Otrokovo razumevanje ekologije na primeru fotografije travišča

Španič, Neža (author), Torkar, Gregor (mentor)

Na področju raziskovanja otrokovega poznavanja ekologije je bilo opravljenih relativno malo raziskav, zato želimo z diplomsko nalogo preveriti, kako predšolski otroci, stari 5 in 6 let, razumejo ekologijo travniškega sistema. Skozi delnostrukturirane intervjuje sem z 12 otroki iz vrtca v osrednji Sloveniji pridobila njihovo poznavanje, razumevanje in razmišljanje o razvojnem krogu metulja, prehranjevalnih verigah, odnosih med biotskimi in abiotskimi dejavniki v ekosistemu, itd. Otroci so bili iz dveh različnih oddelkov (klasični in oddelek gozdne pedagogike), s po šest otrok na oddelek. Z vsakim posameznikom sem izvedla dva intervjuja, enega pred igro in drugega po njej. Ta je bila zasnovana na razvojnem krogu metulja malega okarčka (Coenonympha pamphilus) in lastovičarja (Papilio machaon), njena razširitev pa je vsebovala še prehranjevalno verigo prvega metulja. Ker sem igro zasnovala sama, sem želela preveriti, ali bi le-ta lahko služila kot koristen pripomoček pri učenju in seznanjanju otrok s travniškim ekosistemom. Raziskava je pokazala, da so otroci izboljšali svoje znanje o razvojnem krogu metulja, še posebej pa so pri drugem intervjuju blesteli vsi otroci iz oddelka, kjer izvajajo gozdno pedagogiko, ki so popolnoma osvojili koncept zaporedja razvojnih faz. Pri otrocih je bil pri določanju živih in neživih dejavnikov prisoten animizem. Vsi odgovori na vprašanje, kaj je na sliki živo, so se nanašali samo na živali, nihče ni omenil rastlin. Vsi so zelo dobro razumeli odnos metulj-pajek. Prepoznali so pomen pajkove mreže in kaj ta pomeni za metulja v primeru, ko se ujame vanjo. Raziskava je pokazala tudi, da otroci nimajo dobre predstave o pomenu travnika za življenje človeka, saj nobeden izmed otrok ni prepoznal njegove uporabnosti. Boljšo predstavo imajo o njivi, saj se z njo velikokrat srečajo v risankah in pravljicah. Otroci so pred igro slabše razumeli povezave med organizmi in abiotskimi dejavniki, po njej pa so povezave samostojno iskali in jih razlagali (npr.: oblak so povezali z rastlinami in živalmi).

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: razumevanje ekologije
• Work type: Bachelor thesis/paper
• Typology: 2.11 - Undergraduate Thesis
• Organization: PEF - Faculty of Education
• Year: 2021
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-133653
• COBISS.SI-ID: 88008195
• Publication date in RUL: 13.12.2021

Secondary language

• Language: English
• Title: Child's understanding of ecology using a photo of grassland

Abstract

In the field of research of children's knowledge of ecology relatively few studies were conducted. Therefore this dissertation aims to establish how preschool children, 5 and 6 years of age, understand ecology of a meadow habitat. Based on semi-structured interviews with 12 children from a nursery school in central Slovenia I have learnt about the children's knowledge, understanding and reasoning of: butterfly life cycle, food chains, relations between links in the ecosystem (biotic and abiotic factors) etc. Children came from two different groups (from a classic group and a forest pedagogy group), including six children each. With each child two interviews have been conducted - one before the game and another one after. The game was based on the life cycle of a small heath butterfly (Coenonympha pamphilus) and swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon), while in the extended part of the game the food chain of the first butterfly was also included. As I conceptualised the game myself, I wanted to examine if it could be a useful instrument for teaching children about the meadow habitat and also giving them knowledge about it. The research showed that children improved their knowledge about the butterfly life cycle - especially children from the forest pedagogy group were splendid in the second interview - they entirely understood the concept of the sequence of development stages. When children were identifying living and non-living factors, animism was observed. All the answers to the question What in the picture is alive? were related exclusively to animals, none of the children mentioned plants. All of them understood very well the relationship between butterfly and spider. They recognised the meaning of a spider web and what would happen to the butterfly once it would be caught in it. The research also showed that children do not clearly understand the significance of a meadow for the life of humans - none of the children recognised its usefulness. They better understand the significance of a field because they often came across it in fairy tales and cartoons. Before the game, children's understanding of connections between organisms and abiotic factors was low, but afterwards they searched for the connections independently and were explaining them (e.g. they associated a cloud to plants and animals).

• Keywords: understanding ecology