Abstract
The purpose of this study was to compare children’s environmental awareness and attitudes in the classes where TEMA Kids was implemented and where it was not. This study which used pre-test post-test control group experimental research design was carried out in 2016-2017 academic year. The study group was composed of 60-72 month old 138 children (69 experimental, 69 control) who continued their preschool education. Environmental awareness and attitude scale for preschool education children was used as data collection tool. The t-test for dependent and independent samples was used to compare children’s environmental awareness and attitudes in experimental and control groups. When the findings were examined, it was found that TEMA Kids caused significant differences with all sub-dimensions and total scores of the children except for the environmental attitude sub-scale protecting creatures sub-dimension in the classes where it was implemented.
Highlights
Environmental issues which are fundamental problems of many countries in the world and know no boundaries and ideologies (Kışlalıoğlu, & Berkes, 2009; Laza, Lotrean, Pintea, & Zeic, 2009) have reached to important dimensions due to their structural features
The activities prepared by the group teacher according to the outcomes included in the programs of MEB Directorate General of Basic Education were used in both groups but in addition to these activities, TEMA Kids Education Program was implemented with the children in the experimental group throughout the education year
In this study which was conducted in order to find out the effect of TEMA Kids Education Program on 60-72 month old children’s environmental awareness and attitudes, it was revealed that there was not a significant difference with the protecting creatures’ sub-dimension of environmental awareness sub-scale and consumption sub-dimension of attitude sub-scale of the children in the experimental group but there was a significant difference with all of the other sub-dimensions in favour of post-test average scores
Summary
Environmental issues which are fundamental problems of many countries in the world and know no boundaries and ideologies (Kışlalıoğlu, & Berkes, 2009; Laza, Lotrean, Pintea, & Zeic, 2009) have reached to important dimensions due to their structural features. People’s environmental knowledge, their individual attitudes and behaviours towards environment have to change via environmental education (Erten, 2005; Karataş, 2011; Miser, 2010). Environmental awareness is a dynamic structure which develops throughout life, laying the foundation of environmental awareness during the childhood is quite important to display positive attitudes and behaviours towards environment (Türküm, 1998; Wilson, 1996). Thanks to these experiences, children will gain behaviours, skills and values for the natural environment which will continue for a life time (Wilson, 1996)
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