Evaluation of primary school students' environmental perceptions through student drawings

The aim of this study is to investigate primary school students' environmental perceptions using a phenomenological method within a constructivist framework. The research comprised 100 primary school students across all grade levels who were invited to express their understanding of the environment through drawings. The Draw-an-Environment Test, which quantifies qualitative graphical data, was utilized to translate these expressions into measurable outcomes. The DET scores across four dimensions, each offering a scale from 0 to 4, culminating in a total attainable score between 0 and 16. Higher scores on the DET are interpreted as indicative of a child's intricate and scientifically sound mental models regarding the environment. Research findings indicated a predominant tendency among students to feature biotic factors, demonstrated through their presence in 86% of drawings, while abiotic factors were represented to a lesser extent, occurring in 71% of the illustrations. It was also observed that a majority of students (35%) chose not to include humans in their environmental representations, suggesting a possible disconnect in the children's perceptions of the role humans play within the ecosystem. The study's results hold significant implications for environmental education, highlighting an evident need for the integration of curricular content that bridges biotic and abiotic elements and elucidates the anthropogenic impact on ecological systems. It draws attention to the current biases in children's mental representations of the environment and posits the importance of educational strategies in cultivating a more rounded and scientifically resonant environmental understanding among young learners. By revealing the nuances of children's environmental perceptions, the research paves the way for targeted educational approaches that aim to enhance students' awareness of their environments, encouraging a more integrated view of the natural world that includes human interaction.