Experiences of being “a drawer in science”

This presentation is about drawing in science activities, and particularly about educators’ own relationship to drawing. Research indicates that drawing is a powerful tool for making meaning in science (Ainsworth et al. 2011). However, when children draw as a part of science activities in early childhood education (ECE), teachers seldom support children’s drawing (Areljung et al., 2021). This presentation seeks to unfold obstacles to supporting children’s drawing in science by focusing on the educators’ experience of “being someone who draws (in science)”. Grounded in sociocultural theory, we regard drawing as a culturally and historically important feature of science (e.g., Hoffman & Wittman, 2013) and assume that drawing in science is an act of participating in a community of practice (Wenger, 1998). Framed within an interpretative qualitative paradigm, we draw on autoethnography (Ellis, Adams & Bochner, 2010) to analyze the first authors’ remembered moments from studying science and from teaching science to pre-service and in-service teachers. Ethical consideration has been given to researcher vulnerability of autoethnography (Lapadat, 2017) and to ensure that remembered moments are fairly and respectfully represented. Preliminary findings indicate that there are strong borders separating insiders from outsiders of the community of drawing in science. However, instruction can help many in-service and pre-service teachers to move from frustration, towards acknowledging drawing as a strong and important science pedagogy tool. The findings raise questions of how ECE teacher training can work to support teachers (to support children) to become insiders in the community of drawing in science. Drawing, science practice, representation, teacher education, community of practice