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V prispevku člani uredniškega obora – dr. Barbara Bajd, dr. Darja Skribe Dimec, dr. Ana Gostinčar Blagotinšek in dr. Dušan Krnel, ki so sodelovali pri nastajanju revije Naravoslovna solnica, izpostavljajo svoje poglede na razvoj in pomen revije. S prispevkom želimo v uredništvu na skromen in simbolen način obeležiti 25-letnico izhajanja revije. »Četrt stoletja se sliši veliko, 25 let pa je rosna mladost,« je v prispevku zapisala dr. A. Gostinčar Blagotinšek. Vsem snovalcem revije in piscem prispevkov želimo še veliko navdiha in strokovnosti pri razvoju naravoslovnega izobraževanja, ki ga že četrt stoletja podpira tudi revija Naravoslovna solnica.

Generacije učečih se bistveno spremenijo vsakih 20 let. Smo sposobni slediti spremembam tudi v izobraževanju? Projekt Unteachables ponuja nekaj odgovorov.

Steklokeramična plošča pa nasprotno zelo slabo prevaja toploto (steklo je v resnici dober izolator), je pa prozorna za infrardeče sevanje, ki ga oddaja segreta grelna spirala. Na steklokeramični plošči je mehanizem segrevanja posode torej infrardeče sevanje.

Za ugotavljanje, kateri del zvezdnega neba je viden v izbrani noči, pa tudi za prepoznavanje posameznih objektov, si lahko pomagamo s pametnimi telefoni, za katere je na voljo veliko aplikacij (Sky View, Google Sky …), s katerimi so prvi koraki v astronomijo res preprosti. Alternativa je vrtljiva zvezdna karta, pripomoček za orientacijo po nebu, ki za delo ne zahteva internetne povezave in GPS-signala.

Količina tovora ne vpliva na razdaljo, ki jo vozilo prevozi po vodoravni podlagi v vznožju klančine. Na sliki 2 je vidno, da se razdalje, ki jih tovornjak pri zaporednih poskusih prevozi brez dodatne obtežitve, razlikujejo za več kot 10 cm (črne oznake na tleh). Razlika med najkrajšo prevoženo potjo brez obtežitve in najdaljšo, prevoženo s tremi kamni tovora (modre oznake) je manjša, kot so te fluktuacije. K sklepu, da količina tovora ne vpliva na prevoženo pot, nas navede tudi opažanje, da je tovornjak najdaljšo zabeleženo razdaljo prevozil z enim kamnom (zelena oznaka), poskuse pa smo opravljali brez tovora (nič), enim dvema in tremi kamni.

Gumo (elastični ogljikovodikov polimer) izdelujejo iz naravnega ali sintetičnega lateksa. Gumijasti bomboni kljub imenu niso izdelani iz lateksa, temveč iz želatine, sladkorjev in dodatkov za vonj, okus in videz. Uporabna lastnost gume, zaradi katere jo množično uporabljamo za pnevmatike (in še marsikje), je njena prožnost: po obremenitvi (stisku ali raztegu) se vrne v prvotno obliko.

“Naravoslovni sejem" je na šolah po Zahodni Evropi in Združenih državah Amerike, dogodek, kjer otroci pripravijo atraktivne eksperimente in jih predstavijo sošolcem ali drugim učencem na šoli. Na nekaterih šolah v Sloveniji se nekaj podobnega dogaja na “naravoslovni dan”. Posebna oblika “naravoslovnega sejma" se vsako leto odvija na Pedagoški fakulteti v Ljubljani kjer študenti razrednega pouka in predšolske vzgoje predstavijo poskuse in druge dejavnosti otrokom. V prispevku boste morda tisti, ki organizirate podobne dogodke našli nekaj novih idej o vsebini naravoslovnih sejmov in o povezovanju učiteljev in študentov – bodočih učiteljev v skupnem projektu.

