Examining Science Education Principles in Taiwan's Early Childhood Education and Care Curriculum Framework

Abstract; Taiwan’s early childhood science education goals extend beyond a purely knowledge-oriented approach, emphasizing the integrated development of inquiry abilities, cognitive skills, and social competencies. For teachers, effective curriculum design should begin with children’s lived experiences, creating inquiry-based learning contexts that are hands-on, dialogic, and collaborative. For young children, science is not merely the pursuit of correct answers but a continuous process of questioning, reasoning, and jointly constructing understanding with others. This article examines the principles underlying science education in Taiwan’s Early Childhood Education and Care Curriculum Framework, with the aim of informing and supporting preschool teachers’ practices in science teaching.