Preschool children's mental models of the environment: A cross-level study

Ahmet Taşdere; Dilek Erol; Sabiha Eren

doi:10.36681/

Authors

Ahmet Taşdere Uşak University
Dilek Erol Uşak University
Sabiha Eren Independent Researcher

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.36681/

Keywords:

Early childhood education, environment, mental models, child development, environmental education

Abstract

This study, aiming to reveal preschool children's mental models of their environment, was carried out with the participation of 225 children aged 36–72 months attending 8 different preschool education institutions. It is based on qualitative research designed around a case study. The Word Association Test and Drawing were used as the data collection tools. In the study, it was observed that 36-48-month-old children mostly focused on the visuals they saw in the park (garden) and traffic in their environmental drawings, and in addition to these visuals, 49-60-month-old children included the forest in their environmental drawings, and 61-72-month-old children included home and school in their environmental drawings. The most prominent environments/elements observed with both data collection tools were the house, traffic, park, and sky for the 36–48-month-old children; house, traffic, park, sky, and rural-village for the 49–60-month-old children; and house, traffic, park, sky, rural-village, forest and nearby settlement (market, store, etc.) for the 61–72-month-old children. The common elements that children associate with the environment in their mental models are the concepts of house, traffic, park, and sky.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Ahmet Taşdere, Uşak University

Ahmet TAŞDERE is a research assistant in the Science Education Department at Uşak University. Nature of science, alternative assessment and evaluation techniques, pedagogical content knowledge and environmental education are some of his fields of study. In recent years, he has been conducting researches on these fields at the primary and pre-school level.
Dilek Erol, Uşak University

Dilek EROL is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Preschool Education at Uşak University. She teaches several subjects related to early child education such as; pre-school education program, early childhood development and introductory early childhood education. She worked as a teacher at the Ministry of National Education for 17 years. She also worked on updating the 2013 preschool education program. She wrote book chapters on preschool education programs.
Sabiha Eren , Independent Researcher

Sabiha EREN completed her doctorate in 2022 and worked as a research assistant at Hacettepe and Uşak universities for 10 years. Children's rights, temperament characteristics of children, social and emotional development in children are the subjects that she works on.

References

Ahi, B. (2015). The effect of the environmental education program integrated into the preschool education program on the mental model development of the children about the concept of "environment" [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Gazi University.

Ahi, B. (2016). A study to determine the mental models in preschool children’s conceptualization of a desert environment. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 8(3), 333–350.

Ahi, B., ve Alisinanoğlu, F. (2016). Okul öncesi eğitim programına kaynaştırılan çevre eğitimi programının çocuklarin “çevre” kavramı hakkındaki zihinsel model gelişimine etkisi. Kafkas Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 18, 305-329. https://doi.org/10.9775/kausbed.2016.016.

Akbayrak, N., ve Kuru Turaşlı, N. (2017). Oyun temelli çevre etkinliklerinin okul öncesi çocukların çevresel farkındalıklarına etkisinin incelenmesi. Erken Çocukluk Çalışmaları Dergisi, 1(2), 239-258. https://doi.org/10.24130/eccd-jecs.196720171240.

Akyüz, Y. (2019). Relationship between child-nature and environmental protection in education. Ankara University Journal of Faculty of Educational Sciences, 12(1), 85-96. https://doi.org/10.1501/Egifak_0000000611.

Alerby, E. (2000). A Way of visualising children’s and young people’s thoughts about the environment: A study of drawings. Environmental Education Research, 6(3), 205–222. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504620050076713.

Alkan, Ş., Kuruçay E. N., Aladağ M., Tatar, T., Çolak, Z., ve Cengiz, C. (2022). Okul öncesi çevre eğitimini konu alan çalışmalara yönelik betimsel içerik analizi. Eğitim Bilim ve Araştırma Dergisi, 3(2), 328-352. https://doi.org/10.54637/ebad.1141413.

