UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES OPEN UNIVERSITY
MASTER OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES MAY LAROZA CORO
PROMOTING ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS AMONGST PRESCHOOLERS IN SINGAPORE
Thesis Adviser:
DR. CONSUELO HABITO
FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT STUDIES 30 April 2023
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PROMOTING ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS AMONGST PRESCHOOLERS IN SINGAPORE
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May Coro 28th May 2023
Name and Date
Signature over Student Name and Date
Acceptance Page
This Special Project titled: “Promoting Environmental Awareness Amongst Preschoolers in Singa- pore” is hereby accepted by the Faculty of Management and Development Studies, U.P. Open Uni- versity, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Course.
NAME
Faculty-in-charge, ENRM 290 (Special Problem) (Date)
NAME
Program Chair (Date)
NAME Dean
Faculty of Management and Development Studies Day Month Year
(Date)
DECLARATION
This is to certify that:
I. The special problem comprises only my original work towards the MENRM except where indi- cated in the Preface
II. Due acknowledgment has been made in the text to all other material used
III.The special problem is fewer than 25,000 words in length, exclusive of tables, maps, bibliogra- phies and appendices.
May Laroza Coro
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to my adviser, Dr. Consuelo Habito who made this research possible. I would also like to thank all my colleagues and peers who supported through out this study. I am grateful to the participants of this study for giving me their rime so I can complete this research.
I am forever grateful to my family for their unconditional love and for being proud of me no matter what endeavour I undertake.
Finally, I thank the Lord God for giving me guidance and for allowing me to
achieve my dream. Truly, nothing is impossible if you have faith.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page i
University Permission Page ii
Acceptance Page iii
Declaration iv
Acknowledgment v
Table of Contents vii
ABSTRACT vii
I. INTRODUCTION 1
II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE 2
III. STATEMENT OF THE STUDY 3
IV. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 4
V. RATIONALE 5
VI. SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS 6
VII. DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY AREA 7
VIII. METHODOLOGY 8
IX. RESULTS 9
X. DISCUSSIONS 17
XI.CONCLUSION 18
XII. RECOMMENDATIONS 19
XIII. REFERENCE 20
ABSTRACT
The study was conducted for a period of one month among preschool educators in Singapore. Fif- teen participants both from the public and private school sector were interviewed using a question- naire that was formulated by the researcher. The study aimed to find out the views and opinions of Singapore preschool educators when it comes to teaching environmental education to children in their early years.Results show that all educators agree that it is important for children to be educated about their environment as early as preschool. However, there are some concerns and issues that need to be addressed in order to make sure that the young learners would benefit and environmental education would be taught effectively.
I. INTRODUCTION
Preschool in Singapore is for children 7 years of age and below. It includes the Kindergarten education and childcare programmes (half or full day). Although it is not compulsory for a child to attend preschool, it is highly encouraged as it can help achieve a child’s learning goals prior to at- tending preschool (Overview of Preschool, 2022).
There are a number of preschool options available for parents to choose from. They are reg- ulated by Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) while the Ministry of Education operates MOE Kindergartens and develops curriculum framework for preschool. MOE Kindergartens, Full day KinderCare , ChildCare and other preschools overseen by ECDA are just some of the options (Overview of Preschool, 2022).
MOE Kindergarten uses the Nurturing Early Learners (NEL) Framework as a support and guide in developing the preschool curriculum. It assists them in ensuring that high quality education is provided amongst early learners. Educators and preschools may also share resources based on the framework. NEL framework revolves around these objectives:
a.) Promoting the joy of learning
b.) Developing values and learning dispositions in order to live harmoniously with others C.) Promotes active learning through experience and experiments
Preschool learning goals include: Aesthetic and Creative Expressions, Discovery of the World, Health, Safety and Motor Skills Development, Language and Literacy and Numeracy.
The NEL framework serves as a guide for the teachers and it encourages them to help the child achieve the learning goals through daily learning experiences. Teachers become facilitators and provides authentic learning to children through purposeful play and quality interactions. Parents also play a big role as they are also expected to collaborate with teachers in ensuring that the child develops a positive attitude towards learning (Nurturing early learners (NEL) framework. (n.d.)).
