Abstract:

Curiosity is a lifelong process and begins with learning. Children have a curiosity about the environment just like scientists and they try to meet this need using their scientific process skills. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the curiosity of children at every stage of education starting from preschool education period, it should be made widespread and the ways of meeting the need for curiosity and ways of learning should be taught. The purpose of the current study was to determine the knowledge and curiosity of children regarding science. In this sense, a semi-structured interview technique was used in order to gather data. Suitable science at early childhood period comprises such issues as life and environment, air and water, energy and change, human body and senses, vividness, bugs etc. Eight categories were determined by the researchers with regard to these issues and an interview for was formed to determine the knowledge and curiosity of the children in these categories. In the interviews made with children face to face, they were asked to draw a picture with regard to each issue and then they were asked to answer what they knew about this issue and what they were curious about. The working group of the study was composed of 20 children at the age of five and six attending to Iron Children's Kindergarten of Karabük University. In the analysis of the data, a descriptive analysis technique was used. In the part of conclusion, the information obtained as a result of data analysis was discussed and some recommendations were given.

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