Aslan, O., Sağır, U. S., ve Cansaran, A., (2008). Çevre tutum ölçeği uyarlanması ve ilköğretim öğrencilerinin çevre tutumlarının belirlenmesi. Selçuk Üniversitesi Ahmet Keleşoğlu Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 25, 283-295.

Ayvacı, H. Ş., Bülbül, S., ve Bebek, G., (2021). Okul öncesi dönem çocuklarının çevre sorunları kavramına yönelik metaforik algıları ve görüşleri. Manisa Celal Bayar Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 9(1), 117-132. https://doi.org/10.52826/mcbuefd.922632.

Bahar, M., Johnstone, A. H., & Sutcliffe, R. G. (1999). Investigation of students’ cognitive structure in elementary genetics through word association tests. Journal of Biological Education, 33(3), 134–141. https://doi.org/10.1080/00219266.1999.9655653.

Bahar, M., ve Özatlı, N. S. (2003). Investigation of the cognitive structures of the first-year high school students on the basic components of living things with the word communication test method. Journal of Balıkesir University Institute of Natural and Applied Sciences, 5(2), 75-85.

Barraza, L. (1999). Children’s drawings about the environment. Environmental Education Research, 5(1), 49–66. https://doi.org/10.1080/1350462990050103.

Batlolona, J. R., Diantoro, M., Wartono, & Leasa, M. (2020). Students’ mental models of solid elasticity: Mixed method study. Journal of Turkish Science Education, 17(2), 200-210. https://doi.org/10.36681/.

Bay, D. N., Büşra, S. A. Z., Osmanpehlivan, E., ve Demir, İ., (2020). Okul öncesi çocuklarının çevre kirliliği algısının incelenmesi. Anadolu University Journal of Education Faculty, 4(3), 191-215. https://doi.org/10.34056/aujef.731982.

Bloom, B. S. (2012). İnsan nitelikleri ve okulda öğrenme (2. Baskı). Pegem Akademi Yayıncılık.

Bonnett, M., & Williams, J. (2006). Environmental education and primary children’s attitudes towards nature and the environment. Cambridge Journal of Education, 28(2), 159–174. https://doi.org/10.1080/0305764980280202.

Burgess, D. J., & Mayer-Smith, J. (2011). Listening to children: Perceptions of nature. Journal of Natural History Education and Experience, 5, 27-43.

Büyüköztürk, Ş., Kılıç-Çakmak, E., Akgün, Ö., Karadeniz, Ş, ve Demirel, F. (2012). Scientific research methods. Pegem Academy Publishing.

Çabuk, B., Teke, N., ve Baş, T., (2020). Çocukların kitaplardaki doğal çevre davranışlarına yönelik algıları. Ankara University Journal of Faculty of Educational Sciences, 53(3), 953-992. https://doi.org/10.30964/auebfd.682468.

Çelikler, D., Aksan, Z., ve Yenikalaycı, N., (2019). İlkokul öğrencilerinin çevreye yönelik farkındalıklarının belirlenmesi. İnönü Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 20(2), 425-438. https://doi.org/10.17679/inuefd.450030.

Çepni, S. (2010). Introduction to research and project work. Celepler Printing Press.

Çetin, G., ve Badem, N., (2015). İlkokul öğrencilerinin temiz ve kirli çevre ile ilgili görüşleri. Uluslararası Eğitim Bilim ve Teknoloji Dergisi, 1(1), 26-41.

Cevher Kalburan, F. N. (2009). “Çocuklar için çevresel tutum ölçeği” ile “yeni ekolojik paradigma ölçeği”nin geçerlik güvenirlik çalışması ve çevre eğitim programının etkisinin incelenmesi [Yayımlanmamış Doktora Tezi]. Gazi Üniversitesi.

Corinin-Jones, L. L. (2005). Using drawings to assess student perceptions of schoolyard habitats: A case study of reform-based research in the United States. Canadian Journal of Environmental Education, 10, 225-240.