Under the Discovery of the World learning goal, children must develop curiosity and interest in the world they live in. It involves all aspects of the environment. It allows them to develop and use important process skills to understand the world they are living in and in turn develop a sense of responsibility and respect for the world around them. Through personal, sensory and planned expe-
riences, children will discover the world and will learn to respect and care for it (Nurturing early learners (NEL) framework. (n.d.)).
Preschools in Singapore follow these learning goals as they plan and execute their lessons throughout the school year in different preschool levels. They add green education into their cur- riculum to help children understand the meaning of sustainability and circular economy. They take part in different activities such as gardening, recycling and composting. They may not fully under- stand the essence of what they are doing but it is a good head start for them at an early age.
II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
In the publication entitled, “ Education for Sustainable Development in the Early Years” by Blatchford et al., it was mentioned that apart from children’s right to education, early childhood ed- ucation is very crucial because it is at this time when attitudes and values are fundamentally found- ed. It is considered the starting point in which children becomes aware of the environment and sus- tainable development.
In order to effectively protect the environment, we should be environmentally liter- ate and this can be achieved through environment education. Erhabor and Don mentioned in their article that youths who are environmentally aware and empowered have the potential to be the greatest agent of change. Environmental education is also infused to the educational system in order to enhance their awareness in all levels of education (Dolenc Orbanić & Kovač, 2021).
According to the North American Association for Environmental Education,”Envi- ronmental Education in early childhood is a holistic concept that encompasses knowledge of the natural world as well as emotions, dispositions and skills”. It is different from from environmental education for older students and adults as it does not put high importance on structured approach and graduated achievements rather it focuses on the child’s free discovery of things. According to the book, Guidelines for Excellence Early Childhood Environmental Education Programmes, there are 6 key characteristics of an excellent early childhood environmental education programme.
These include:
1.Program Philosophy, Purpose and Development- ECEE should focus on nature and environment and how the programme would meet the child’s needs. The program’s phi- losophy will serve as a guide in all program activities.
2.Developmentally Appropriate Practices- ECEE should ensure that activities are de- signed and implemented based on already established practices that are developmentally appropriate. Activities should be authentic, child-directed and inquiry based.
3.Play and Exploration- ECEE should provide nature- based explorations indoors and outdoors
4.Curriculum Framework for Environmental learning- This will serve as a guide for educators to intentionally foster growth and development in all learning domains.
5.Places and Spaces- These places both indoors and outdoors should be safe and comfort- able for learning and development. Components and materials should be natural and de- velopmentally appropriate.
6.Educator Preparation- Educators should be able to professionally plan and implement high quality programs for early learners. They should be able to create an environment that will motivate children to learn and explore.
In a research conducted by Bengu Turkoglui (2019) in Turkey involving a study group that consisted of 68 preschool teachers and 72 pre-service preschool teachers, majority thinks that envi- ronmental education is necessary to raise awareness of environmental protection. Teacher’s knowl- edge as well as child’s interest are the most common factors that affect environmental education. It was also discovered that majority of the teachers believe that environmental pollution and recycling should be focused on when teaching environmental education.
A survey study was also conducted among Ministry of Education Preschools in Malaysia to determine the of level of knowledge and sustainability practices of preschool children. The final assessment shows that sustainability practices among preschool children in Malaysia still needs to be improved as it is only determined to be at moderate level. 3R practices (Reduce, reuse and recy- cle) still needs to be put into practice more rather that in paper (Hanifah,M. et al, 2016).
III. STATEMENT OF THE STUDY
This study focuses on Environment Education amongst Early Childhood learners in Singapore preschool setting. Interviews and questionnaires were conducted and given out to obtain the feed- back of early childhood educators about the current status of environment education in Singapore preschools.
IV. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
This study aimed to:
a.) identify the importance and benefits of environmental education in preschool based on preschool educators’ views;
b.) identify, investigate and compare different teaching strategies, practices and methods used by Singapore preschools in inculcating environmental awareness amongst early learners; and
c.) identify challenges that educators face in achieving learning goals concerning the environment and how it can be addressed.
