This thesis explores the understanding of basic electrical circuits in preschool children. In the theoretical part, I have presented the basic concepts of electricity, the characteristics of simple circuits and the importance of early science education as well as the importance of learning through play. Special attention is paid to the role of didactic games and hands-on experiments in promoting the understanding of scientific phenomena.
The empirical part presents a survey conducted with 100 children aged 3 to 6 years. Using interviews and practical tasks, I investigated how well children recognise the basic components of an electric circuit (battery, light bulb and wire), how they understand how the circuit works and which concepts present the greatest challenges for them. The results showed that the children showed the most knowledge when recognising the components and slightly less when connecting these components into a working circuit.
Based on the data collected, suggestions for activities were developed to help educators plan appropriate strategies for developing a basic understanding of electricity in preschoolers.
|
