Kako varujem okolje, ko ločujem odpadke?

Cvetežar, Helenca (author), Kos, Marjanca (mentor)

Zgodnje otroštvo je obdobje, v katerem otrok oblikuje svoje vrednote in odnose, tudi odnos do okolja. Zato je treba z okoljsko vzgojo pričeti že v predšolskem obdobju. V diplomski nalogi sem se posvetila raziskovanju predstav predšolskih otrok o ločenem zbiranju odpadkov. Zanimalo me je, ali otroci poznajo pomen ločenega zbiranja odpadkov za okolje – ali razumejo povezavo med ločenim zbiranjem odpadkov in pozitivnim vplivom tega dejanja na okolje. V raziskavo je bilo vključenih 20 otrok, starih 5 do 6 let iz vrtca Viški gaj, enota Kozarje. Najprej sem z vsakim od otrok izvedla začetni intervju, v katerem sem ugotovila njihove začetne predstave o ločenem zbiranju odpadkov. Če je bilo potrebno, sem poleg glavnih vprašanj otrokom zastavljala podvprašanja, da so vsebino vprašanja bolje razumeli. Sledile so dejavnosti, v katerih so otroci z neposredno izkušnjo ob aktivnem učenju spoznavali naravoslovno ozadje pomena ločenega zbiranja odpadkov. Po opravljenih dejavnostih sem ponovno izvedla individualne intervjuje in na podlagi odgovorov sklepala, kakšno je njihovo razumevanje pomena ločenega zbiranja odpadkov. Opazovala sem vedenje otrok v vsakdanjiku vrtca in skušala ugotoviti, ali so opisane dejavnosti vplivale tudi na vedenje otrok. Ugotovila sem, da so bile začetne predstave o pomenu ločenega zbiranja odpadkov pri veliki večini otrok napačne ali pa le-teh sploh niso imeli. Po opravljenih dejavnostih pa je večina otrok pridobila znanje in natančne predstave o tem, kako z ločenim zbiranjem posamezne vrste odpadkov (papirja, stekla, plastike) pozitivno vplivajo na okolje in ga s tem varujejo. Rezultati raziskave so pokazali, da so že predšolski otroci sposobni pridobiti toliko naravoslovnega znanja, da razumejo povezavo med okoljskim dejanjem in njegovim vplivom na okolje. Opazila sem, da je imelo pridobljeno znanje vpliv tudi na vedenje otrok, saj so po opravljenih dejavnostih bili bolj motivirani za ločeno zbiranje odpadkov. Zaključujem, da bi bilo v okoljski vzgoji v predšolskem obdobju treba poleg samega izvajanja okoljskih dejanj dati več poudarka tudi njihovemu razumevanju.

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: predšolski otrok
• Work type: Undergraduate thesis
• Typology: 2.11 - Undergraduate Thesis
• Organization: PEF - Faculty of Education
• Year: 2016
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-83096
• COBISS.SI-ID: 11015497
• Publication date in RUL: 24.08.2016

Secondary language

• Language: English
• Title: How am I protecting the environment, when i recycle?

Abstract

Early childhood is the period in which children form their values and attitudes, also their attitude to the environment. That is why environmental education needs to begin as early as preschool period. This diploma thesis presents my research into preschool children's notion of separate waste collection. I wanted to know whether children were familiar with the meaning of separate waste collection - whether they understood the connection between separate waste collection and the positive impact of that activity on the environment. The research included 20 children aged between 5 and 6 years from Viški gaj Kindergarten, Kozarje Unit. For a start I conducted an initial interview with each child to establish its initial notion about separate waste collection. When it was necessary I followed the main question with a sub-question so a child could understand the essence of the question better. Interviews were followed by activities that provided the children with direct experiences through active learning thus acquainting them with the scientific background of the significance of separate waste collection. After these activities I conducted another set of individual interviews and then based on the answers made conclusions regarding the children's understanding of the separate waste collection's significance. By monitoring their behaviour in their everyday kindergarten lives I tried to determine whether the said activities had any impact on it. I discovered that the majority of children had incorrect or simply nonexistent initial notion about the meaning of separate waste collection. After the activities the majority of them had the knowledge and the precise idea about how separate collection of particular types of waste (paper, glass, plastic) positively impacts the environment and thus protects it. The results of the research have shown that even preschool children are able to gain enough scientific knowledge to understand the connection between an environmental act and its impact on the environment. I also noticed that gained knowledge influenced the children's behaviour, as they were more motivated to separately collect waste after the activities. I therefore came to the conclusion that while practicing environment-friendly activities, as part of the environmental education in the preschool period is important, more emphasis should be given to the understanding of those activities.

• Keywords: preschool child