V. RATIONALE/ SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
Singapore has a vision towards a more sustainable future by 2030. Even in schools, educa- tors and learners may contribute to this vision by translating concepts into actions. Understanding and appreciating the natural environment may begin even in an early age and environment educa- tion integrated in preschool curriculum plays a big role in developing the process skills needed to nurture children who are environmentally aware and conscious.
VI. SCOPE AND LIMITATION
This study was conducted from March 1 to April 20, 2023. 15 Form teachers, assistant teachers and principals from about 10 preschools and childcare centres in Singapore were inter- viewed. This research was conducted to be able to gather some information, views and opinions of how environmental awareness is being promoted in the early childhood setting.
The result of this study is applicable only to its respondents and their centres and cannot be used as a measure of Singapore Preschools in general. The main source of information was the questionnaire which was prepared by the researcher.
VII. DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY AREA
The study was conducted in Singapore, an island country in Southeast Asia. It has approxi- mately 1,800 preschools that cater to Early Childhood needs. Interviewees were teachers and staff from both public and private preschool sector. Some are for MOE (Ministry of Education) kinder- garten while some are from private kindergarten or ECDA (Early Childhood Development Agency) childcare centers.
VIII. METHODOLOGY
DATA GATHERING Photographs
Educators from different preschools in Singapore were interviewed about how Environmen- tal Awareness and Sustainability are incorporated in the curriculum. Photographs of indoor/outdoor activities related to it were collated and described. (Due to Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act, faces of the individuals must be covered for privacy).
Interviews and Questionnaire
15 random educators and preschoolers were interviewed. Some were given questionnaires instead due to logistics issues. The questionnaire was developed in order to gather the data. The questions were formulated based on the aim of the research, some of them were adapted from rele- vant reviewed studies (Türkoğlu B., 2019). The questionnaire format is as follows:
Name of interviewee/educator: ___________________
Position: _____________________________________
School: ______________________________________
Years as educator in Singapore: ___________________
Date of interview: ______________________________
1. Do you agree that environmental education is necessary among preschoolers? Why or why not?
2. What factors usually affect environmental education in preschool setting?
3. How can environmental education benefit preschoolers?
4. What are the usual issues/concern/problems that you encounter in conducting environmental education activities?
5. Who/ What are the usual sources of issues that you encounter in environmental education?
6. What possible improvements can you suggest in order to make environmental education in preschoolers more effective and beneficial?
7. List down the environmental education practices/activities in your preschool. Briefly describe each. Attach photographs if possible.
______________________
Signature over printed name
Responses were collated, summarised and analysed.
IX. RESULTS
I. SOCIOECONOMIC DATA Age of Respondents
33%
40%
27%
20-30 years old30-40 years old 40 and above
Job Titles
7%
13%
20% 60%
Main Teacher Assistant Teacher Principal
Assistant Principal
Years in the Preschool Industry
20%
47%
33%
0-5 years 6-10 years
11 years and above
Type of Preschool
60%
40%
Government Childcare
Private Childcare
A. Do you agree that environmental education is necessary among preschoolers? Why or why not?
All educators interviewed agreed that environmental education is necessary among preschoolers.
7 out 15 educators believe that children must be made aware of their surroundings and environment at an early age. They should learn about nature and interact with it.
4 out of 15 believe that they should understand its importance and how environment impacts their daily lives. They believe that the importance of sustainability and protecting the environment must be taught at an early age.
3 out 15 think that environmental education in preschool promotes creative, problem solving and critical thinking skills among children.
One thinks that learning about the environment allows children to use their five senses to explore nature and therefore encourages effective learning.
2 out 15 educators also believe that preschoolers are absorbing a lot of knowledge and values at this stage. It is a great opportunity to unlock the value of appreciating the environment. Incorporating it in their curriculum will make it part of their daily lives and will help them form intrinsic environ- mental behaviours that are agreeable to the things around them. It will help them develop rational way of thinking and a sense of responsibility towards the environment.
