PERSPECTIVE article
Front. Dev. Psychol.
Sec. Cognitive Development
Volume 3 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fdpys.2025.1613929
This article is part of the Research TopicInsights and Future Directions in Cognitive DevelopmentView all 3 articles
Extending cognitive development research to create more equitable science learning contexts
Provisionally accepted
- 1Purdue University, West Lafayette, United States
- 2Fairfield University, Fairfield, Connecticut, United States
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This paper aims to examine how the field of cognitive development has shifted over the last 15 years or so to consider implications of basic research in the field for educational settings, specifically in science education. Focusing on informal learning contexts, we argue that cognitive development researchers have an opportunity to build upon the work of the last fifteen years in a few critical ways. The paper examines theoretical frameworks driving research at the intersection of cognitive development and science education and reviews current research related to early science learning. We then discuss future directions for researchers aimed at creating more equitable science learning contexts for young children, including diversifying samples, forging sustainable community partnerships, and rethinking science and science education. Taken together, this paper has the potential to provide new directions for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers at the intersection of cognitive development and science education.
Keywords: science education, Early science learning, cognitive development, interdisciplinary research, Equitable science learning
Received: 18 Apr 2025; Accepted: 10 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Kumar and Haber. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Sona C. Kumar, Purdue University, West Lafayette, United States
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.