The Interpretation of Thai Kindergarten Students’ Making Sense of Speed and Velocity

This paper aimed to examine some issues of kindergarten students’ learning about Physics. Students’ making sense of speed and velocity will be interpreted. Participants included twenty kindergarten students (4-5 years old) who were studying in Khon Kaen University Kindergarten Demonstration School, Khon Kaen, Thailand. Methodology regarded interpretive paradigm. The goal of kindergarten schools includes development of motor, emotion and mind, social, and cognitive skills. On the way of development of these skills, they may also make sense of science concepts. The students’ making sense of speed and velocity will be interpreted during students’ on activities for development of gross motor skills. Tools of interpretation included participant observation and informal interview when students were participating on the activities for development of gross motor skills as playing with the ball. The activity was carried out for two months. Students’ activities of playing with the ball indicated that some of students made sense of the speed and velocity concept when they showed that they play well on the ball as their perception of the relation of hand, eye, and moving of the ball. It could be mentioned that they not only developed on gross motor skills but also concept of ball moving as speed and velocity. This study may have implications for enhancing kindergarten students to learn science.