Real-life patterning experiences in preschool classrooms: an action research study of emerging mathematical thinking
European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1080/1350293x.2026.2737140
- Dergi Adı: European Early Childhood Education Research Journal
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Agricultural & Environmental Science Database, EBSCO Education Source, Education Abstracts, Educational research abstracts (ERA), ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Social Science Premium Collection (ProQuest), Education Collection (ProQuest), Education Source Ultimate (EBSCO)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: action research, early childhood education, early mathematical thinking, Patterning, structural reasoning
- Gazi Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Patterning is a foundational component of early mathematics and contributes to arithmetic and algebraic reasoning. This action research study aimed to design, implement, and iteratively refine the Real-Life Patterns Program to support preschool children’s structural awareness and mathematical thinking in everyday contexts. Participants were 18 children aged 60–72 months and two preschool teachers during the 2024–2025 academic year. Following cycles of planning, action, observation, and reflection, the eight-week program included 16 pattern-focused activities embedded in everyday experiences. Data were collected through classroom observations, researcher diaries, children’s drawings, verbal explanations, gestures, and pattern artefacts. Findings indicated shifts from perceptual recognition and continuation of simple patterns toward identifying repeating units, explaining continuation rules, detecting errors, transforming patterns across representations, and creating original patterns. Children’s drawings also showed movement from concrete colour- and shape-based representations toward emerging symbolic and numerical patterns. These changes suggest early abstraction, structural noticing, and generalization in evidence-supported instances. Embedding pattern experiences in meaningful real-life contexts, together with reflective instructional cycles, may support early structural reasoning and emerging advanced mathematical thinking. The findings also demonstrate the value of action research for refining context-sensitive pattern instruction while interpreting children’s mathematical thinking cautiously through observable actions, explanations, and products.