On the Inter-Relationships Between Teachers, Technologies, and Children in Makerspace Environments: A Comparative Case Study in Kindergarten Classrooms

Adela Peleg, Sharona T. Levy

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

While early childhood education worldwide has become increasingly interested in integrating makerspaces into their curricula, little research has examined how this can be done. We conducted a comparative case study to understand how three pioneering and prominent teachers have established such spaces, their perspectives regarding makerspaces and their role in them, and what characterizes these spaces. Observational and interview research data were organized and analyzed for patterns, themes, and relationships. Three main themes were identified: (1) the makerspace design, activities, and teacher’s role are impacted by the reasons and goals teachers espouse for establishing them; (2) all three sites provided limited scaffolds for the making process–five different forms of teachers’ scaffolding were identified; and (3) while advanced technologies (robotics, 3D printing) were present, their use was limited as they required significant troubleshooting by the teacher and close supervision. These results can be used to construct a theoretical framework that provides guidance to early childhood educators who wish to integrate makerspaces in differentiated ways suited to teachers with different inclinations.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)405-432
Number of pages28
JournalJournal of Research in Childhood Education
Volume38
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Keywords

  • Advanced technologies
  • comparative case study
  • early childhood education
  • makerspaces
  • scaffolding
  • teachers’ perceptions

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Education
  • Developmental and Educational Psychology

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