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Learner-centered inquiry encourages discovery through questioning, observation, exploration, idea sharing, and reflection. The article argues that inquiry with STEM topics strengthens young children’s meaning-making and supports later learning by improving motivation and addressing achievement gaps. It outlines why inquiry matters and how teachers model inquiry-based cultures through collaboration and ongoing reflection.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":35,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/healthcare/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/stem-in-early-childhood-establishing-a-culture-of-inquiry-with-young-children/601243/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/stem-in-early-childhood-establishing-a-culture-of-inquiry-with-young-children/601243.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"LangkahRina","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-16","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":8},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"How does inquiry-based learning work in early childhood classrooms?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"Inquiry-based learning places the learner at the center, using questioning, observing, exploration, sharing ideas, and reflection to develop new understanding. Educators investigate problems of practice, plan improvements, and use evidence to guide data-driven conversations.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"Why should inquiry be used in early STEM learning environments?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"Early planning for inquiry around STEM concepts provides long-lasting benefits and supports greater access to technology and career preparation. Research summarized in the text links effective early math instruction to later learning gains and narrower achievement gaps.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"What skills does engagement with STEM and inquiry help build?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"The article emphasizes problem solving, critical thinking, and collaboration. It also highlights social-emotional connections as children engage in inquiry while exploring science and math ideas.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},601243,1792123801,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":34,"category_name":35,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":8,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":29,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":143,"read_time":144},962090893776,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_155a257f0dc6eb9ab79c44ca47cae57d","STEM in Early Childhood: Establishing a Culture of Inquiry with Young Children  \nShari Farris and Cammy Purper  \nOne of the most impactful and transformative practices early childhood teachers can engage in is the practice of inquiry. Inquiry requires educators to be both fully present and fully engaged in professional practice while adopting the mindset that the cycle of inquiry is never complete. In inquiry-based learning, the learner is at the center of the learning process. Discovery of new learning is encouraged through questioning, observing, exploration, and the sharing of ideas and reflection. In true inquiry, educators identify and investigate problems of practice, develop plans to improve, use evidence to have data-driven conversations, watch for evidence of progress, take action, and understand and reflect. Lifelong learning is not a new concept for educators, nor is the ability to reflect on practice. The exercise of inquiry, however, provides a framework to allow those behaviors to become more intentionally focused. The goal of teacher inquiry is a transformative educational practice. Cochran-Smith and Deemers (2010) sum up the practice of teacher inquiry, remarking that “it is a powerful way for teachers and teacher educators to understand the complexities of teaching and learning, construct rich learning opportunities for all students, interrogate their own assumptions, and work for social justice”(p. 14) .  \nThere are many frameworks used in inquiry practice with all anchored in questioning and reflection. Educators engaging in inquiry should be transparent about assumptions and open to new ideas, feedback, and improvement. Adding collaboration with colleagues becomes a powerful and important component of inquiry. In a study that explored the results of teacher inquiry, teachers shared that the opportunity to engage with other teachers in the inquiry project gave them reassurance that  \nthey were not alone in the challenges and questions they had about improving student learning (Jao & McDougall, 2015) .  \nThe process of inquiry is also a powerful learning tool for young children. Engagement with inquiry in both teaching and learning transformsa classroom into a community of learners. Inquiry for young children can also be transformative as students explore ideas and materials, access prior knowledge, and  \nconstruct new meaning and  \nlearning. The use of an inquiry approach is especially suited to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics or STEM topics in early childhood. Young children, who are both naturally curious about how things work and inherently trial and error learners, can be guided in the processes of inquiry in STEM topics to enhance and deepen learning.  \nWhy Use Inquiry in Early Learning Environments?  \nPlanning for inquiry learning by exploring STEM concepts can have long lasting benefits for young children. With a clearly documented need for greater access to technology and career preparation in STEM fields for women and students of color, early exposure to STEM is a wise investment of instructional time. A summary of research on early math learning found that effective math instruction “can enhance later learning and narrow achievement gaps”(National Science Foundation, 2018, p. 1) . In another study completed at Sultan Idris Education University in Malaysia (Binti & Siti, 2017), researchers studied the effects of using a play and inquiry-based learning tool to teach preschoolers numeracy concepts. The children participated in a series of lessons where they had the opportunity to question, solve real life problems, play with ideas, and reflect on their learning. They discovered that children were not only able to master numeracy concepts, but that their motivation for learning also improved.  \nUsing knowledge about the benefits of inquiry, classroom teachers can simultaneously engage in their own inquiry cycles to improve their professional practice while creating STEM learning  \nDim","cbCaidQzBWd8RZtb","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaidQzBWd8RZtb","pdf",167951,"English","# STEM in Early Childhood: Establishing a Culture of Inquiry with Young Children\n## Inquiry as a Transformative Practice\n## Why Use Inquiry in Early Learning Environments?\n## Creating a Culture of Inquiry with STEM","[{\"question\":\"How does inquiry-based learning work in early childhood classrooms?\",\"answer\":\"Inquiry-based learning places the learner at the center, using questioning, observing, exploration, sharing ideas, and reflection to develop new understanding. Educators investigate problems of practice, plan improvements, and use evidence to guide data-driven conversations.\"},{\"question\":\"Why should inquiry be used in early STEM learning environments?\",\"answer\":\"Early planning for inquiry around STEM concepts provides long-lasting benefits and supports greater access to technology and career preparation. Research summarized in the text links effective early math instruction to later learning gains and narrower achievement gaps.\"},{\"question\":\"What skills does engagement with STEM and inquiry help build?\",\"answer\":\"The article emphasizes problem solving, critical thinking, and collaboration. It also highlights social-emotional connections as children engage in inquiry while exploring science and math ideas.\"}]","STEM in Early Childhood: Establishing a Culture of Inquiry with Young Children | PDF",1792092250,15]