The teaching of Science in South African Foundation Phase (Early Childhood Education) classrooms faces significant challenges due to the multilingual nature of classrooms, limited resources, and the pressing need for pedagogical approaches that are contextually relevant and responsive to learners' lived experiences. Traditional Science teaching methods often fail to accommodate the linguistic and cultural diversity of young learners, limiting engagement and conceptual understanding. This conceptual paper presents a qualitative bibliometric review, mapping global research trends on collaborative Science pedagogy, interdisciplinary teacher education, and contextual learning in early childhood. By systematically analysing existing literature, the study explores how participatory action research, indigenous knowledge systems, and sustainability principles inform and shape early Science education, particularly in under-resourced and diverse settings.

The paper is framed by Sociocultural Learning Theory, which underscores the role of social interaction in cognitive development, and Social Constructivism, which emphasises active knowledge construction through collaboration and experiential learning. These theoretical perspectives highlight the importance of culturally and linguistically responsive pedagogies in fostering young children's scientific inquiry. Through a bibliometric analysis, the paper identifies key themes, methodologies, and knowledge gaps in the literature, offering a critical lens on how early Science education is conceptualised and implemented across various global contexts.

Ethical considerations for writing up findings include ensuring transparency in data selection, mitigating bias in thematic analysis, and fairly representing diverse scholarly perspectives. The paper prioritises the responsible synthesis of literature, acknowledging the positionality of researchers and avoiding the exclusion of marginalised voices. This ensures that the findings contribute meaningfully to discussions on Science pedagogy while upholding academic integrity and ethical research practices.

Findings indicate an increasing scholarly focus on collaborative and culturally responsive Science teaching, yet significant gaps remain in translating these insights into effective classroom praxis. While research supports interdisciplinary teacher education and participatory approaches, there is limited empirical evidence on their sustained implementation in multilingual early childhood settings. This paper contributes to SDG 4 (Quality Education) by advancing knowledge on inclusive, interdisciplinary teaching approaches.

The insights generated offer critical implications for teacher education, advocating for participatory, context-driven approaches that empower pre-service teachers to engage critically with Science pedagogy in diverse early learning environments. By examining the intersection of multilingualism, cultural responsiveness, and sustainability in early Science education, this paper provides a foundation for future research, policy development, and teacher training initiatives that seek to bridge the gap between theory and practice in early childhood Science teaching.

Keywords: Bibliometric review, contextual learning, early childhood Science, multilingual Science education, teacher collaboration.