4 out 15 preschool educators believe that environmental education will teach them how to protect the limited natural resources that we have and to apply eco-friendly and sustainable practices in their daily lives.
B. What factors usually affect environmental education in preschool setting?
5 out of 15 educators believe that teacher’s knowledge and effectiveness affect environmental edu- cation greatly.
5 out of 15 also think that teaching resources as well as the curriculum affect the effectivity of envi- ronmental education in preschool setting.
5 out of 15 agree that the school’s space and location play a big role and affect the effectivity of en- vironmental education as children need to have big space and outdoor spaces to have ample oppor- tunity to explore nature.
4 out of 15 believe that community and family support is very crucial in environmental education among preschool. There should be a follow up at home and in the community through family sup- port and involvement.
C. How can environmental education benefit preschoolers?
6 out 15 educators believe that environmental education help children develop important creative, critical and problem solving skills that will help them lead a sustainable and eco-friendly life.
7 out of 15 think that environmental education will teach them to understand the importance of the environment and develop responsibility towards it. They will be able to think of ways to contribute into saving and protecting it. These attitudes will be carried out until they grow old.
D. What are the usual issues/concern/problems that you encounter in conducting environmental education activities?
3 out of 15 agree that manpower is one of the difficulties that they usually encounter when teaching environmental education. It is somehow difficult to bring children outdoor to explore the nature freely due to the lack of staff that will ensure the children’s safety and the huge class size. Teacher and student ratio is sometimes not ideal for outdoor activities.
4 out of 15 believe that time constraints usually hinder them from discussing and carrying out lessons about environment. Topics can sometimes be too broad but not ample time to elaborate on them.
3 out of 15 think that lack of interest from children is one of the usual concerns that they experience when teaching environmental education. Sometimes, topics and environmental issues seem too complex for the children to understand and so they can be indifferent to the discussions. Most chil- dren are interested only with arts and crafts rather than connecting with the environment like saving water and energy.
8 out of 15 on the other hand, experience difficulty due to lack of ample space and limited re- sources. Some classrooms are too small or crowded to do activities. There is also lack of natural parks or space nearby for outdoor activities that is why there is lesser interaction with nature. Most of the time, materials are also not enough for all children to explore and also difficult to obtain.
3 out of 15 educators believe that some activities related to environmental education like those done outdoor may put the children’s safety at risk. Children are naturally curious and explorative and sometimes teachers are unable to monitor them all the time especially if the class size is big.
3 out of 15 educators experience concern when in comes to parents’ participation.Some activities require family’s participation like eco-friendly activities at home or bringing recycle resources to school. Unfortunately some parents are not responsive or supportive due to different reasons. Activ- ities encouraged in school are sometimes not reinforced at home or even done oppositely. Also some parents tend to be protective and disagree with some activities like those outdoors.
1 out of 15 cited the lack of support of school administration when it comes to finances, resources, training and manpower needed to incorporate environmental education in the preschool curriculum
E. Who/ What are the usual sources of issues that you encounter in environmental education?
Responders named the following sources of issues encountered related to environmental education:
i. Staff and Administration - 6 out of 15 educators cite coworkers and colleagues as a source of is- sues encountered related to environmental education.
ii. Students- Students’ interest, size and safety are cited as issues for 2 out of15 responders.
iii. Curriculum- 3 out of 15 educators think that environmental education is not well incorporated in most preschool curriculum.
iv. Family/ Parents- 3 out of 15 responders think that parents usually lack support and participation .
v. Community- 2 out of 15 educators think that people around the school and the students’ neigh- bourhood lack programs or activities that will reinforce what was learnt in school.
vi. School- 3 out of 15 believe that the school interior and exterior play a big part to an effective en- vironmental education.
vii. Singapore Government- 2 out of 15 responders think that Singapore Government especially the National Environment Agency, Early Childhood Development Agency and Ministry of Educa- tion should be more proactive in imposing and incorporating environment education in preschool curriculum.
