Looduskasvatus lasteaias Viimsi lasteaia näitel
Date
2007
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Tartu Ülikool
Abstract
Description
Nature education holds an important position in children’s study process. Since, as a
rule, nowadays people’s relationship with nature is decreasing more and more, it is
important to observe what to teach children and how to do this. The purpose of this
paper is to research nature education on the example of Viimsi kindergarten. This is
an analysis of an individual case, based on which no general conclusions can be
drawn. At the same time, knowledge gained from this paper can be used for the
elaboration of the topic. The paper consists of a theoretical and an empirical part
where I first analysed the curricula and different projects for progressing the studies. I
then surveyed different possibilities of teaching children as well as discourse analysis
and aspects of developmental psychology. The methods consisted of an interview
with the teacher and observing a nature lesson both indoors and outdoors; conducting
a drawing assignment for the children together with an interview with the children and
a light discourse analysis of the books used for teaching.
Since direct experience of nature is waning, mediated experience plays a very
important part. This is passed on by the teacher, the parents, books as well as the rest
of the media. The children must be given an image and understanding of nature as
close to actual nature as possible.
As said the esteemed Estonian pedagogue Johannes Käis, the task of nature education
is not merely knowledge of the subject but also the development of all intellectual
abilities and higher values. Nature education therefore has an important part in the
further development of children’s values. Since the behaviour of all people is
mediated, we gain the remaining by experience. The experience of social learning is
also very important, and this is something that children receive to am large extent as
they go to kindergarten, which was also something I treated in this paper.
Keywords
H Social Sciences (General)