Features of environmental education for preschool children
Abstract
Purpose. To determine the current state of environmental education for preschool children in Ukraine and to propose a comprehensive set of methodological developments for preschool education institutions and family upbringing.
Methods. Systematic and comparative analysis of the content and quality of preschool environmental education, sociological research methods, the atomic absorption spectrometry method as an example of visual and practical learning.
Results. A comparison of approaches to preschool environmental education in Germany, the USA, England, Japan and Sweden determined that effective preschool environmental education is based primarily on the child's direct experience in the natural environment, and not on the isolated assimilation of theoretical information. The Swedish model of "forest schools" is considered in studies as an effective way to develop independence, social interaction and a responsible attitude towards the environment. An online survey of parents of preschoolers from Zaporizhia, Uzhgorod, Vinnytsia, Poltava, Lviv, Kyiv and Kharkiv revealed a significant gap between the attitudes and actions of parents: the majority recognize the importance of environmental education of preschoolers; slightly more than half turn to environmental topics; A very small number of parents systematically participate in environmental activities; in the home practice of environmental education, conversations prevail, while the implementation of practical experiments and joint environmental projects by parents is used much less. Spectrometric analysis of the content of heavy metals in plant products, performed during the demonstration of practical work, demonstrated a successful approach to visualizing research activities for children. The proposed methodological cycle contains 8 developments for children 3-7 years old.
Conclusions. The period of preschool childhood is key for the formation of primary ecological ideas, emotional and value-based attitudes towards nature and skills of environmentally appropriate behavior. Practical activities in nature should be considered as a basic component of the educational process, and not as an episodic addition. The lack of adapted methodological materials and weak participation of families mutually reinforce each other, therefore they require a comprehensive pedagogical solution. The proposed methodological cycle takes into account the age characteristics of preschoolers and can be applied both in preschool education institutions and in family education.
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References
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