STEM in the early years: rethinking teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge

Abstract

Neoliberal reforms increasingly frame early childhood education and care (ECEC) as an investment in human capital, with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education prioritised from the earliest years of learning. This policy orientation draws attention to teachers’ content knowledge, as scientific concepts require explicit guidance beyond experiential exploration. Traditionally, however, ECEC has emphasised holistic development and learning, deliberately eschewing narrow, subject-based approaches. Within this context, research has raised questions about teachers’ subject knowledge and confidence in teaching STEM. Such concerns tend to reflect conventional definitions of professional knowledge and are reinforced by gendered assumptions about STEM expertise. Focusing on computational thinking (CT) as pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), this study reports on a pilot STEM professional learning program informed by survey data and focus group discussions. It argues for a dynamic understanding of PCK in ECEC, recognising teachers’ expertise as relational, context-dependent and continually evolving.