Razvite dežele se soočajo z zaskrbljujočim upadom ugleda naravoslovnih znanosti v družbi in majhnim zanimanjem mladih za naravoslovne študije. Ker pomanjkanje izobraženih naravoslovnih kadrov, s katerim se bomo ob nadaljevanju trendov soočili že v bližnji prihodnosti, lahko ogrozi razvoj in doseženo raven blagostanja, politiki in strokovnjaki skušajo poiskati razloge za nastalo situacijo in oblikovati predloge za izboljšanje. Strokovnjaki s področja izobraževanja se strinjajo, da je poleg družbenih razlogov del krivde za nastalo situacijo tudi v načinu poučevanja naravoslovja v šolah. Menijo pa tudi, da prav spremembe v načinu izobraževanja lahko omilijo negativne trende in prispevajo k večji priljubljenosti naravoslovja med mladimi. V poročilu raziskave, ki jo je financirala Evropska komisija, je posebej izpostavljeno, da je eden od pristopov k poučevanju, ki ima pozitivne učinke na priljubljenost naravoslovja, raziskovalni pouk. Ugotovitve potrjujejo tudi rezultati iz ZDA. Za razširjanje raziskovalnega pouka v Evropi je EU v okviru 6. in 7. Okvirnega programa financirala delovanje projektov Pollen in Fibonacci v obeh je sodelovala tudi Slovenija. Kot nacionalna koordinatorica obeh projektov sem s sodelavci s Pedagoške fakultete Univerze v Ljubljani koordinirala, načrtovala in izvajala obsežen program praktičnega usposabljanja učiteljev za izvajanje raziskovalnega pouka, pripravo didaktičnih gradiv zanje in za delo z učenci v razredu ter eksperimentalnih pripomočkov za izvajanje poskusov. Pri tem sem zasnovala in s sodelovanjem lokalne skupnosti v Ljubljani, Kamniku in Kranju tudi organizirala za Slovenijo unikaten sistem podpore učiteljem pri izvajanju aktivnosti učencev v obliki izposojevalnic kompletov eksperimentalnih pripomočkov. S sodelavci smo pripravili gradiva za raziskovalni pouk 19 tematskih sklopov iz učnih načrtov predmetov Spoznavanje okolja in Naravoslovje in tehnika. Poleg raziskovalnega pouka je posebna pozornost namenjena tudi sočasnemu razvoju materinščine in strokovnega jezika. Sama sem se posebej posvetila tudi pripravi didaktičnih pripomočkov za vodenje raziskovalnega pouka v razredu. V okviru disertacije sem za pet izbranih tematik, od katerih je bila vsaka namenjena obravnavi v enem od prvih petih razredov devetletne osnovne šole, pripravila podrobne didaktične komentarje k gradivom. Za evalvacijo učinkovitosti in uspešnosti raziskovalnega pouka sem za vsako tematiko oziroma razred sestavila vprašalnik, ki so ga pred in po učnem posegu izpolnjevali učenci v eksperimentalni skupini, ki je bila poučevana z raziskovalnim poukom, in učenci kontrolne skupine, ki so bili poučevani s klasičnimi pristopi. Pri evalvaciji rezultatov sem najprej preverila zanesljivost in občutljivost testov, nato pa statistično analizirala rezultate testov. Najprej sem primerjala dosežke učencev eksperimentalne skupine na pred- in po-testih, nato pa še rezultate po-testov učencev eksperimentalne skupine z rezultati kontrolne. Rezultati kažejo porast znanja in spretnosti učencev v eksperimentalni skupini raziskovalni pouk torej omogoča dosegati cilje učnih načrtov. Primerjava z rezultati učencev v kontrolni skupini kaže na izenačenost oziroma rahlo prednost eksperimentalne skupine v skupnih rezultatih. Primerjava dosežkov pri nalogah iz veščin, specifičnih za raziskovalni pouk pa kaže, da so učinki raziskovalnega pouka bolj opazni pri starejših učencih, saj v prvih dveh razredih ni bilo statistično pomembnih razlik med dosežki obeh skupin. Pri projektih smo evalvirali tudi vpliv raziskovalnega pouka na odnos učencev in učiteljev do naravoslovja. Pri učencih so rezultati pokazali, da ta pristop ne vzpostavi naraščajoče priljubljenosti, opazimo pa, da je porast odklonilnega odnosa statistično pomembno omiljen (v primerjavi s porastom odklonilnega odnosa do šole v splošnem). Učitelji so po dveh letih sodelovanja v projektu izražali statistično pomembno povečanje samozavesti za poučevanje naravoslovja in povečano zavedanje pozitivne vloge naravoslovja v družbi. Konativni učinek raziskovalnega pouka na sodelujoče učence in učitelje torej lahko ocenimo kot pozitiven. Pomemben prispevek tega dela je priprava in izvedba množičnega usposabljanja učiteljev za raziskovalni pouk, priprava gradiv za izvajanje usposabljanja učiteljev in za delo z učenci v razredu, vzpostavitev izposojevalnic eksperimentalnih pripomočkov in prva množična kvantitativna študija učinkov raziskovalnega pouka v Sloveniji. The decline of publics' attitude towards science and low enrolment in science-related studies in the developed countries has been debated among educators and politicians for some time, because negative trends threaten future development and the already achieved standards of living in the affected countries. Experts agree that the established methods of teaching science are partly to blame for the situation however, they also agree that science education can also provide solutions. EC-founded research states, that inquiry-based science education (IBSE) may be the pedagogy for the future and the tool to reverse negative trends in attitudes towards science and science education. Research in the USA confirmed those findings. EC funded two large scale research, development and dissemination projects within FP6 and FP7, both aimed to implement IBSE in Europe. In both The Pollen Project and The Fibonacci Project Slovenia was actively participating, with University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education as a partner institution. My role as a national coordinator of both projects was to plan, coordinate, and implement a system of continuous professional development courses (CPD) for teachers, preparation of didactics materials for teachers and pupils, design toolkit boxes for pupils' experiments in the classrooms, and organizing a network of resource centres in Ljubljana, Kamnik and Kranj. Resource centres, which lend the boxes with experimental equipment for classroom use are still operating with the support of local municipalities. Altogether 19 IBSE topics were prepared by the expert team from the Faculty of Education. Special attention was devoted to language use and development, as communicating skills are crucial in science. My personal efforts were also devoted to developing didactic materials for guiding inquiry in the classroom. This thesis consists of detailed didactic commentary for 5 topics, adjusted to use in grades 1 to 5 –one for each grade. I also prepared 5 questionnaires to survey improvement in pupils’ knowledge and compare experimental groups’ achievements which was taught by IBSE approach, with the control group’s achievements with standard teaching practices results. Evaluation of pre- and post-test results comparison showed statistically important improvement in pupils’ skills and knowledge. When compared to the control groups’ results, experimental group was equal or slightly better. When IBSE specific skills were compared, experimental group tended to prevail with older pupils, but no significant differences were detected in grades 1 and 2. Pupils’ and teachers’ attitudes towards science were also evaluated after two years of involvement in IBSE within the Pollen project. IBSE failed to reverse negative trends in attitudes with pupils, but it succeeded to mitigate the negative effect. Decline in attitudes towards science was less severe than in attitude towards school in general. Involvement in the project and IBSE had very positive effect on teachers’ attitudes towards science, their appreciation of the role of science in society and their confidence in teaching science. This work is a contribution to improvement of the school practice in Slovenia by CPD on IBSE for teachers, didactic materials for teachers and pupils, establishing resource centres with experimental tools for classroom use and quantitative study of the effect of IBSE in Slovenia.

