ERIC Number: EJ1463083
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1450-104X
EISSN: EISSN-2077-2327
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Early Childhood Eco-Anxieties Regarding Environmental Problems
Dilek Erol
Science Education International, v35 n4 p311-321 2024
Eco-anxiety is the sense of loss that an individual feels in the face of environmental problems, which includes emotions such as sadness, anger, and distress. This study aims to identify early childhood children's eco-anxieties related to the problems of drought, forest fires, and endangered species. The study was conducted with 55 children in the 4-8 age groups attending a public school. Since the study aims to identify children's eco-anxieties as they are, the study was designed as a qualitative case study. The data were obtained through a structured interview form and analyzed through content analysis. According to the study results, 96% of children have eco anxieties about drought, forest fires, and endangered species. Adverse changes in the environment, losses in the child's life, loss of life, loss of food, human indifference, and economic anxiety were identified as the root causes of children's eco-anxiety. Considering the data, the eco-anxiety experienced by children should be considered in public studies to be prepared and carried out on environmental problems, information to be shared in the media, and environmental education activities at schools, and actions should be designed to solve environmental problems.
Descriptors: Early Childhood Education, Anxiety, Environment, Social Problems, Environmental Education, Young Children, Public Schools, Natural Disasters, Foreign Countries
International Council of Associations for Science Education. Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Education, Buca, Izmir 35150, Turkey. Tel: +90-532-4267927; Fax: +90-232-4204895; Web site: http://www.icaseonline.net/seiweb/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Turkey
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A