F. What possible improvements can you suggest in order to make environmental education in preschoolers more effective and beneficial?
6 out of 15 educators suggest that more teachers training ( in-house, talks, camps, workshops) should be provided to develop the teachers professionally and allow them to effectively teach envi- ronment education.
6 out of 15 responders said that sufficient and developmentally-appropriate resources must be pro- vided for all preschool levels. Resources must be readily available.
3 out of 15 suggest that activities which will encourage engagement among the members of the community and family should be included in the program.
4 out of 15 educators suggest that schools must create enough, supportive and safe learning envi- ronment for children. Excursions/ field trips to nature parks should be encouraged too.
3 out of 15 think that environmental education must be incorporated in the curriculum throughout the whole school year and not just done occasionally.
G. List down the environmental education practices/activities in your preschool. Briefly describe each. Attach photographs if possible.
DAILY ACTIVITIES
1. ECO-KIDS as part of the extra curricular activity
- allows the children to have more awareness about the environment as it focuses on plants, animals and recycling.
2. SCHOOL GARDEN
- Children plant, care for and harvest vegetables in the school garden.
3. RECYCLING CORNER/BIN
- A recycling box is provided and children are encouraged to bring things from home that can be recycled. Crafts are made using these recyclable materials.
4. COMPOSTING
- Organic compost from food waste is used as fertiliser for the mini eco-garden.
5. ENERGY AND WATER SAVING PRACTICES - Turning lights and aircon off when not in use.
- Turning taps off when not in use.
- Use of cups when brushing teeth
- Signages that promote saving energy and water are put on school walls.
6. 3Rs SCHOOL PRACTICES
- Rubbish bins are placed in different rooms.
- Use of recycled materials for arts, crafts and even school decorations
- Use of reusable bottles and lunchboxes; discouraging the use of plastics and disposable wares - The kitchen attempts to cut down food waste by cooking “just enough” for the childcare center - Reusing papers
7. CARING FOR PETS
- Pet hamster, rabbit, fish and terrapins
MONTHLY ACTIVITIES
1. NATURE WALK
- An outdoor activity where students can explore nature outdoor (ex. Bird watching, cloud sight- ings, plant observation, leaf gathering)
2. EXCURSION/ FIELD TRIP
- Done once every quarter. Children visit nature parks, farms or zoo.
3. SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS RELATED TO ENVIRONMENT
- simple age appropriate experiments are done related to environment (ex. Volcanic eruption, water pollution etc.)
ANNUAL ACTIVITIES
1. WATER DAY- discussions, activities and crafts are done related to the importance of water.
2. EARTH DAY- discussions, activities and crafts are done related to Earth, its importance and ways to protect it.
PHOTOGRAPH SAMPLES
Figure 1.1. Nature Walk, Earth Day and Water Day
Figure 1.2. Gardening
Figure 1.3. Caring for Pets
X. DISCUSSIONS
Based on the answers given by participants in this study, educators believe that environmen- tal education is very important in a child’s early years. Majority thinks that children must be made aware of their environment and should be able to interact with it in order to develop appreciation towards it. In this way, children will be empowered to make sound environmental decisions and contribute to a sustainable future. It will also benefit the children as they get to develop their cre- ative, critical thinking and problem solving skills.
On the other hand, some factors affect the effectivity of environmental education in the preschool setting. A significant number of respondents cited teacher’s competence as a big factor for an effective environment education. The lack of knowledge and training of preschool teachers is one problem that they experience in teaching environment awareness. Respondents suggested that educators must be equipped with enough knowledge through in-house trainings, seminars, modules, talks and camps in order to be successful in teaching environmental education.
The scarcity of the resources and even the limited space in the school also make it challeng- ing for educators to deliver lessons effectively. According to Hultgren and Johansson (2019), the setting or the environment is important and should inspire children to explore and shall stimulate their senses. . It should also encourage active involvement and at the same time they must feel se- cure. Crowded classrooms also limit the children’s ability to move and explore. An outdoor space which will help them connect to nature is very helpful in instilling environmental awareness and appreciation. Educators suggest that school management should create a safe and supportive envi- ronment for children to be able to explore nature. Excursions or field trips will also be beneficial for children.
