ABSTRACT
While scientific thinking has traditionally been described as a late-developing set of skills, recent research has identified early competencies in elementary school and even preschool age. The present chapter proposes a conceptual model of early scientific thinking skills. Based on several series of individual studies of hypothesis testing, evidence evaluation, and Nature of Science understanding in four- to ten-year-old children, which indicate a beginning understanding of the relation between hypotheses and evidence in children as young as five years, a comprehensive inventory of scientific thinking skills was developed and tested in elementary school children. The findings indicate that scientific thinking is conceptually coherent in elementary school age and distinct from other domains of reasoning, general intelligence, and reading skills. Furthermore, advanced Theory of Mind was shown to be a precursor of Nature of Science understanding (NOS), with NOS and inhibitory control contributing significantly to experimentation skills.
