A phenomenographic investigation into preschool children’s relationships with nature through drawings

Abstract

This study aims to investigate preschool children’s relationships with nature through drawings. To this end, a total of 212 preschoolers constituted the study group. This study employed a triangulation design, i.e. one of the mixed-methods approaches in which qualitative and quantitative processes were carried out. As a result of the analyses, it was concluded that the children visually presented and narrated their relationships with nature positively. The age and gender variables were found to have led to statistically significant differences in the activities depicted in the drawings and the tone of the drawings, as well as the settings and people that are drawn in them. In light of the findings of this study, it can be argued that starting environmental education at an early age and enabling children to spend more time engaging with nature are important.

Keywords:

• Child
• nature
• child–nature relationship
• phenomenographic
• qualitative method
• drawing