Early childhood science education in Bedouin communities

This qualitative pilot examined the feasibility and professional value of an interdisciplinary science-education intervention in three Bedouin kindergartens in Rahat, Israel. Eight preservice early-childhood teachers and eight preservice elementary-science teachers worked in interdisciplinary pairs during eight inquiry-oriented sessions and a 30-hour professional learning community. The study asked how participants described confidence, collaboration, and culturally contextualized science teaching. Reflexive thematic analysis of open-ended responses, discussions, field notes, and final reflections identified perceived growth in confidence, reciprocal disciplinary learning, and value in connecting inquiry to children’s environment. Children’s outcomes were not measured, and no causal or population-level claims are made. The study offers a contextually grounded model for teacher preparation and identifies requirements for larger prospective research in comparable underserved educational contexts.