V diplomskem delu sem raziskovala predstave predšolskih otrok o vremenu in letnih časih. V teoretičnem delu sem opisala vreme in vremenske elemente, ki so pomembni za opazovanje vremena, ter letne čase, značilne za naše kraje. Opisala sem, kako je naravoslovje in pri tem tematika diplomske naloge zastopana v Kurikulumu za vrtce. Na kratko sem predstavila spoznavni razvoj otroka in metode dela, ki sem jih uporabila pri izvajanju dejavnosti. V empiričnem delu sem preko intervjuja poizvedela, koliko otroci poznajo različne vremenske situacije in koliko že vedo o letnih časih. Ugotovila sem, da otroci vremenske situacije dobro prepoznavajo, zamenjujejo le megleno in oblačno vreme, manj poznani pa so jim letni časi. Načrtovala in izvedla sem dejavnosti, s katerimi sem želela vplivati na znanje otrok, ki sem ga na koncu ponovno preverila in ugotovila, da sem z izvedenimi dejavnostmi uspešno nadgradila njihovo poznavanje in razumevanje obravnavane tematike. In my dissertation, I studied children's perceptions of the weather and the seasons. In the theoretical part, I described the weather and other weather elements that are important for weather observations, as well as the seasons that are typical for our regions. I also described how science is included in the kindergarten curriculum and thus the topic of the dissertation. I presented the cognitive development of children and the methods I used in conducting the activities. Through various interviews, I learned how much the children already know about different weather situations and seasons. I recorded this in the empirical part of my dissertation. I found out that children know different weather situations but do not know very much about seasons. I planned and implemented the activities I wanted to use to influence children's knowledge on this topic. At the end, I reviewed the results and found that my activities successfully improved children's knowledge and understanding of the topic.

Namen diplomskega dela je ugotoviti primernost različnih zmajev za izvajanje dejavnosti v predšolskem obdobju. Na podlagi tega smo oblikovali usmeritve k izvajanju aktivnosti z zmaji za otroke v predšolskem obdobju. Diplomsko delo je razdeljeno na dva dela, teoretični in empirični del. V teoretičnem delu je predstavljen izvor zmajev in njihova kasnejša uporaba. Zmajarstvo je opredeljeno kot vrsta otroške igre in zmaj kot vrsta igrače. Ocenjena je najbolj primerna starost otroka za izvajanje dejavnosti z zmaji. Navedeni sta dve klasifikaciji zmajev v različne skupine. Opisana je sestava zmaja ter materiali, iz katerih lahko zmaje izdelujemo. Ker na letenje zmajev močno vplivajo atmosferske razmere, je predstavljen pojav vetra ter metodi merjenja smeri in hitrosti vetra. Predstavljen je pojav letenja zmaja z vidika fizike. Opisano je primerno okolje, v katerem zmaje lahko spuščamo ter vloga pomočnika in odraslega pri spuščanju zmajev. Na koncu je opisano še učenje z raziskovanjem ter pozitivni vplivi spuščanja zmaja na otroka. V empiričnem delu je predstavljena analiza letov različnih prototipov zmajev štirih različnih tipov. Opisan je postopek izdelave treh različnih modelov zmajev. Predstavljeno je projektno delo v povezavi z zmaji, ki ga lahko izvajamo z otroki v predšolskem obdobju. V prilogi je videoposnetek, na katerem štiriletni otrok enega od zmajev spušča v telovadnici. The purpose of the diploma thesis is to determine the suitability of the various kites to carry out activities in the pre-school period as well to initiate the kite activities with children in the pre-school period. The thesis is divided into two parts, theoretical and empirical. The theoretical part presents the origin of kites and their subsequent use. Kite flying is defined as a type of children's game and a kite as a type of toy. The most appropriate age of the child for carrying out activities with kites is assessed. Two classifications of kites are listed in different groups. The composition of a kite and materials from which kites can be made are described. The flying of kites is strongly influenced by atmospheric conditions that is why the wind, and the method of measuring wind direction and speed are presented. The phenomenon of kite flying is also explained from the physics point of view. It describes the appropriate environment in which we can fly a kite and the role of assistant and adult in this process. Finally, it describes learning through inquiry and the positive effects of the kite's flying on the child. The empirical part presents an analysis of the flights of different prototypes of kites of four different types. The process of producing three different models of kites is described. The thesis also presents the project work concerning kites, which can be carried out with children in the pre-school period. The attachment features a video of a 4-year-old child flying one of the kites in the gym.

