Developing science inquiry skills of kindergarteners through art-making

Abstract

This Mixed Methods Embedded with Quasi-experimental Design study aimed to enhance the science inquiry skills of kindergarteners through art-making. The researcher investigated the effect of art-making in the development of science inquiry stalls of the Kindergarteners, the significant difference of the mean gain score between control and experimental groups, the challenges and insights encountered by the researcher in employing art-making strategy to the participants and cognitive and behavioral changes that occurred during the intervention. Findings of the study revealed that there was no significant difference in the mean gain score of kindergarteners between control and experimental groups perhaps due to inconsistent posttest results. However, art-making provides positive effects in kindergarteners' lives as a whole beyond academic norm. Likewise, the challenges and insights encountered were the following: time constraint, lack of teacher's assistance, kindergarteners' unfamiliarity towards art materials, and limited selection of art materials. Furthermore, the insights were: art-making stirs up kindergarteners' interest and fascination that resulted to a meaningful learning, assists kindergarteners' innate curiosity to develop more, paves the way for release of suppressed emotions, and builds up confidence. Also, the changes occurred in the research participants were: development of verbal and expressive language, social skills growth which leads to collaboration and teamwork, improvement of fine motor skills and development of critical thinking skills. The researcher's recommendations were established on the same areas specified in the findings.