Inspiring the next generation of scientists: children as researchers and storytellers

Inspiring children to pursue a career in science is a worthy pursuit for many reasons. One way to achieve this is to actively engage children in STEM learning from an early age. However, it is not always possible to integrate all the STEM fields in one activity. Rather, careful consideration of the discrete disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics and their appropriateness for the given activity may be preferable to full, transdisciplinary integration. This report describes a research project designed to support primary school children in their appreciation of scientific research through use of the 5E Instructional Model - Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaboration, and Evaluation - while applying the complementary elements of a mathematics-based statistical investigation to pose questions, collect data, represent, analyse, and interpret the data, as well as reach informed conclusions. The overwhelmingly positive response from the children and the insights shown when making data-driven decisions suggests this multidisciplinary approach has merit for future science teaching and learning.