The effect of biodiversity-based science education on preschool children's understanding of the nature of science, scientific process skills, and knowledge of local species

The aim of this research is to examine the impact of Biodiversity-Based Science Education (BiTFE), designed for preschool education, on the understanding of the nature of science, scientific process skills, and knowledge of local species among children aged 5-6 years. The study was conducted using a quasi-experimental model with 27 children (12 in the experimental group and 14 in the control group) attending a public preschool in the Manavgat region. The data collection tools included the "Young Children's Views of Science" interview protocol, an achievement test designed by the researcher to measure knowledge of local species, and the "Scientific Process Skills Scale for Preschool Children" to assess scientific process skills. BiTFE activities were implemented in the experimental group over 11 weeks, and pre-tests and post-tests were administered to both the experimental and control groups before and after the intervention. The data were analyzed using non-parametric statistical methods. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to evaluate the differences between groups, while the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare pre-test and post-test results. The findings of the study showed a significant improvement in the experimental group's understanding of the nature of science. Before the intervention, children were evaluated as having 'insufficient' or 'no response' regarding concepts such as the changeability of science, the empirical basis of science, and the subjective nature of science. After the intervention, there were reductions in these categories and significant increases in the 'partially sufficient' and 'sufficient' categories. Furthermore, the children in the experimental group showed statistically significant improvement compared to the control group in recognizing local species such as the Mediterranean monk seal, sand lily, and sea turtle, as well as understanding their ecological importance (p<0.05). In terms of scientific process skills, significant improvements were observed in the experimental group in the dimensions of 'relationship building' (Z=-2.328, p=0.020) and 'measurement' (Z=-2.126, p=0.033) after the intervention. However, no significant difference was found in overall scientific process skills. This result suggests that the development of scientific process skills may require a longer and more intensive educational approach. In conclusion, this study indicates that biodiversity-based science education is effective in deepening children's understanding of the nature of science and increasing their awareness of local species during early childhood. These findings suggest that biodiversity-based approaches in early childhood education can be an important tool for enhancing children's scientific thinking skills and environmental awareness.