Diplomsko delo je razdeljeno na dva dela, teoretični in empirični del. V teoretičnem delu so predstavljeni razvoj mišljenja in učenje pri predšolskih otrocih, učenje naravoslovja pri predšolskih otrocih, vloga odraslih pri učenju naravoslovja v predšolskem obdobju, metoda opazovanja, nekaj teorije o vremenu in oblakih ter povzetki ugotovitev o otroških predstavah iz literature. V empiričnem delu je najprej predstavljen vprašalnik, pri katerem sem zaradi možnosti primerjave predstav otrok iz mojega vzorca s tujimi vprašanja povzemala iz literature (McJunkin, 1991, Saçkes, Flevares in Cabe Tundle, 2010, Malleus, Kikas in Marken, 2016, Miner, 1992) ter jih v obliki intervjuja zastavila otrokom. Vsebuje 13 vprašanj o vremenskih pojavih. Osredotočila sem se na vprašanja o oblakih (6 vprašanj) in dežju (7 vprašanj). Namen je bil ugotoviti, kakšne predstave imajo 4–6-letniki o vremenskih pojavih, primerjati odgovore glede na starost ter ugotoviti, kakšne so razlike med odgovori slovenskih otrok in otrok iz tujih raziskav. Odgovore 100 otrok, starih 4–6 let, sem prikazala v obliki tabel in s pomočjo programa Excel tudi v stolpčnih diagramih. Presented thesis is comprised of two parts the theoretical and the empirical part. The theoretical part offers brief overview on development of thinking and learning in preschoolers, natural sciences teaching principles in preschoolers, role of adults in natural sciences teachings in preschoolers, observation method, weather and clouds theory. The summary of conclusions on children's perceptions regarding weather from academic literature completes the theoretical part. The empirical part presents a questionnaire with selected questions from academic literature (McJunkin 1991 Saçkes, Flevares in Cabe Tundle 2010 Malleus, Kikas in Marken 2016 Miner 1992) that were used in analysis and later compare findings with ones reported in the literature. The interview consists of 13 questions on weather phenomena. The thesis focuses on questions regarding clouds (6 questions) and rain (7 questions). The aim was to establish perception on weather phenomena in 4–6 year olds, compare the answers within different age groups and discover how findings from the focus group differ from findings in foreign literature. The answers from 100 children, age group 4–6, are presented in spreadsheets and Excel Bar Charts.

Diplomsko delo je razdeljeno na dva dela, teoretični in praktični del. V teoretičnem delu je predstavljena Zemlja in splošni podatki (oblika, barva, kroženje Zemlje in življenje na Zemlji). Na kratko sta omenjena in predstavljena tudi Sonce in Luna. Na koncu teoretičnega dela pa je prav tako na kratko povzet razvoj otrokovega mišljenja. V praktičnem delu je najprej predstavljen vprašalnik, pri katerem sem vprašanja povzela iz literature (Panagiotaki, Potton & Nobes, 2009) ter ga v obliki intervjuja zastavila otrokom. Vsebuje šest vprašanj o predstavah o Zemlji, osredotočila sem se predvsem na obliko Zemlje, kaj Zemljo obdaja in primer vprašanja, ki pokaže, ali otrok res razume obliko Zemlje. Namen je bil ugotoviti, kakšne predstave imajo predšolski otroci o planetu Zemlja in jih primerjati s predstavami otrok iz drugih dežel, ki so omenjene v literaturi. Odgovore 50 otrok, starih od 5 do 6 let, sem prikazala v razpredelnicah in s pomočjo programa Excel tudi v tortnih diagramih. This bachelor's thesis is divided into two parts, the theoretical and the practical one. In the theoretical part planet Earth and the general data of the Earth (shape, color, Earth's circulation and life on Earth) is presented. The Sun and the Moon are also briefly presented. At the end of the theoretical part the cognitive development in children is also briefly described. In the empirical part the questionnaire used to interview the children is presented. It contains 6 questions on ideas about the Earth. The purpose was to find out what kind of ideas pre-school children have about planet Earth and compare our childrens' ideas with ideas of children in other coutries, mentioned in the literature. The answers of 50 children, aged 5 to 6 years old, are presented in a spreadsheet and in Excel pie charts.

V predšolskem obdobju je otrok dovzeten za marsikatero informacijo, spoznanje, ustvarjanje. Starši in strokovni delavci vrtca lahko otrokov potencial opazujejo, spremljajo, nadgrajujejo in razvijajo, ali pa ga preprosto prepustijo naključjem. Pomembno je, da v vsakem otroku prepoznamo potenciale in mu pomagamo pri njihovi uresničitvi, saj so temelj za kasnejše učenje, razumevanje in védenje. Naravoslovna pismenost je temelj vseživljenjskega učenja in zato je predšolsko obdobje zelo pomembno obdobje v razvoju posameznika. Otroku moramo pustiti iniciativo pri raziskovanju narave, pri tem pa mu pomagati in ga vzpodbujati. Namen diplomskega dela je ugotoviti, kako strokovni delavci vrtca vpeljujejo naravoslovne vsebine – predvsem s področja fizike – v vsakdanji kurikul. Zanima nas, katere vsebine izvajajo in, če jih, kako oz. kakšni so vzroki, če jih ne. V teoretičnem delu predstavimo naravoslovne vsebine, zajete v kurikulu za vrtce, in pomen obravnave naravoslovnih tem v predšolskem obdobju. V empiričnem delu je predstavljena analiza odgovorov iz anketnega vprašalnika, ki je strokovne delavce vrtcev spraševal o poznavanju fizikalnih vsebin in njihovi uporabi v vsakdanjem izvedbenem kurikulu. Rezultati so pokazali, da strokovni delavci v vrtcu zelo malo uporabljajo fizikalne vsebine ali jih sploh ne. Če jih, so to tiste, ki so zanimive njim in jih dobro poznajo. Kot razlog za pomanjkljivo obravnavo ali neizvajanje navajajo nepoznavanje fizikalnih vsebin. In preschool years, children are capable of learning and creating and able to memorize facts. Parents and preschool workers can observe a child’s potential, keep track of it, nurture it and help develop it or just let it develop on its own. It is important that we recognize such potentials in every child and help them realize it, because this is the basis for future learning, understanding and knowledge. Understanding nature is the foundation of life-long learning and the preschool period is a very important time in a child’s development. We must let children the initiative in discovering nature and help them and encourage them in these endeavours. The purpose of this thesis is to determine how preschool workers include lessons on natural sciences (especially physics) in everyday curriculum. We wanted to find out what topics they cover and how they cover them as well as reasons why they may not include them. In the theoretical part we present topics of natural sciences which are included in the preschool curriculum and the importance of covering such topics in the preschool period. In the empirical part we demonstrate the analysis of the questionnaire that was given out to preschool workers about their knowledge of physical topics and their inclusion in everyday curriculum. The results showed that preschool workers rarely include physical topics or not at all. If they decide to include them, they do it because they find them interesting and they know them well. The main reason for not including physical topics is a bad knowledge of such topics.

