Influence of Excursions Approach on Learner Participation in Environmental Conservation Activities Among Pre-Primary Learners

Abstract

The Learner participation in an instructional process, Environmental Education (EE) included means that the education provided to learners is of relevance, value and supportive of achievement of learning outcomes. The teacher as the manager of the instructional process has the task to promote active learner participation especially among young learners like those at the ECDE level through use of child-friendly approaches. Such approaches should include learner participation in listening to sounds in the environment, interviewing people, observing people in action or examining real things like tools and reports. Empirical literature links such approaches to excursion teaching approach. However, limited empirical literature on the extent and influence of use of the approach in instruction of environmental activities especially among ECDE learners’ limits a discussion on best practices for teaching ECDE learners’ environmental activities. The purpose of the study was therefore, to examine the influence of excursions approach on learner participation in environmental conservation activities. Descriptive survey research design was used. The population of the study comprised of 119 headteachers, all the parents of pre-primary children and 238 pre-primary school teachers. The sample unit was 65 headteachers, 30 parents of pre-primary children and 131 pre-primary teachers of the public pre-primary schools. Data was collected using two research instruments which included questionnaires for pre-primary teachers and the headteachers and interview guides for parents. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze quantitative data using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 25.0. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically. The findings of the study demonstrated that excursions approach influenced on learner participation in environmental conservation activities. The findings of the study may benefit teachers, curriculum developers and policy makers in ensuring that pre-primary learners are taught using instructional approaches that promote learners’ participation in environmental conservation activities. Chi-square results indicated a significant influence of excursions approach on learner participation in environmental conservation activities. The study recommends that the use of excursions approach should be promoted since it improves learner participation.