Fragrant Bamboo: The Constructivist Inquiry-based Science Project Curriculum Implementing Place-based Education for Preschool Children in Taiwan Tayal Indigenous Tribe

ABSTRACT

The collaborative teaching research was conducted in northern Taiwan’s Tayal indigenoustribe to practice a constructivist inquiry-based science project curriculum implementingplace-based education for kindergarten children. Research participantsincluded 2 classroom teachers and 15 young children. Entering the natural tribal context,the researcher collected data through field observations, interviews, and otherdocumentation. Qualitative method was adopted to analyze research data. A bambooproject was implemented relating to children’s life experiences. Research findingsreveal: (1) teachers and children managed to co-construct a science project curriculumbased on local resources and Tayal traditional knowledge (2) childrendeveloped basic scientific concepts and knowledge about natural plants through theinquiry-based project curriculum and (3) teachers regarded their roles as being colearnerswith children and realized the importance of children’s active involvement inthe constructivist inquiry-based teaching. The result can help to improve scienceteaching/learning for indigenous children by utilizing environmental resources as wellas traditional knowledge in future education.