Steering STEM education development through play

Abstract

for early childhood educators is assessing children’s progression during this particularly free-spirited part of their education. It is a period in their learning that lays the vital groundwork for their educational future. This is especially the case in critical STEM education – science, technology, engineering, and maths. In Australia, as in other countries worldwide, early childhood education practice around STEM is currently geared towards content and assessing children’s knowledge of that content. However, two leading Australian STEM education researchers are encouraging educators to rethink how children interact with these subjects by pointing out that it is a crucial component of their play, and that assessing their progression should capitalise on that.