The Empirical Child? A Framework for Investigating the Development of Scientific Habits of Mind

We live in the information age. Broad access to vast troves of information can benefit society considerably, providing conduits for inquiry by individuals of all ages, enabling the spread of important information to previously isolated populations, and facilitating social connections across the globe. However, inundated with information from an ever-expanding array of sources, we also live in the misinformation age. Thus, it is of paramount importance to raise the next generation to approach the world through an empirical, evaluative lens, and to work to foster the development of habits of mind that will guide how children engage with the world. In this article, I present a new theoretical framework for investigating children's engagement in and understanding of three key steps in the empirical process: (a) asking questions and forming a hypothesis, (b) collecting and analyzing data, and (c) communicating evidence. I discuss young children's capacities for engaging in each step as well as the obstacles they may encounter in doing so, and suggest approaches for researchers working toward this pressing societal goal.