Gardening with children: exploring preschoolers' attitudes and behaviour towards the environment and the use of a preschool garden

By Kathrin Paal, University of Plymouth

The premise of the paper being presented is that early childhood education has a role in fostering environmental attitudes and behaviour in preschool children. It is widely acknowledged that experiences in the early years form attitudes and behaviour in a child and can have a long lasting effect into adulthood (Pramling Samuelsson et al., 2019). Environmental issues, resulting from global warming, have made care for the environment an increasingly urgent matter. The careless usage of limited and valuable resources such as water, fossil fuels and forests, as well as the pollution of air, water and soil, has led us to a situation where we are at a tipping point and in need of an urgent change in attitudes and behaviour towards the environment (Brundtland, 1987; Defra, 2008). During the global COVID-19 pandemic, reports arose that parts of nature have recovered due to reduction of human activity such as fewer cars being used and reduced economic output leading to reduced use of fossil fuels. Reports mention improved air quality, return of wildlife into urban areas because of reduced water and air pollution as well as absence of people (McCoy, 2020; Butler, 2020). The current situation shows the environment’s ability to recover as well as the role of humans as a cause for this issue as a result of an unmindful lifestyle. Thus, environmentally friendly and sustainable attitudes and behaviour could help the environment to recover and ensure humanities existence.

Through life experiences with the environment attitudes and behaviour towards the environment will be developed. Through education and with the support of influential role models such as their caregiver, children can become active and informed participants in shaping the environment they live in (Davis, 2015), in order to care sustainably for it (Prince, 2010). Researchers have found that children ages 3 to 6 are able to hold their own views and opinions but further to this have shown the ability to express valuable perspectives related to their context and worldviews (Clark & Statham, 2005; Dayan & Ziv, 2012). Involving children in environmentally friendly practices can encourage children to engage with and shape their environments (Davis, 2015). Studies found that early experiences with outdoor activities have a positive influence on children’s behaviour towards the environment (Pramling Samuelsson et al., 2019).

This project aimed to explore what preschool children think, experience and learn about what is good or healthy for the planet, and illustrate the benefit of a preschool garden as a tool to develop environmentally friendly behaviour of children aged 3 to 5. Within a qualitative interpretive research paradigm, I observed children and their caregivers during gardening activities, asked the children to draw a picture and conducted interviews with the children. I observed and interviewed 10 children (3-4 years old).

The findings illustrate preschoolers' awareness of what might be good or healthy for the planet and how we can help the earth. A preschool garden provides an accessible part of the environment for the children to play and learn in. They can nurture and care for it, watch plants grow and thrive but when neglected, wither or die. The children can see and process the direct effect they have on it. Thus, a preschool garden can be seen as a hands-on learning opportunity. Through gardening children can learn how their actions effect the environment along with learning what the environment is. Gardening means to grow and cultivating plants. Additionally, it means to care for the elements needed to garden, such as water and soil. Thus, children not only engage in growing plants but learn about care for the environment while gardening. It provides an opportunity to take action without causing harm to the environment and to take on good environmental stewardship.

 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathrinpaal/ 

Twitter: @paal_kathrin 

References

Brundlandt, G. H. (1987). Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common Future. United Nations General Assembly document A/42/427. Retrieved from https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/5987our-common-future.pdf

Butler, R. (2020). Air pollution plunges in India with smog-hit Delhi seeing blue skies and rare 'good' air quality reading as coronavirus lockdown continues. Daily Mail online, 30 March 2020. Retrieved from https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8167421/Air-pollution-plunges-India-coronavirus-lockdown-continues.html

Clark, A., & Moss, P. (2011). Listening to young children: The mosaic approach. London: National Children's Bureau.

Clark, A., & Statham, J. (2005). Listening to young children: Experts in their own lives. Adoption & Fostering, 29(1), 45-56.

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Dayan, Y., & Ziv, M. (2012). Children's perspective research in pre-service early childhood student education. International Journal of Early Years Education, 20(3), 280-289.

Department for Environment (Defra) (2008). A Framework For Pro-Environmental Behaviours, Report January 2008. Retrieved from https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/69277/pb13574-behaviours-report-080110.pdf

McCoy, T. (2020). As humans stay indoors, wild animals take back what was once theirs. The Washington Post, 15 April 2020. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/coronavirus-wild-animals-wales-goats-barcelona-boars-brazil-turtles/2020/04/14/30057b2c-7a71-11ea-b6ff-597f170df8f8_story.html

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Pramling Samuelsson, I., Li, M., & Hu, A. (2019). Early Childhood Education for Sustainability: A Driver for Quality. ECNU Review of Education 2019, 2(4), 369-373.

Prince, C. (2010). Sowing the seeds: Education for sustainability within the early years curriculum. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 18(3), 423-434.