Investigation of the environmental experiences of 60-72 month-old children within the scope of nature-based learning activities

Parallel to population growth, the rapid increase in social consumption demonstrates the necessity of using natural resources consciously, and establishing this awareness from the preschool period supports the development of environmental sensitivity in individuals. Environmental education provided during early childhood is expected to increase children's environmental awareness and foster their consciousness. This study aims to examine the effect of environmental education given to preschool children on their mental models and environmental awareness, employing a convergent parallel mixed-methods design. The research was carried out with 16 preschool children through an eight-week implementation of environmental education activities. Qualitative data were collected using semi-structured interview questions, observations, documents, visual and auditory materials, and the researcher's diary, while quantitative data were obtained through the "Environmental Awareness Test for Children" and the "Draw-an-Environment Test Rubric," administered as pre-tests and post-tests. The qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis, and the quantitative data with the SPSS software package. The results of the quantitative analysis indicated that environmental education activities improved children's environmental awareness but had no significant effect on their mental model development. Qualitative findings showed an increase in the number of codes obtained from children's drawings after the implementation, and children described the process as enjoyable and engaging. In light of both qualitative and quantitative findings, it was concluded that the implementation process contributed to the development of children's perceptions of the environment and enhanced their environmental awareness.