Diplomsko delo opisuje dejavnosti, s katerimi otrokom omogočamo spoznavanje vesolja v vrtcu. V teoretičnem delu so predstavljene vsebine in metode dela, ki sem jih glede na otrokovo stopnjo mišljenja uporabila pri načrtovanju dejavnosti. Če vzgojitelj dobro pozna temo, ki jo obravnava v vrtcu, in otrokovo razvojno fazo, lahko izbere ustrezne metode dela, da otrokom lažje približa nove pojme in procese, ki se dogajajo v vesolju. V empiričnem delu so najprej predstavljeni rezultati raziskave otrokovega razumevanja vesolja pred izvedenimi načrtovanimi dejavnostmi. Zanimale so me predstave o Soncu, Luni ter planetih. Glede na ugotovljeno predznanje otrok sem načrtovala dejavnosti s tega področja. Pri tem sem upoštevala otrokov miselni razvoj in uporabljala metode, s katerimi sem predvidevala, da bom lahko otroke naučila čim več novega o vesolju. Te dejavnosti so predstavljene v osrednjem delu. V zadnjem delu predstavljam rezultate raziskave o otrokovem poznavanju Osončja in vesolja, ki so pokazali, da so otroci dobili pravilne predstave o telesih, ki se nahajajo v našem Osončju, in spoznali tudi določene procese, ki se v njem dogajajo. Za razumevanje procesov v vesolju pa bodo potrebovali več predznanja in miselnih sposobnosti. The diploma work describes activities that enable children in the kindergarten to learn about the universe. The theoretical part presents the contents and methods of work, which I used when planning the activities according to the child's level of thinking. If the teacher knows the topic they are discussing in the kindergarten, and is familiar with the child’s developmental stage, they can choose appropriate working methods for helping children to understand new concepts and processes happening in space. The empirical part presents the results of a research about a child's understanding of the universe. The research was carried out before the planned activities took place. I was interested in their ideas about the Sun, the Moon, and the planets. I planned activities in this field that were based on the children's prior knowledge. In doing so, I took into account a child's mental development, and used the methods that would presumably help me the most with teaching the children as many new things about the universe as possible. These activities are presented in the central part. In the last section, I present the results of a research about a child's knowledge of the solar system and the universe. The results showed that the children had been given the correct perceptions about the bodies in our solar system. They also knew about certain processes that are happening in it, but they will require more knowledge and thinking skills for actually understanding the processes in space.

Oče, mama, učitelj, vzgojitelj in drugi so vodniki, ki otroka popeljejo skozi dejavnosti in ga vodijo na njegovi poti spoznavanja in učenja. Otroci se vsak dan srečujejo z vprašanji zakaj, kako, koliko in kaj. Čudijo se stvarem okoli sebe, ki jih še ne poznajo. Med področji, posebej bogatimi z miselnimi izzivi so tudi narava, naravoslovje in voda. Skozi zgodovino so ljudje spoznali, da voda ne obstaja samo v tekoči obliki, ampak tudi v plinasti in trdni obliki. Cilj moje diplomske naloge je ugotoviti, ali otroci v prvem starostnem obdobju znajo ločevati tekočo vodo od drugih tekočin. Zanimalo me je tudi, ali otroci vedo, kaj je led in ali ga znajo ločevati od snovi, na videz podobnih ledu. Tretji del raziskave se nanaša na vodo v plinasti obliki, kjer so predšolski otroci odgovarjali, kaj je para, in jo razlikovali od dima. Father, mother, teacher, educator and others are guides who lead the child through activities on the path of cognition and learning. Children face questions why, how, when and what every day. They are amazed by the things they do not know. Nature, science and water are offering rich mental challenges. People discovered that water does not exist only in liquid form but also in gaseous and solid states long ago. Aim of my diploma thesis is to determine whether toddlers are able to distinguish liquid water from other similar liquids, do they know what ice is and whether they are able to distinguish it from substances similar to ice. The third part of the research relates to water in gaseous form, where preschoolers were answering questions about steam and smoke.

