Exploring Kindergarten Teachers’ Practices of Promoting Children’s Environmental Awareness

Abstract

Environmental education is crucial in fostering environmental protection and awareness within society. This study aimed to identify kindergarten teachers’ practices for promoting children’s environmental awareness in Jerusalem. A descriptive approach utilizing both quantitative and qualitative methods was employed. The quantitative method involved an assessment sheet collected from 50 kindergarten teachers, while the qualitative method included interviews with 20 kindergarten teachers. The results suggested low teacher practices in fostering children’s environmental awareness. These practices mainly focused on promoting awareness of kindergarten and personal hygiene, with few practices directly addressing environmental issues or integrating environmental topics into other kindergarten subjects. Moreover, only a few teachers encouraged children’s families to participate in environmental activities. The study also revealed a significant statistical difference in teachers’ practices based on their level of education and the kindergarten type, but not based on their years of teaching experience. The study recommends that kindergarten teachers engage children in discussions about environmental issues, problems, and sustainability and suggests the development of training programs to prepare teachers for conducting such activities with young children.