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The Mechanics of Interaction in Early Childhood STEAM

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Embedding STEAM in Early Childhood Education and Care

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the mechanics of interaction that enable children to participate in STEAM learning. The chapter provides insights from conversation analysis about the sequences of knowledge-in-interaction, and the types of questions and responses that extend learning opportunities. The what outlines the practices of talk-in-interaction that reveal young children’s understanding. The why highlights these practices as a useful professional resource for teachers and a helpful guide to parents, providing evidence-based content for ongoing reflection. The how illustrates these practices in action, showing how children’s and adults’ actions in the moment-by-moment work of early learning facilitate different types of outcomes. Examples from mathematics and science learning with children aged between two and six years from studies conducted in early childhood education settings in three different countries illustrate how responsivity and the teacher’s ability to build on the immediately prior actions can lead to concept development. The chapter encourages teachers and parents to reflect on the interactional practices that make STEAM accessible, engaging and enabling for children.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia

    Amelia Church

  2. The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China

    Caroline Cohrssen

Authors
  1. Amelia Church
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  2. Caroline Cohrssen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Amelia Church .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China

    Caroline Cohrssen

  2. Department of Education, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Australia

    Susanne Garvis

Appendix: Transcription Conventions

Appendix: Transcription Conventions

The transcription conventions used in this article follow the original work of Sacks et al. (1974).

  • .   falling intonation

  • ,   slightly rising or continuing intonation

  • ?   rising intonation

  • ¿   intonation that rises more than a comma but less than a question mark

  • ::   lengthened syllable

  • ↓   sharp fall in pitch

  • ↑   sharp rise in pitch

  • Bold    emphasis

  • CAP   increased volume

  • []   overlapping talk

  • ()   unintelligible stretch

  • (0.5)   length of silence in tenths of a second

  • <   increase in tempo, rushed stretch of talk

  • < >   slower tempo

  • hh   audible outbreath

  • .hh   audible inbreath

  • [°]   talk that is quieter than the surrounding talk

  • $   spoken while smiling

  • (())   description of accompanying behaviour

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Church, A., Cohrssen, C. (2021). The Mechanics of Interaction in Early Childhood STEAM. In: Cohrssen, C., Garvis, S. (eds) Embedding STEAM in Early Childhood Education and Care. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65624-9_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65624-9_11

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-65623-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-65624-9

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

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