Conference Program

The scientific attitude is a fundamental condition for applying the methods of inquiry and research and is therefore considered a disposition to be fostered from early childhood through empirical experiences (Dewey, 1938) aimed at understanding the world, living beings, and scientific phenomena building on children’s innate curiosity (Larimore, 2020). However, offering young children the opportunity to approach STEAM disciplines education does not mean transmitting the first rudiments of scientific disciplines; rather, it entails nurturing their tendency toward exploration (Mantovani et al., 2016). Cultivating a scientific attitude, therefore, involves establishing a research habitus characterized by innate curiosity, reflective thinking, and both self- and hetero-guided problematization.

In this sense, learning should be considered a multidimensional phenomenon (Wertsch, 1991) strongly favored by methodological approaches based on the active involvement of children, inquiry-based learning (Zecca, 2016; Brookes et al., 2020; Eti I., Sigirtmac A., 2021), guided participation.

Within this framework, the adult assumes a central role as a guide to exploration, observation, and participation (Rogoff, 2006), while at the same time acting as a model in the research process. Thus, the adult is one who “does not know in advance” but who explores, searches, investigates, and learns together with the children (Mantovani et al., 2016) and who, after inviting them to share their interpretations, welcomes and extends their reflections as much as possible, accompanying the group in structuring more advanced and complex forms of argumentation.

In light of the above, within a perspective in which the social dimension is considered significant in the learning process (Bembich, 2024), this paper aims to investigate some aspects concerning interaction, both between adults and children and among peers. Specifically, it offers reflections on the value of discussion for the co-construction of meaningful scientific learning in ECEC.

To achieve these aim, an action research study (Lewin, 1946) was conducted at the Scuola Bambini Bicocca, where STEAM subjects are one of the main focuses of the educational project.

Different scientific-naturalistic activities were offered to the children (age 3-6) of both classes in the school, divided into small mixed-age groups. Some discussions led by scientific atelierists and/or teachers were recorded and analyzed using ODIS (Zecca et al., 2025). An initial analysis of the data has revealed interesting insights into the level of understanding achieved by the children – guided by the adults - on the topics treated and the richness of the reflections has emerged thanks to the heterogeneity of the groups and the different specificities, knowledge, and skills of the children.