Emerging knowledge of distant environments: An international study of four and six year olds in England, Slovenia and Greece

Abstract

SUMMARY The research described here forms part of a major international research project entitled ‘Emergent Environmentalism’. This project aims to investigate the nature and origins of early ideas about the environment held by young people, the development of children's environmental understanding and significant life experiences which influence the development of individual's environmental knowledge and concern. Findings discussed here derive from the three European countries of England, Slovenia and Greece and comprise the first published account of European cross-cultural data on knowledge of distant environments. The paper is concerned with young children's developing awareness and understanding of two habitats, namely tropical forests, with the associated issue of deforestation, and polar lands, including the impact of global warming. Data help to explain aspects of the knowledge children have about these environments before they enter school, the development of this knowledge from ages four to six and young children's developing understanding of the impacts of environmental changes.