Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Teaching Preschool Children About Nature: A Project to Provide Soil Education for Children in Turkey

  • Published:
Early Childhood Education Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In terms of gaining environmental awareness and sensitivity, preschool is the most important period in an individual’s life. Preschool education enables lasting steps to be taken towards sustainable development, which has become widespread issue of increasing importance in recent years, and whose importance continues to increase. There is a need for studies that establish environmental awareness and support sustainable development throughout the world, especially in developing countries, such as Turkey. Taking this need into consideration, the purpose of this study is to introduce the results of the “Learning about soil with Tipitop and his friends” project, a project organized within the scope of the project group activities of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) Schools of Nature and Science (4004). The aim of the project was to introduce soil and concepts related to soil conservation to preschool children between 5 and 6 years of age. The sample group of the project was comprised of 180 children (90 experimental, 90 control) between the ages of 5 and 6, attending the kindergarten of primary schools, affiliated to the National Ministry of Education, located in the province of Denizli. Research findings demonstrated that the soil-related knowledge scores of children in the experimental group of the project increased in a statistically significant way, in comparison to those of children in the control group.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Akçay, İ. (2006). Environmental education for preschool children in different countries. Unpublished master’s thesis, Uludağ University, Bursa, Turkey.

  • Alexander, A., & Russo, S. (2010). Let’s start in our own backyard: Children’s engagement with science through the natural environment. Teaching Science, 56(2), 47–54.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory (1st ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Basile, C. G. (2000). Environmental education as a catalyst for transfer of learning in young children. The Journal of Environmental Education, 32, 21–27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davis, J. (2009). Revealing the research ‘hole’ of early childhood education for sustainability: A preliminary survey of the literature. Environmental Education Research, 15(2), 227–241.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and education (1st ed.). New York, USA: Collier Books, Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Early Childhood Education and Sustainable Development. (2011). Early childhood education for sustainable development. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 15, 2011, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110111132525.html.

  • Finch, M., Freitas, P., Hall, K., & Roach, K. (2006). Design, implementation and assessment of a soil education camp for children at The Suan Phung Nature Education Park Ratchaburi Province, Thailand. Unpublishing project report. Project Number: SZT C066. Worcester Polytechnıc Institute, USA.

  • Fullen, M. A. (2003). Soil erosion and conservation in northern Europe. Progress in Physical Geography, 27(3), 331–358.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grodzinska-Jurzcak, M., Stepska, A., Nieszporek, K., & Bryda, G. (2006). Perception of environmental problems among pre-school children in Poland. International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 15(1), 62–76.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gülay, H., & Akman, B. (2009). Social skills in preschool period. Ankara, Turkey: PegemA Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harlen, W., & Qualter, A. (2009). The teaching of science in primary schools (5th ed.). Abingdon, England: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hughes, M. (2007). Climbing the little green steps. Gosford and Wyong, Australia: Gosford and Wyong Council.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kızıltaş, M. S., Hacıyakupoğlu, S., Gökbulak, F., & Hızal, A. (2009). Determination of soil loss by 137 Cs fallout radionuclide in Ömerli watershed of Istanbul, Turkey. Turkish Journal of Agricultural & Forestry, 33, 295–303.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, C.-K. H., & Ma, W. H. T. (2006). Early childhood environmental education: A Hong Kong example. Applied Environmental Education and Communication, 5, 83–94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lewis, E., Mansfield, C., & Baudains, C. (2010). Going on a turtle egg hunt and other adventures: Education for sustainability in early childhood. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 35(4), 95–100.

    Google Scholar 

  • Piaget, J. (1947). The psychology of intelligence. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.

  • Poudel, D. D., Vincent, L. M., Anzalone, C., Huner, J., Wollard, D., Clement, T., et al. (2005). Hands-on activities and challenge tests in agricultural and environmental education. The Journal of Environmental Education, 36(4), 10–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reith, C. C., & Blakewood, E. G. (2002). Transforming a production demonstration farm into an agricultural learning landscape. Outlook on Agriculture, 312, 87–94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robertson, J. S. (2008). Forming preschoolers’ environmental attitude: Lasting effects of early childhood environmental education. Unpublished master’s thesis, Royal Roads University, Canada.

  • Samuelsson, I. P., & Kaga, Y. (Eds.). (2008). The contribution of early childhood education to a sustainable society. Paris, France: UNESCO Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Skeffington, R. (2010). Research resource reviews. Progress in Physical Geography, 34(2), 251–254.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, A. (2001). Early childhood—A wonderful time for science learning. Australian Primary & Junior Journal, 17(2), 52–55.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swarbrick, N., Eastwood, G., & Tutton, K. (2004). Self-esteem and successful interaction as part of the forest school project. Support of Learning, 19(3), 142–146.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taşkın, Ö., & Şahin, B. (2008). Environment concept and six year old preschool children. Pamukkale University, Journal of Faculty of Education, 23(1), 1–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • The World Bank. (1997). Advancing sustainable development. Environmentally sustainable developments and monograph series. No: 19. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank, USA.

  • United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). (2007). The UN decade of education for sustainable development (DESD-2005–2014): The first two years. Paris, France: UNESCO Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vygotsky, L. S. (1934). The problem of age. In R. Rieber (Ed.), The collected works of L. S. Vygotsky: Child psychology (Vol. 5, pp. 187–205). New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers.

  • Wilson, R. A. (1994). Environmental education at the early childhood level. Early Childhood Education Journal, 22(2), 23–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, R. A. (1996). Environmental education programs for preschool children. Journal of Environmental Education, 27(4), 71–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yüksel, M. (2006). Soil and soil erosion. In N. Çepel et al. (Eds.), Erosion, nature and environment (Vol. 51, pp. 125–148). Istanbul, Turkey: TEMA Association Publications.

Download references

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) for their financial support and their contributions during the application of the project (109B006).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Preschool Education, Faculty of Education, Pamukkale University, Kinikli Campus, Denizli, Turkey

    Hülya Gülay Ogelman

Authors
  1. Hülya Gülay Ogelman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hülya Gülay Ogelman.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gülay Ogelman, H. Teaching Preschool Children About Nature: A Project to Provide Soil Education for Children in Turkey. Early Childhood Educ J 40, 177–185 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-012-0510-4

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-012-0510-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation