Developed in collaboration with several partners, including the Observatoire pour l’éducation et la santé des enfants and the Robert Sheitoyan Chair, the program À la découverte du monde (Discovering the World) aims to make science accessible and concrete in early childhood. It builds on children’s natural curiosity and emphasizes learning through play.
“Young children have a spontaneous interest in the world around them, yet science is rarely addressed in early-years classrooms. Many teachers view it as too complex to teach, or they lack time, materials, or training,” explained Bourgeois. She presented her doctoral project at the Science on Stage Canada event, held on August 16, 2025.
The program is built on four complementary components:
Over a six-month period (November to April), children explore 21 science themes, spanning both living systems (human, animal, plant, environment) and non-living systems (earth, space, physics).
The science education program is currently being piloted in several classrooms across Québec, with particular attention to schools in disadvantaged communities, where gaps in school readiness can be more significant. Two school service centres participated in the 2024–2025 pilot: the Centre de services scolaire de la Rivière-du-Nord and the Centre de services scolaire des Laurentides.
Twelve classrooms implemented the program, while a control group of eleven continued with their usual approach Participating classrooms received complete teaching kits, illustrated books, and other print resources designed for young children.
The project also included professional learning for participating teachers: four online training sessions, four half-day professional development workshops, and ongoing support through a Teams group to encourage peer collaboration.
Beyond broadening the educational experience, the project seeks to measure the meaningful effects of this structured program on both students and teachers. Two research assistants were tasked with conducting classroom observations and assessments between October 2024 and May 2025.
For children, the evaluation focused on scientific knowledge, cognitive skills (vocabulary, numeracy, self-regulation), and scientific competencies such as observing, questioning, predicting, discussing, and experimenting. For teachers, the observations examined their sense of competence, pedagogical practices, and the quality of the science learning environment.
The project underscores the importance of introducing science early in schooling, while never underestimating children’s capacities. It also highlights the essential role of adults in supporting learning, and the importance of fostering a strong connection to nature and environmental stewardship.
“This program is grounded in discovery, curiosity, and play—and above all, in the belief that every child has the potential to become a little scientist,” concluded Bourgeois.
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