Digital Story-Based Science Concept Teaching and Reflective Thinking Skills for Early Childhood Education

This study aims to examine the relationship between the experiences of child development students in teaching science concepts through digital storytelling and their reflective thinking skills. The research was conducted using the phenomenological approach, one of the qualitative research designs, and involved 36 child development students studying at a public university in Turkey. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews consisting of nine open-ended questions and analyzed using content analysis. The findings revealed that the digital storytelling process provided multifaceted contributions to the participants’ pedagogical and cognitive development. The students reported gaining skills such as concretizing abstract science concepts, designing age-appropriate content, collaborating and taking responsibility, and effectively using digital tools. Additionally, the process enabled them to recognize their strengths and areas for improvement, restructure their instructional practices, and enhance their reflective thinking skills. The results indicate that digital storytelling is an effective pedagogical approach in early childhood science education—not only in terms of conceptual teaching but also in supporting reflective thinking, creativity, and professional identity development. The study offers an original contribution to the literature by highlighting the multidimensional educational potential of digital storytelling in the context of early childhood teacher education.