V diplomskem delu predstavljam učenje predšolskega otroka in pristope k poučevanju pri obravnavi učne enote vpliva sončnega obsevanja na temperaturo. V prvem poglavju teoretičnega dela diplomske naloge predstavljam fizikalne osnove sončne energije in sončno obsevanje kot vir energije, ki ga človek izkorišča za svoje dejavnosti, v drugem poglavju pa nekatera pojmovanja učenja in pristope k poučevanju, ki so pomembni na kurikularnem področju naravoslovja. S teoretičnimi osnovami sem oblikovala empirični del diplomske naloge in ga glede na zastavljene cilje razdelila na tri dele. V prvem delu predstavljam rezultate strukturiranih intervjujev, s katerimi sem odkrivala predstave predšolskih otrok o Soncu in sončni energiji. S pomočjo pridobljenih informacij sem zasnovala učno pripravo, v kateri sem upoštevala tudi usmeritve različnih teorij učenja, npr. konstruktivistično poučevanje pojmov s kognitivnim konfliktom, učenje kot reševanje problemov in raziskovalno učenje, kar predstavljam v drugem delu. Nato sem izvedla predvidene dejavnosti s predšolskim otroci drugega starostnega obdobja in ponovno opravila strukturirane intervjuje. V tretjem delu predstavljam rezultate ponovne izvedbe intervjujev in sklepanja, kako je učni poseg vplival na predstave predšolskih otrok o Soncu in sončni energiji. Primerjava rezultatov intervjujev pred in po izvedbi dejavnosti kaže na očitne spremembe v predstavah predšolskih otrok o Soncu in sončni energiji, ki jih lahko pripišemo ustreznemu učenju in pristopom k poučevanju. In this thesis, I present learning of preschool children and approaches to teaching the learning unit called The effect of solar radiation on temperature. In the first chapter of the theoretical part, I present the physical basis of solar energy and radiation as the source of energy exploited by human beings for their activities, while in the second chapter I present some of the most important learning concepts and teaching approaches for the preschool curriculum field of science. With the theoretical foundation, I formed the empirical part of the thesis and divided it into three parts according to the set goals. In the first part, I present the results of structured interviews that show preschool children's ideas about the Sun and solar energy. Then, with the help of the acquired information, I prepared a learning lesson in which I took into account different learning theories like constructivist teaching notions with cognitive conflict, learning presented as problem-solving and inquiry-based learning. Furthermore, I performed activities with preschool children aged five to six years. In the third part of the research I re-conducted the interviews and with that, I obtained information on how the learning process influenced the preschool children's perception on the Sun and solar energy. The comparison of the interview results before and after the lesson shows that there are some obvious changes in the preschool children's ideas about the Sun and solar energy that can be attributed to proper learning and teaching approaches.

Narava nudi nam in otrokom neskončno možnosti za pridobivanje novih spoznanj, če le pozorno opazujemo in si dovolimo raziskovati, postavljati vprašanja in vztrajno iskati odgovore. Otroci so raziskovalne narave in spontano, skozi igro spoznavajo svet okoli sebe. Medtem lahko odrasli z ustreznimi spodbudami in usmeritvami omogočimo otrokom novih okoliščin za reševanje problemov in za raziskovanje, s čemer sami pridejo do sklepov, ter jih tako vodimo k razvoju kritičnega mišljenja. V teoretičnem delu diplomske naloge sta opisana razvoj otroka v predšolskem obdobju in področje naravoslovja v vrtcu, katerih poznavanje je temelj za načrtovanje dejavnosti, ki omogočajo otrokom spoznavanje lastnosti Lune predvsem na podlagi lastnih opazovanj. Za kakovostno načrtovanje in vodenje dejavnosti opazovanj Lune so v teoretičnem delu opisane tudi bistvene značilnosti Lune. V empiričnem delu so opisane ugotovitve na podlagi intervjujev z otroki dveh različnih starostnih skupin (prvo in drugo starostno obdobje) o njihovih predstavah o Luni. V skladu s temi sem razvila naravoslovne dejavnosti, pri katerih otroci preko lastnih opazovanj in zaznav spoznavajo lastnosti Lune, zakonitosti njenega gibanja in spreminjanje oblike svetlega dela. Te dejavnosti so načrtovane tako, da se prepletajo z dejavnostmi ostalih področij kurikuluma, se med seboj povezujejo, dopolnjujejo in nadgrajujejo. Po končanih opazovanjih in ostalih dejavnostih sem ponovno izvedla intervjuje z otroki obeh starostnih skupin. Iz primerjave rezultatov sem ocenila vpliv načrtovanih dejavnosti na predstave otrok o Luni in na njihovo poznavanje Luninih značilnosti. Nature offers us and children endless opportunities to acquire new knowledge, if only we observe it carefully, if we allow ourselves to explore it, ask questions and persistently search for answers. Children like to explore, therefore they learn about the world spontaneously, by playing games. Adults can guide children by appropriate stimulation and direction and thus by the creation of new circumstances which lead to problem solving and researching. These result in conclusions, which are followed by the development of critical thinking. In the theoretical part of this thesis I describe child development in the preschool period and the field of natural science in kindergarten. The understanding of these two is the basis of planning activities, which enable children knowing the features of the moon on the basis of their own observations. The essential features of the moon are also described in the theoretical part of the thesis in order to help successfully plan and lead the activities of moon observation. Findings from children's interviews are included in the empirical part. Children from two age groups (first and second age bracket) answered questions on their observations and notions of the moon. In accordance to their answers and ideas I developed science activities which help children learn about the features of the moon, its movement and the changes in the shape of its illuminated portion on the basis of their own observations and perceptions. These activities are planned in accordance with other activities of the curriculum, are related to them, intertwined with them and they also upgrade them. Interviews with children from both age groups were conducted again after the observations and other activities were finished. The comparison of the conclusions results in my evaluation of the planned activities influence on children's notions and knowledge of the moon features.

