'Affective Imagination' in Science Education: Determining the Emotional Nature of Scientific and Technological Learning of Young Children

Vygotsky (1986) draws attention to the interrelationship between thought and language and other aspects of mind. Although not widely acknowledged, Vygotsky (1999) also drew attention to the search for the relations between cognition and emotions. This paper discusses the findings of a study which examined imaginary scientific situations within the early years. The central research questions examined: What is the emotional nature of scientific learning? and How does "affective imagination" support early childhood science learning? Video observations were made of the teaching of science from one site in a south-eastern community in Australia (232 h of video observations). The teachers used fairy tales and Slowmation as cultural devices to support the concept formation of 3- and 4-year-old children (n?=?53; range of 3.3 to 4.4; mean of 3.8 years). The findings of this under-researched area (e.g. Roth, "Mind, Culture, and Activity" 15:2-7, 2008) make a contribution to understanding how affective imagination can work in science education in the early years.