Young children’s drawings of plant world: a cohort study analysing pictorial content

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study examines the drawings that 178 young children carried out on two different occasions separated by a period of one year to explain their understanding of the plant world. The pictorial content of the drawings was analysed in accordance to the categories that previous research has proved to be useful when it comes to gaining an insight into the examination of the depictions regarding flora in early childhood. The study provides evidence with respect to the changes in the pictorial content occurring in the whole of the sample as well as the four age groups or cohorts involved in the research project. The conclusions are discussed in the light of the evidence that preceding studies offer on the issue of graphical expression about botanical topics in early childhood and lend weight to the importance that early educational interventions have so as to improve young children’s understanding of plan life.