Deniz, L. (2020). The perception of the environment in pre-school (4-6 age group) children's paintings and the features that children's environments should provide [Unpublished master's thesis]. Karadeniz Technical University.

Durkan, N., Güngör, H., Fetihi, L., Erol, A., ve Gülay Ogelman, H., (2015). Comparison of environmental attitudes and experiences of five-year-old children receiving preschool education in the village and city centre. Early Child Development and Care, 186(8), 1327–1341. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2015.1092963.

Einarsdottir, J., Dockett, S., & Perry, B. (2009). Making meaning: children’s perspectives expressed through drawings. Early Child Development and Care, 179(2), 217–232. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430802666999.

Emsal Aydın, Ö. (2018). Minik tema eğitim programı uygulanan ve uygulanmayan okul öncesi öğrencilerinin çevreye yönelik tutumları [Yayımlanmamış Yüksek Lisans Tezi]. Mersin Üniversitesi.

Ercan, F., Taşdere, A., ve Ercan, N., (2010). Kelime ilişkilendirme testi aracılığıyla bilişsel yapının ve kavramsal değişimin gözlenmesi. Türk Fen Eğitimi Dergisi [Journal of Turkish Science Education], 7(2), 136-154.

Franco, C. & Colinvaux, D. (2000). Grasping mental models. J. K. Gilbert ve C. J. Boulter (Eds.), Developing models in science education, (pp.93-118). Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Gezgin Vural, D., ve Kılıç Mocan, D., (2022). Fen etkinliklerinin okul öncesi dönem çocuklarında çevre bilinci kazandırılmasına etkisi. Erken Çocukluk Çalışmaları Dergisi, 6(2), 402–423. https://doi.org/10.24130/eccdjecs.1967202262331.

Gill, T. (2014). The benefits of children's engagement with nature: A systematic literature review. Children Youth and Environments, 24(2), 10-34. https://doi.org/10.7721/chilyoutenvi.24.2.0010.

Gülay, H., ve Ekici, G. (2010). The analysis of the ministry of national education pre-school education programme in the sense of environmental education. Journal of Turkish Science Education, 7(1), 74-84. https://www.tused.org/index.php/tused/article/view/505.

Gülay, H., ve Önder, A. (2011). Environmental education in preschool for sustainable development. Nobel Publication Distribution.

Gündoğan, A., ve Taşdere, A. (2021). Woman, man, society and sex: How pre-service teachers perceive basic gender concepts? International Journal of Progressive Education, 17(5), 170–191. https://doi.org/10.29329/ijpe.2021.375.12.

Güzelyurt, T. ve Özkan, Ö., (2018). Okul öncesi öğretmenlerinin okul öncesi dönemde çevre eğitimine ilişkin görüşleri: durum çalışması. Turkish Studies Educational Sciences, 13(11), 651-668. http://dx.doi.org/10.7827/TurkishStudies.13425.

Hart, R. A., & Moore, G. T. (1973). The development of spatial cognition. In R. Downs & D. Stea (Eds.), Image and environment. Arnold.

Kara, G. E., Aydos, E. H., ve Aydin, O. (2015). Changing pre-school children's attitudes into behavior towards selected environmental issues: An action research study. International Journal of Education in Mathematics, Science and Technology, 3(1), 46-63.

Karatekin, K., ve Aksoy, B. (2012). Examination of teacher candidates of Social Studies’ environmental literacy level in terms of various variables. Journal of Turkish Studies, 1(7), 1423–1438. https://doi.org/10.7827/turkishstudies.2858.

Kazu, H., ve Yapıcı Ödemiş, F., (2023). Geri dönüşüm etkinliklerinin okul öncesi eğitim kurumu öğrencilerinin farkındalık düzeylerine etkisinin incelenmesi. Afyon Kocatepe Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 25(1), 34-53. https://doi.org/10.32709/akusosbil.1050483.

Keinath, S. D. (2004). Environmental education and perceptions in eastern nepal: analysis of student drawings [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Michigan Technological University.

