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Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 8, Issue 1, Article 3 (June, 2007) Beverley JANE and Jill ROBBINS Intergenerational learning: grandparents teaching everyday concepts in science and technology |
In our study reported here grandparents took photographs of their grandchildren as they engaged in everyday activities. In their journals the grandparents recorded descriptions of what the children were doing and saying as they participated in these activities. Many of these intergenerational, interactive activities were child initiated and took place in a range of contexts. Conversational and dialogic processes were rich and supportive. Vygotsky’s ideas concerning the nature of intermental to intramental thinking, and everyday and scientific concepts, were helpful when we analysed the data using Rogoff’s three lenses.
In response to research question one, although the majority of the grandparents in this study had elementary ideas of what constitutes learning in science and technology, they all were engaging in many and varied activities with their grandchildren that were scientific and/or technological in nature. Examples of these everyday experiences, include going for a walk in the park or along the beach, tending to plants in the garden, visiting the zoo, wildlife park or museum, and cooking in the kitchen.
In addressing research question two, we found that most grandparents listen attentively to what their grandchildren have to say. In turn this active listening encourages the children to verbalise their ideas. These intergenerational conversations help to focus the children’s attention on the science in the activity and encourage the children’s curiosity and sense of wonder.
Research question three turned our attention to the reciprocal nature of these intergenerational conversations. These conversations help the grandchildren to find relevance and meaning in the scientific concepts they encounter in school and prior-to-school settings. For example children’s conversations with their grandparents about backbones and feet can help them understand the relationships between ‘structure and function’. The children also develop self-esteem because the grandparents value the children’s contribution to these exchanges. Similarly the grandparents benefit by being viewed as important and knowledgable in their children’s eyes. Furthermore, as the grandparents see the children become excited about everyday scientific phenomena, they in turn revisit and explore the phenomena in new ways. Thus reciprocal learning is occurring through these positive and shared conversations that build and enhance intergenerational relationships. Our study findings indicate that through participation in simple but meaningful everyday activities with their grandparents, children’s technological and scientific understandings are being developed and transformed.
Our study has several implications for teaching young children. Firstly, the examples included here show that children come into classrooms with some skills and knowledge in science and technology. Children develop many spontaneous concepts through their engagement in activities in informal contexts. Often these understandings are actively supported and scaffolded by others. Secondly, as these shared understandings develop through mutual involvement in culturally appropriate activities, it is important for teachers to be aware that strong interpersonal relationships exist for children, and that shared understandings develop with significant others in their lives, especially grandparents. Thirdly, teachers have an important role to play in helping children to overcome the gap between thinking within and outside school contexts, and between everyday and scientific concepts. By acknowledging the prior learning and skills that children bring with them to school or preschool, and discovering the ‘windows of opportunity’ into children’s thinking processes, teachers can build on these existing understandings and skills, and ‘help them make the connections between the concrete and abstract’ in science and technology.
This study is significant because even though many grandparents are increasingly engaging in the care of their grandchildren, there are few studies that recognise the important role grandparents take on when they foster their grandchildren’s understanding of science and technology. Through documenting the shared activities we have provided evidence of these important intergenerational interactions. Unfortunately most people fail to recognise the valuable contribution the older generation is making to children’s understanding of physics, chemistry and technology. Grandparents teach young children about natural phenomena and how things work through simple, everyday activities including visits to the beach, using a computer, cooking, gardening and even household chores. Our research showed that grandparents are encouraging children’s sense of wonder and are stimulating learning, often without realising it.
