Supporting the development of scientific enquiry and conceptual understanding in science with deaf and typically hearing preschool children through a home-based science intervention

The study sought to determine the effects of a pilot home-based science intervention on deaf and typically hearing children’s conceptual understanding of science and their abilities to reason about and communicate their understanding (scientific enquiry skills). Data show that by age 5 years a science attainment gap exists between deaf children and those typically hearing yet early interventions with deaf children typically neglect the development of science. We created an intervention to support caregivers (<i>N</i> = 17) to incorporate the language of science into their daily routines. Participants were placed into a control or intervention group; within each group were caregivers of deaf and typically hearing children. Over a period of 13 months, caregivers completed five assessments (each at two different time points); four on their child’s understanding of concepts and one on their developing scientific enquiry skills. All caregivers, irrespective of group, reported positive gains in their child’s conceptual understanding. Caregivers of deaf children reported greater gains in scientific enquiry skills than those of typically hearing children. This offers preliminary evidence to suggest that longer-term interventions may provide an opportunity to narrow the attainment gap between deaf and typically hearing children.

本研究旨在探究试点居家科学干预方案（pilot home-based science intervention）对聋童与正常听力儿童的科学概念认知（conceptual understanding）水平，以及其推理、表达自身认知的能力——即科学探究技能（scientific enquiry skills）——所产生的影响。现有数据表明，5岁年龄段的聋童与正常听力儿童之间已存在科学学业成就差距（science attainment gap），但针对聋童的早期干预通常忽视科学能力的培养。
我们设计了一款干预方案，以支持17名照料者（caregivers）将科学语言融入日常照料流程。研究对象被分为对照组（control group）与干预组（intervention group），两组均包含聋童与正常听力儿童的照料者。在为期13个月的研究周期内，照料者完成了五项评估（均设置两个不同时间节点）：四项评估儿童的概念认知水平，一项评估其逐步发展的科学探究技能。
无论所属组别如何，所有照料者均报告其照料对象的概念认知水平获得了积极提升。其中，聋童照料者报告的科学探究技能提升幅度显著大于正常听力儿童的照料者。本研究提供了初步证据，表明长期干预或可缩小聋童与正常听力儿童之间的科学学业成就差距。