Kıralioğlu, F., ve Ürey, M., (2023). Ortaokul öğrencilerinin çevre davranış düzeylerinin değerlendirilmesi. Uygulamada Eğitim ve Yönetim Bilimleri Dergisi, 3(2), 155-171.

Kıvrak, A. H., ve Uyanık, G., (2020). İlkokul dördüncü sınıf öğrencilerinin çevre kirliliğine yönelik zihinsel modellerinin belirlenmesi. Eğitim ve Teknoloji, 2(1), 1-15.

Koçak Tümer, N. B. (2015). Okul öncesi çocuklar için “çocuklar için çevre ölçeği”nin geliştirilmesi ve çevre eğitim programının çocukların çevreye karşı tutumlarına etkisinin incelenmesi [Yayımlanmamış Doktora Tezi]. Gazi Üniversitesi.

Konur, K. B., ve Akyol, N. (2017). Preschool students’ perceptions on environmental problems. International Journal of Environmental & Science Education, 12(10), 2019-2119.

Köşker, N. (2019). Nature perception in preschool children. Abant İzzet Baysal University Journal of the Faculty of Education, 19(1), 294-308. https://doi.org/10.17240/aibuefd.2019.19.43815-443217.

Larimore, R. (2016). Defining nature-based preschools. International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental Education, 4(1), 32-36.

Louv, R. (2012). The last child in nature: the lack of nature in our children and the healing power of nature. (3rd ed.). (C. Temürcü, Trans.). Ankara: TUBITAK Popular Science Books. (Original work published, 2005-2008).

Marino, M. L., Collins, J., & Brawn, G. (1980).Human perception of the natural environment. Alberta Environment, Research Management Division.

Miles, M. & Huberman, M. (1994). An expanded sourcebook qualitative data analysis. Person Education.

Minkoff, Y., & Riley, J. (2011). Perspectives of time-use: Exploring the use of drawings, interviews and rating-scales with children aged 6-7 years. Journal of Occupational Science, 18(4), 306–321. https://doi.org/10.1080/14427591.2011.586323.

MoNE, (2013). Primary education institutions (primary and secondary schools) science course curriculum. Board of Education and Discipline.

MoNE, (2018). Science lesson draft curriculum (primary and secondary school 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8th grades). Board of Education and Discipline.

Ogelman, H. G., ve Güngör, H., (2015). Türkiye’deki okul öncesi dönem çevre eğitimi çalışmalarının incelenmesi: 2000-2014 yılları arasındaki tezlerin ve makalelerin incelenmesi. Mustafa Kemal Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 12(32), 180-194.

Okyay, Ö., Demir, Z. G., Sayın, A., ve Özdemir, K., (2021). Ekolojik okuryazarlık eğitiminin okul öncesi öğretmenlerinin ekolojik farkındalığı ve çevreye yönelik motivasyonlarına etkisi. Başkent University Journal of Education, 8(1), 129-146.

Özsoy, S. (2012). Examination of the environmental perceptions of primary school students through the pictures they draw. Educational Sciences in Theory and Practice, 12 (2), 1117-1139.

Özsoy, S., ve Ahi, B., (2014). İlkokul öğrencilerinin geleceğe yönelik çevre algılarının çizdikleri resimler aracılığı ile belirlenmesi. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice. 14(4), 1557-1582.

Öztürk, T., ve Öztürk, F. Z., (2015). Öğretmen adaylarının çevre ve çevre eğitimi ile ilgili görüşleri Ordu Üniversitesi örneği. Balıkesir Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 18(33), 115-132. https://doi.org/10.31795/baunsobed.645444.

Polat, Ö., ve Demirci, F. G., (2021). Erken çocukluk döneminde bilişsel gelişime bir uyaran olarak doğa ile temas ve doğa temelli açık alan etkinlikleri. Muş Alparslan Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 1(2), 95-113.

Pridmore, P., & Bendelow, G. (1995). Images of Health: Exploring beliefs of children using the 'draw-and-write' technique. Health Education Journal, 54(4), 473–488. https://doi.org/10.1177/001789699505400410.