Brez vode ni življenja. Tako otroci kot odrasli se vsakodnevno srečujemo z vodo v najrazličnejših oblikah. Potrebujemo jo za golo preživetje in tudi za sproščanje, ter igro. Ker gre za dragoceno snov, moramo z njo skrbno ravnati in otroke že v predšolskem obdobju navajati na smotrno porabo le te. Otroci uživajo v igri z vodo in na nas, strokovnih delavcih je, da jih pri igri z vodo le usmerjamo, da iz izkušenj pridobijo največ. V diplomskem delu sem raziskovala, koliko otroci vedo o plovnosti stvari, ki jih obkrožajo. Pri tem pa sem se srečala tudi z odraslimi, ki na primer niso vedeli, zakaj ladja plava. Da bi bilo nevednosti čim manj, predlagam dejavnosti, s katerimi se otroci preko izkušenj naučijo nekaterih zakonitosti, ki odločajo o tem, ali določen predmet v tekočini potone ali plava. Diplomsko delo je sestavljeno iz teoretičnega in empiričnega dela. V teoretičnem delu sem predstavila fizikalne osnove iz področja plovnosti in razvoj otroka. Pri tem sem izpostavila dva avtorja, katerih teoriji se hkrati povezujeta in razlikujeta to sta Jean Piaget in pa Lev Semjonovič Vigotski. V empiričnem delu je opisana raziskava, ki sem jo izvedla v Vzgojnovarstvenem zavodu Radovljica in pridobljeni rezultati. Podrobneje so opisane tudi naravoslovne dejavnosti, s katerimi sem želela otrokom približati razumevanje plovnosti. Glede na zadovoljstvo otrok, ki so sodelovali v raziskavi menim, da vodo premalokrat vključujemo v dejavnosti. Želim si, da voda v bližnji prihodnosti strokovnim delavcem ne bi več predstavljala ovire, temveč kot dobra iztočnica za oblikovanje naravoslovnih pojmov, pri kateri otroci radi sodelujejo. Without water there is no life. Kids, as like adults, are faced with water in various forms every day. We need it for bare survival and also for leisure activities and play. Since it is a precious substance, we need to handle it carefully and teach the children to rationally consume it already in the preschool age. Kids enjoy playing with water and on us, professional workers, is to navigate them through play so they also learn from experience with it. For my diploma thesis I was exploring how much children know about the sinking and floating of everyday objects, but I've also met adults who didn't know, for example, why ships float. To help developing the understanding about this phenomena, I prerared some activities which enable to learn about floating and sinking through experience. My thesis consists of two parts, theoretical and practical. In theoretical part I am presenting laws of physics, relevant for floating and sinking. I am also presenting child's development in preschool age. I focused mainly on two authors, Jean Piaget and Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky. Their theories are partly similar and opposite in some aspects. In practical part I report about research I made in Vzgojnovarstveni zavod Radovljica. I focused on science activities, which I developed for kids to understand sinking and floating and analyse the impact on their understanding of the phenomena. According to their satisfaction, I think we should use water for science activities more often. I also wish that the proposed activities help professional workers in kindergartens to use play with water to develop some skills and scientific understanding of the laws of nature with kids.

Diplomska naloga Predšolski otroci spoznavajo vire električne energije je sestavljena iz teoretičnega in empiričnega dela. V teoretičnem delu je povzeta kognitivna razvojna teorija Jeana Piageta in raziskava otroških predstav o električnem toku Davida Shipstona. Dodan je tudi kratek opis ključnih besed s katerimi so se otroci seznanili v raziskovalnem delu. Drugi del diplomske naloge je empirični. Z individualnimi intervjuji sem ugotavljala predstave, ki jih imajo pet do šest let stari otroci o pojmih s področja elektrike in na ta način preverila svoje hipoteze o tem. Na osnovi analize odgovorov otrok na vprašanja med individualnimi intervjuji pred začetkom dejavnosti sem načrtovala dejavnosti, namenjene spoznavanju nekaterih pojmov s področja elektrike. Po izvedenih dejavnostih sem otrokom ponovno zastavila enaka vprašanja kot pred njimi. Analiza odgovorov otrok na vprašanja pred in po izvedenih aktivnostih nakazuje, da so se predstave otrok o pojmih, povezanih z električno energijo, dopolnile ali spremenile. V zaključku diplomske naloge je podan tudi predlog za nadaljne aktivnosti s področja raziskovanja električnega omrežja od vira do porabnika in električne napeljave od razdelilne omarice do končnega porabnika. The bachelor's degree titled Preschool Children Explore the Sources of Electrical Energy consists of theoretical and empirical part. The theoretical part is based on the theory of child cognitive development by Jean Piaget and on research on electric current perception of children by David Shipston. A short description of key words, introduced to the children in the research work, is added to the degree. The second part of the Bachelor's degree is empirical. During the research period hypotheses on electric current perception of 5- to 6-year-old children were proven. The research was based on children's response analysis of the investigative questions, received during individual interviews at the very beginning of the research. After the conclusion of the research, the children were tested again to check their gained knowledge on the electric current. The analysis of the questions before and after the research implies some changes in children's electric current perception, which was either improved or changed. In the conclusion of this degree there is a suggestion on how to continue the research on the electric power system from the source to its users and on electric installations from the junction box to the final consumer.

Bistvo diplomskega dela so vodni mlinčki. Ker pa se ti ne vrtijo kar sami od sebe, sem njihovo delovanje podrobneje pojasnila. V mojem primeru je voda tista, ki prenaša energijo na mlinčke in jih s tem poganja, zato sem se najprej osredotočila na pomen vodne energije v vsakdanjem življenju. Ker so pri mojem diplomskem delu sodelovali tudi otroci, se mi je zdelo pomembno, da predstavim njihovo razvojno stopnjo in dojemanje stvari v tej starosti. Beseda energija je za otroke zelo nedojemljiv pojem, saj ni stvaren. Poskušala sem jim ga približati na njim sprejemljiv način, in tako smo ugotovili, da mlinčki zares potrebujejo neko energijo, da se zavrtijo, saj sami od sebe ne naredijo ničesar. Da pa smo prišli do teh rezultatov, je bilo potrebnih kar nekaj vprašanj, poskusov in razlag. Otroke sem najprej posamično intervjuvala, da sem izvedela, kaj o mlinčkih in njihovem delovanju že vedo nato pa sem na podlagi dobljenih rezultatov pripravila dejavnosti, s katerimi sem otrokom približala mlinčke in jim predstavila njihovo delovanje. Po končanih dejavnostih sem jih ponovno posamično intervjuvala z istim vprašalnikom kot prej in dobila izjemne rezultate, saj so si otroci zares veliko zapomnili in se naučili veliko novega. The topic of my graduation thesis is about water mills. Because they do not spin on their own, I have explained their workings in more intricate detail. In this case water is the source of energy that powers the mills, so I described hydro energy means. Preparing activities for children was a part of my thesis, so it was important to me to present their processes of learning and developing understanding. For the children the concept of energy does not have a clear meaning, so I tried to design activities to help them understand the concept in a meaningful way and bring them to the conclusion that the mill must be powered by some kind of energy to turn, otherwise it would not be able to do anything. To come to these results, one has to ask many questions, make several experiments and provide multiple explanations. I interviewed the children separately to find out what they already knew about mills and how they work. Based on their responses I prepared activities which showed the children what mills are and how they work. Once they completed the activities I interviewed the children again using the same questions as previously. The results were astonishing, as the children really learned and remembered many new things.

