Direct learning about nature in 6-year-old children living in urban and rural environments and the level of their knowledge and skills

Living in and having direct contact with natural environments can help young children develop nature-related knowledge and skillsThis research was conducted with six-year-old children living in urban and rural environments in Poland. The aim was to determine whether there was a difference in the children’s nature-related knowledge and skills based on where they lived. Fifty participating children lived in an urban environment; 40 in a rural environment.

During the first phase of the study, all participating children completed a pre-test assessing their nature-related knowledge and skills. This text consisted of six illustrated worksheet cards with age-appropriate tasks for children. Children’s performance was rated on a scale of 1 to 3, with 1 indicating low level performance, 2 average level, and 3 high level. During the following six-month research period, teachers organized outings to a forest, park, allotment garden, meadow, agritourism farm, and a zoo. After each trip, the children participated in follow-up activities in the classroom. Following this instructional period, the children completed a post-test designed to measure their knowledge and skills of ecosystems observed in the meadow, park, forest and zoo. The post-test consisted of ten illustrated cards with images of the different ecosystems and a related question for each card. Children’s responses were evaluated and recorded using a three-step scale, similar to the one used for the pre-test.

Pre-test results included 50% of the children in rural pre-schools and 32% in urban ones scoring at a high level of knowledge. These scores reflect significant differences in level of nature-related knowledge between rural and urban children. The post-test scores from both groups of children showed an increase in the level of knowledge and skills compared to the pre-test performance. Eighty percent of the children from rural preschools and 72% from urban ones scored at a high level of knowledge on the post-test.

This research indicates that the environment in which children live can have an impact on shaping their nature-related knowledge and skills. This research also indicates that providing direct contact with the natural environment is an effective method for helping young children learn about nature.