Substantive conceptual development in preschool science: contemporary issues and future directions

There has been a dearth of published research exploring the scientific ideas that young children construct, particularly in prestigious periodicals in the science education genre. The current article discusses the reasons behind this lack of prominence, and suggests ways forward that may link work from the field of developmental psychology with the findings of educational research conducted with older children. A recent innovation, learning progressions, is offered as a potential theoretical basis for providing these links. Key words: science misconceptions; early years development; learning progression; science substantive concepts.