Na podlagi lastnih izkušenj in pogovorov z vzgojiteljicami sem ugotovila, da je še vedno redko zaznati načrtovanje fizikalnih aktivnosti za predšolske otroke. To je bil povod, da sem zasnovala akcijsko raziskavo o zvoku za predšolske otroke. Aktivnosti so bile povezane s temo zvok, z njimi pa sem otrokom omogočila aktivno sodelovanje pri odkrivanju in spoznavanju lastnosti zvoka, njegovem nastajanju in širjenju. Zanimalo me je, kako aktivnosti o zvoku vodijo otroke do zastavljenih učnih ciljev in v kolikšni meri otroci prek aktivnosti usvojijo pojme, ki jih povezujemo z zvokom. V teoretičnem delu diplomskega dela so predstavljeni pomen zgodnjega učenja naravoslovja, učna vsebina zvoka in akcijsko raziskovanje. Na podlagi študije literature in izkušenj sem oblikovala strukturiran intervju za preverjanje otrokovih predstav o zvoku. Glede na dobljene odgovore so bile naprej načrtovane aktivnosti, ki sem jih izvedla v skupini devetnajstih otrok, starih od štiri do pet let. Vsaka aktivnost je analizirana in prikazuje, kako so otroci sodelovali in sprejemali novo znanje. Posamezna analiza aktivnosti pa je usmerjala načrtovanje naslednje aktivnosti. Po koncu izvajanja aktivnosti sem še enkrat preverila predstave otrok z istimi vprašanji strukturiranega vprašalnika kot pred izvajanjem aktivnosti. Analiza dobljenih rezultatov o predstavah otrok o zvoku pred in po izvedenih aktivnostih, poveznih z zvokom, nakazuje, da so se predstave otrok o pojmih, povezanih z zvokom, dopolnile ali spremenile. Presenetili so z znanjem o poteku zvoka od uhlja do možganov. Pokazalo se je, da predšolski otroci sicer slišijo oziroma razlikujejo višje in nižje tone, ampak lastnosti še ne ubesedijo kot višino in jo v večini pripisujejo glasnosti. Personal experience and discussions with kindergarten teachers show that physics activities for preschool children are planned quite rarely. To this end, we devised an action research on sound for preschool children. The activities were related to the topic of sound, which enabled the children to actively discover and become acquainted with the properties of sound, how it is produced and how it travels. We examined how sound-related activities help children achieve the learning objectives and influence their preconceptions. The theoretical part of the thesis points to the significance of early science education, learning content related to sound, and action research. We developed a structured interview on the basis of relevant literature and experience to explore the preconceptions of children about sound. Moreover, the answers were used as a basis for the activities that were conducted in a group of 19 children aged from 4 to 5 years. The analysis of all the activities showed how the children participated in the activities and accepted the acquired knowledge. Each activity was analysed and used in the planning of the next activity. When the activities were completed, we once again carried out the same structured interview to evaluate the children's conceptions. The analysis of their conceptions about sound before and after the activities indicates that their preconceptions were extended or changed. Children were successful in describing the path of sound from the outer ear to the brain. It transpired that preschool children are able to hear and distinguish higher and lower tones, but fail to verbalise this property that they usually attribute to sound loudness.

V teoretičnem delu diplomske naloge sem najprej povzela, kar o obravnavi elektrike najdemo v literaturi (Labinowicz, Driver) in posebnosti obravnave teme v predšolskem obdobju. Predstavila sem pojem elektrika oziroma električni tok in nekaj preprostih naprav, ki delujejo na elektriko, vire in pojem električna energija. V empiričnem delu sem najprej predstavila vprašalnik za ugotavljanje otroških predstav v zvezi z elektriko. Na osnovi analize rezultatov ankete, pridobljenih z individualnimi intervjuji, sem pripravila sklop dejavnosti za spoznavanje električnega kroga in jih otrokom predstavila prek poskusov. Po končanih dejavnostih sem ponovno preverila otroške predstave o električnem krogu in primerjala rezultate pred in po testu. In the theoretical part of my thesis, I first summarized what can be found in literature concerning electricity treatment (Labinowicz, Driver) and particularities of topics treatment in a preschool period, as well. I presented the concepts of electricity and electrical current, respectively, and several simple devices that operate on the basis of electricity, sources and the concept of electric energy. In the empirical part I first presented the questionnaire for identification of children's understanding of the concept of electricity. Based on the survey results analysis, obtained with individual interviews, I prepared the set of activities for getting to know the electrical circuit, and presented them to the children via experiments. After that, I’ve checked the children’s perception of electricity again and made the comparison of the results before and after the test.