The Timely Evolution of Scientific Literacy in Early Childhood Education from the Perspective of New Quality Productive Forces in China

Abstract

Taking the demand for the early cultivation of innovative talents driven by the development of New Quality Productive Forces (NQPF) as the starting point, this study focuses on the evolutionary patterns and reform directions of preschool children’s scientific literacy education in China. Using the CiteSpace bibliometric visualization method, it systematically analyzes 2,838 relevant documents indexed in China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) from 2001 to 2025, so as to reveal the knowledge structure, hot topics, trends, and core driving forces in this field. The research findings indicate that the study of preschool children’s scientific literacy education in China presents a three-stage evolutionary characteristic: Concept Introduction and Policy Response Period (2001–2007), Practical Exploration and Connotation Deepening Period (2008–2018), and Integration Innovation and System Construction Period (2019–present). Research hotspots have gradually shifted from scientific knowledge enlightenment to interdisciplinary integration, innovative thinking cultivation, digital technology empowerment, and home-preschool-community collaborative education. As a core exogenous driving force, NQPF promotes the systematic transformation of preschool children’s scientific literacy education in terms of goals, content, methods, and evaluation systems, which is specifically reflected in three major reform paths: “innovation-driven pedagogy, digital intelligent resource integration, and trinity synergistic education”. China’s explorations in policy-driven development, resource integration, and practical models not only possess distinct local characteristics but also provide referable experiences for global preschool science education in responding to the technological revolution.