This study aims to analyze biodiversity education using ESD(Education for sustainable development) learning model in early childhood and to examine children's meaningful experiences during the process. To the end, the following questions were set in t...
This study aims to analyze biodiversity education using ESD(Education for sustainable development) learning model in early childhood and to examine children's meaningful experiences during the process. To the end, the following questions were set in the study.
1. What are the stages of the biodiversity education using ESD learning model in early childhood?
2. What are the meaningful experiences of the children in the biodiversity education?
This study was carried out through a case study at two full day classes of 5-year-old children in the children education institute attached to university in Seoul. The objects of the study were 38 students and 4 homeroom teachers who participated in the sustainable development education. The data required for this study were collected from November 11, 2011 to February 16, 2012 mainly through participation observations(50 times). Other various methods were also used such as collection of documents and children's works, informal interviews between children and teachers, child observation record, audio recording, picture taking, and video recording, etc. and interviews and recordings were transcribed. The education curriculum were developed according to the six stages of ESD learning model and the children's meaningful experiences during the course were categorized for the analysis.
The results of this study are concluded as follows. To begin with, the curriculum of biodiversity education using ESD learning model in early childhood was developed by the model of six stages with principles of sustainable development : the stages are problem occurrence and subject selection, problem recognition, problem exploration and alternative application, understanding circulatory relations of economic, environmental, and social sectors, understanding current situations and providing solutions, and endeavors for preservation and recognition of international responsibilities. Each stage was implemented in parallel and the learning contents for the stage were considered depending on the children's interests and situations of their playing and learning developments. The existing teaching strategies and principles were also applied to the lessons and each stage of the biodiversity education was implemented with connections to the core subjects of ESD related to the biodiversity education. The major learning contents of biodiversity education were as follows : lessons about animal's existence values and their economic values were provided to the children for teaching the value of biodiversity, and lessons about animal's dependance on ecosystem, animal species, variety of ecosystem(habitat and food) based on the standard of animal classification, and interaction between animal species, etc. were given for the meaning of biodiversity, and for preservation of biodiversity, they had the lessons about interdependence between animal and ecosystem, cyclic process of ecosystem, species of extinct animal, endangered animal, protection of species, protection of habitat, reasons of animal extinct, social efforts and promotions, international responsibilities, etc. The core subjects of ESD were about safety, health and food, cultural variety, natural sources, environmental problems, media information, energy, climate change, food production, sustainable villages, international responsibilities, ect. and these were partly linked to the biodiversity education as learning activities.
Secondly, the meaningful experiences of the children during biodiversity education using ESD learning model were specified as the actions such as collecting information, promotion, utilizing various communication media, reflecting others' opinions for decision making, performing their own roles in a group, leading actions and pursuing common goals, etc. The children proactively used various materials such as books, the internet, broadcasts, leaflets, posters, public signs, video clips, bulletinboards, etc. During the decision making process, they used votes or majority votes, and discussions for making the decisions that more people wanted, and accepted different perspectives for making better conclusions, and conformed to the group decision even though it was against their own opinions. In addition, children shared roles to reach the common goals by playing the rock-paper-scissors game or drawing lots, etc. and decided what they can do based on the game results. They carried out their own roles by checking if their roles were duplicated and thinking the whole group's performances. The practices and commitments to save the endangered animal expands from families to institutes, to local communities, and to the world. During the activity, it was revealed that the child's voluntary attitude was related to the philosophies of the education institutes, attitudes of teachers, and the previous experiences of sustainable development education. Therefore, it is concluded that the experiences of the children are connected to the capacities to make sustainable development and these capacities are emerged through the curriculum based on sustainable development.