摘要
Introduction – This study explored the use of sentiment analysis to examine the sentiments expressed by kindergarten teachers and children in project-based science classrooms. By analyzing classroom conversations between teachers and children, we aimed to understand their sentiment responses with teachers' use of different instructional strategies and children's engagement in different scientific practices. Methods – The study involved four kindergarten classes in northern Taiwan, with a total of 98 children (aged 5 -6 years) and seven participating teachers. Utilizing the lexicon-based sentiment analysis method, we categorized the sentiment expressions in the dialogues, and estimated the semantic orientation values of the words used by the teachers and children. Results – The results indicated a significant correlation between teachers' and children's sentiments. Both teachers and children expressed significantly more negative sentiments during the strategy of Providing direct instruction, and more positive sentiments when the strategy of Probing was employed. Additionally, supporting students in more technical practices may pose differential affective challenges: Measuring was associated with lower teacher sentiment, whereas Employing equipment and tools coincided with lower student sentiment. In contrast, practices involving verbal communication and collaboration, such as Planning, Sharing, and Discussing, were associated with more positive sentiment experiences for children. Discussion – These results provide insights into the importance of understanding and managing sentiments in early science education to foster a supportive and effective learning environment. The findings suggest that teachers may benefit from employing dialogic strategies such as Probing to support positive sentiment alignment, while providing additional affective scaffolding during technically demanding practices. © 2026 Zhang, Wu, Hsin and Chen.