Support from the government, school administration, community and family members is also very crucial for environmental education. The lack of support from the school administration makes it challenging for the educators to promote and teach. The school administration is often the reason for the lack of training, resources, space and ineffective curriculum in preschool education.
Responders also believe that Singapore government sectors that are involved should be more proac- tive in ensuring that environmental education is strictly incorporated in school curriculum. Family and the community must also be proactive and involved for children to be more proactive and in-
volved as well. Indifference of the family may also contribute to the indifference of the child when it comes to the environment. Families play as advocates and create a home environment that sup- port the programs taught in school.
To keep children more interested and engaged about environmental education, most respon- ders suggest that age appropriate activities that are fun and exciting must be prepared. Excursions, experiments, games and more hands-on activities should be done and incorporated in the curricu- lum. Majority believe that the frequency of these activities contribute highly to the success of the program.
XI. CONCLUSION
All responders from the preschool sectors agree on teaching environmental education in ear- ly childhood. They believe that not only it makes them aware of the environment but it also instills appreciation of it and therefore develops their sense of responsibility towards nature.
There are several factors that affect how environmental education is taught in the preschool setting and these include: teachers, school, administration, students, family and community.
I therefore conclude that though there is no doubt that children must be taught environmen- tal education in their early years. There is still room for improvement in order to ensure that chil- dren will achieve maximum benefit and the goals of environmental education would be achieved.
All sectors involved must work hand in hand to achieve these goals.
XII. RECOMMENDATIONS
Environmental education is an important subject that must be taught at an early age. To en- sure its effectivity, it must be carefully planned and carried out in a consistent manner. A curriculum that is comprehensive and encompasses multiple disciplines must be created. All sectors must be involved from the national level up to the family level. Teachers and assistants must be equipped and supported through enhanced training as they are the ones who directly implement the program.
They need to be qualified and should be able to execute the program not only theoretically but also applied or practical. Collaborations and partnerships are highly encouraged for environmental edu- cation to be effective and beneficial for our early childhood learners.
For environmental education to be more effective and to ensure that it will contribute to Singapore’s vision of moving towards sustainability, it has to be made compulsory in all preschool sectors, may it be private or government ran schools. National seminars and training must be planned and conducted to ensure that all teachers and staff are on par with the objectives of the pro- gramme. Metrics and regular evaluations must also be put in place to ensure that it is conducted properly in all schools. In this way, Singapore will move together as one in educating our early childhood learners about environment and sustainability.
XIII. REFERENCES
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Erhabor, Norris & Don, Juliet. (2016). Impact of Environmental Education On the Knowledge and Attitude of Students Towards the Environment. Tạp chí Nghiên cứu dân tộc. 11. 5367-5375.
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Hanifah Mahat, Mohamad Suhaily Yusri, Che Ngah. 2016. 3R Practices Among Moe Preschool Pupils through the Environmental Education Curriculum. SHS Web of Conferences 23 04002. DOI: 10.1051/shsconf/20162304002
Hultgren, F., & Johansson, B. (2019). Including babies and toddlers: A new model of p a r t i c i p a t i o n . C h i l d r e n ’s G e o g r a p h i e s , 1 7( 4 ) , 3 7 5 – 3 8 7 . h t t p s : / / d o i . o r g / 10.1080/14733285.2018.1527016.
North American Association for Environmental Education. (2010). Guidelines for Excellence Early Childhood Environmental Education Programs.
Nurturing early learners (NEL) framework. (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, 2023, from https://
www.moe.gov.sg/preschool/curriculum
Overview of Preschool. (2022). Retrieved from https://www.moe.gov.sg/preschool/overview Siraj-Blatchford, J. et al. Education for Sustainable Development in the Early Years.
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Türkoğlu B. Opinions of Preschool Teachers and Pre-Service Teachers on Environmental Education and Environmental Awareness for Sustainable Development in the Preschool Period. Sus tainability. 2019; 11(18):4925. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11184925
