Modelling children's working theories: The spiral of working theory development

The notion of children's working theories is an overarching outcome of Te Whāriki, Aotearoa New Zealand's early childhood curriculum. Growing research examines children’s working theories and teacher support strategies. This article draws on doctoral research to present the spiral of working theory development model, providing a framework for understanding working theory development processes. Teachers can use this model to enhance strategies for fostering and supporting working theory formation, resulting in improved learning outcomes for young children.