Inquiry-Based Teaching of Science in the Saudi Kindergarten Classroom: A Multi-Case Study of Early Childhood Educators’ Attitudes and Practices

Abstract

The aim of this qualitative multiple case study was to understand three Saudi kindergarten teachers ’attitudes toward enacting inquiry to teach science in the kindergarten classroom. This study was guided by two research questions: 1) What attitudes do Saudi kindergarten teachers hold about using inquiry to teach science in their classrooms? 2) How do Saudi kindergarten teachers enact inquiry in their science teaching in the Saudi context? This case study helped to understand Saudi kindergarten teachers’ attitude toward using it in the kindergarten classroom and clarified how Saudi kindergarten teachers enact inquiry to teach young children science in their classroom. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with each Saudi kindergarten teacher and through observations of classroom setting. The theoretical framework utilized in this study is the Rogoff’s Sociocultural Theory (2003; 1995; 2008). Sociocultural theory emphasized the importance of cultural contexts in all educational domains. In this study, I adopted a Stake’s (2006) multi-case analysis method as it allowed me to analyze the data individually, then comprehensively. The data were thematically analyzed manually for all cases. The results show that teachers’ background experience, Saudi Arabian cultural norms, values, and institutional rules shaped the teachers' attitudes and enactment of the inquiry method to teach science in kinder classrooms. In general, the teachers had positive attitudes towards the inquiry method. However, the participants’ believe, though, ideas and understanding of the inquiry method for teaching science revolved around a teacher-centered attitudes. The teachers were occupied a dominant role when using the inquiry method to teach science. The teachers' teaching practices focused on them; hence, they viewed their the role in this method as the knowledgeable person who asks questions and gave guidance throughout the lesson, while the role of the children was to provide answers and participate in the inquiry experiments under supervision. This study contributed to the current research gap pertaining to Saudi kindergarten teachers’ experiences and attitudes towards using inquiry methods in teaching science in the Saudi kindergarten classrooms. This study holds significant implications for Saudi kindergarten education, system, policy, and educators by providing them with professional development, training sessions, and best-practices.