Rennie, L. J., & Jarvis, T. (1995). Children's choice of drawings to communicate their ideas about technology. Research in Science Education, 25(3), 239–252. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02357399.

Robertson, A. (1993). Eliciting students' understandings: Necessary steps in environmental education. Australian Journal of Environmental Education, 9, 95-114.

Rodari, P. (2007). Science and scientists in the drawings of European children. Journal of Science Communication, 6(3), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.22323/2.06030304.

Şahin, H. G., ve Doğu, S., (2018). Okul öncesi öğretmen adaylarının çevre sorunlarına ilişkin tutum ve davranışlarının incelenmesi. İlkogretim Online, 17(3), 1402-1416.

Shepardson, D. P. (2005). Student ideas: What is an environment?. The Journal of Environmental Education, 36(4), 49.

Shepardson, D. P., Wee, B., Priddy, M., & Harbor, J. (2007). Students' mental models of the environment. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 44(2), 327–348. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.20161.

Şimşekli, Y. (2001). Evaluation of the activities carried out in the schools selected for the "Applied Environmental Education" Project in Bursa in terms of the contribution of school administrators and teachers. Journal of Uludağ University Faculty of Education 14(1), 73-84.

Sobko T, Jia Z, Brown G., (2018). Measuring connectedness to nature in preschool children in an urban setting and its relation to psychological functioning. PLoS ONE 13(11): e0207057. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0207057.

Tanner, T. (1980). Significant life experiences: A new research area in environmental education. The Journal of Environmental Education, 11(4), 20-24.

Tasdemir, C. Y., ve Yildiz, T. G. (2024). Science learning needs of preschool children and science activities carried out by teachers. Journal of Turkish Science Education, 21(1), 82-101.

Thomson, P. (2008). Doing visual research with children and young people. Routledge.

Tillmann, S., Tobin, D., Avison, W., & Gilliland, J. (2018). Mental health benefits of interactions with nature in children and teenagers: A systematic review. Journal of Epidemiol Community Health. 72(10), 958-966. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2018-210436.

Türkoğlu, B. (2019). Opinions of preschool teachers and pre-service teachers on environmental education and environmental awareness for sustainable development in the preschool period. Sustainability, 11(18), 4925. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11184925.

Twohig-Bennett, C., & Jones, A. (2018). The health benefits of the great outdoors: A systematic review and meta-analysis of greenspace exposure and health outcomes. Environmental research, 166, 628-637. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2018.06.030.

Üstün, N., ve Ürey, M. (2024). Investigating variables predicting environmental awareness in the context of education for sustainable development: An analysis based on TIMSS 2019 Data. International Journal of Turkish Education Sciences, 12(1), 85-129. https://doi.org/10.46778/goputeb.1320538.

Yavuzer, H. (2005). Çocuğu tanımak ve anlamak. Remzi Kitabevi.

Yavuzer, H. (2009). Resimleriyle çocuk (3. Baskı). Remzi Kitabevi.

Yılmaz, S., Yılmaz-Bolat, E., ve Gölcük, İ., (2020). Erken çocukluk döneminde uygulanan çevre eğitim programının çocukların çevreye karşı tutumları üzerindeki etkisi. Van Yüzüncü Yıl Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 17(1), 557-578. https://doi.org/10.33711/yyuefd.693833.

Yin, R. K. (2003). Case study research: Design and methods. SAGE Publications.

Yurttaş, A. (2023). Okul öncesi beş yaş grubu çocukların çevre sorunlarına ilişkin algıları, Trakya Eğitim Dergisi, 13(1), 695-710. https://doi.org/10.24315/tred.1084475.

Yurttaş, A., ve Erdaş-Kartal, E., (2021). İlkokul öğrencilerinin çevreye yönelik tutumlarının çeşitli değişkenler açısından incelenmesi. Akademia Doğa ve İnsan Bilimleri Dergisi, 7(1), 32-51.