, 2001; Dierking & Falk, 1994; Ostlund, Gennaro, & Dobbert, 1985; Schauble et al., 1996). Besides the more familiar home environment and neighbourhood places such as parks and gardens, playgrounds, and supermarkets, other examples of informal learning settings can include the more structured science museum, planetarium, zoo, and bird park. Sometimes, informal learning opportunities could even arise while walking on the roads, during a meal, or while watching a science documentary on television. Despite the fact that many informal learning environments are easily accessible and available for parents to support their children’s learning outside the school, it is unfortunate that many parents are not aware that they could make use of the resources available in these informal settings to provide valuable learning opportunities, that many science teachers in the formal classroom could not easily offer, for their children to connect science learning with real life applications.

Therefore, the objectives of this paper are: (1) to discuss the theoretical perspectives of parental involvement in children’s science learning in informal contexts; (2) to describe the development of a Primary Science Parent’s Guide as an educational resource to empower parents as facilitators of their children’s science learning in informal contexts; and (3) to provide examples of science learning activities to demonstrate how parents can facilitate their children’s science learning in informal contexts.