2023 Efficacy Study

We conducted research examining how Kide Science affects teachers’ self-efficacy. Teachers in Finland and internationally (n = 116) completed the P-TABS survey, a validated measure of preschool teachers’ attitudes and beliefs toward science teaching (Maier et al., 2013) before and after using Kide Science. The results were clear: Kide Science increases teachers’ confidence and enjoyment in teaching STEAM. The strongest difference between Kide and non-Kide users was related to their confidence and enjoyment in teaching STEAM subjects. For example, for the question, “I feel like I have sufficient knowledge to be able to help children in inquiry-based activities,” only 6% of non-Kide teachers responded that they would strongly agree.

However, in the Kide-user teacher group, 55% of teachers stated that they would strongly agree with the same statement. Likewise, 100% of Kide teachers either “agree” (11%) or “very strongly agree” (89%) with the statement, “Doing inquiry-based activities with children makes me cheerful.’’ Conversely, only 56% of non-Kide teachers selected that they would strongly agree.

In summary, Kide Science lesson plans help teachers become more confident in their STEAM teaching skills (both content knowledge and ability to teach STEAM), and thus positively and significantly affect their enjoyment and motivation to teach STEAM in their everyday classroom practice.

2023 Product Use Study

We conducted a study to examine teachers’ perceptions of Kide Science and how they interpret the impact on children. The study surveyed teachers in Finland (n=101) and had semistructured interviews with customers outside of Finland (n = 17) that allowed us to better understand and add context to the survey results. We used a method of study called qualitative content-driven analysis to help us evaluate open-ended survey responses and interview data. This method focuses on the content of what the teachers said (instead of counting how many different teachers said it). This type of analysis emphasizes understanding the meanings, patterns, and themes in the survey and interview responses.

The study found that teachers highly valued children’s increased engagement in STEAM learning facilitated by Kide Science.

One of the teachers said that she appreciated the creative lessons and that children started to ask more scientific questions after starting Kide Science. Furthermore, teachers highlighted that Kide Science contributed to their professional development and expressed enjoyment in delivering STEAM education through Kide Science lessons. For example, one teacher described a shift in her perception of science: “I used to struggle with science. However, upon encountering Kide Science, I realized it wasn’t as challenging as I had initially thought.” Some teachers mentioned that the principles of Playful Inquiry extended beyond Kide Science lessons and Product Use Studies Product use studies refer to smaller-scale studies that are typically conducted by ALI and partners that ask qualitative and quantitative research questions but often without the rigor of a control group. They are “process” studies that help us gather research about various program outcomes (e.g., what is working and what needs improvement) before we conduct a larger-scale study that compares these outcomes directly to groups of non-users. In traditional research, these are sometimes called pilot studies or “promising studies” that use language borrowed from ESSA permeated the day. Teachers also appreciated that Kide Science reduced their workload in planning and teaching STEAM activities. Teachers found Kide Science user-friendly and appreciated its comprehensive content, indicating that everything was readily available and facilitated ease of use for educators.