Environmental Education in Kindergarten

Heny Djoehaeni, Mubiar Agustin and Asep Deni Gustina

Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Jl. Dr. Setiabudhi No. 229, Bandung, Indonesia

henydjoe@upi.edu

Keywords: Environmental education, early childhood learning.

Abstract: Issues relating to the environment is a global issue that demands attention from various sectors including

education. In early childhood education, environmental education becomes the starting point for early

childhood awareness in the environment around them. The horizon of appreciation of this ecological linkage

will be more profound and widespread when supported by a planned and sustainable environmental education

praxis. Four key principles that can be used as guidance in guiding action that is in harmony with the

environment are reduce waste and save on the goods available, reuse, recycling and replanting in order to

preserve nature. The application of these four principles in daily life requires the support of adults around the

child who will be the facilitator for the child in an effort to understand and love the environment. The success

of environmental education for early childhood should be implemented through an integrated learning

process, an exemplary element of the teacher as well as opportunities for children to take concrete action

related to environmental education. This discussion will be focus on conceptualization of environmental

education and its implementation in early childhood setting.

1 INTRODUCTION

The living environment is an inseparable part of the

people’s life. Throughout their life, people really

depend on the condition of the surrounding

environment. The changes occur in the environment

will directly affect the people’s life quality. The poor

environment management happened because of the

lack of people’s awareness in preserving the nature,

ignorance and the lack of understanding about the

surrounding environmental conservation, thus it gave

a very significant effect in their life. The issues

related with the environment is a global issue that

demands the attention from many sectors including

education.

The environmental education has a very important

role in overcoming the environment issues today. As

stated by Seefeldt (1989) that currently the necessity

of environmental education is very critical. The

environmental problems as well as the decreasing

natural resources became a concern that led to the

attention and concern of environmental education.

The environmental education introduced early is

expected to be able to develop positive behavior

toward the environment sustainability. This is in

accordance with the statement from Sutrisno et al.

(2005) that the introduction of the surrounding

environment through early environmental education

to the kids is an initial step for the kids to appreciate

the environment.

In the Law of the Republic of Indonesia No. 23 in

1997 (UU RI No. 23, 1997) on the Management of

the Environment, it is stated that the Environmental

Education is defined as the means to change the

behavior and attitude acted by various parties or

elements with the aims to improve the knowledge,

skills and awareness of the people about the

environmental values and environmental issues

which eventually will move the people to actively

participate in the act of preservation and safety of the

environment for the benefit of the current and next

generations.

The early childhood education program is the

foundation to develop the individual characters for

the future. Many experts stated that the early

education is a very fundamental stage for the next

development and education. The Victorian

Environmental Education Council (1992) stated that

the learning experience in early age is the foundation

for the next learning experience. Some of the basic

Djoehaeni, H., Agustin, M. and Gustina, A.

Environmental Education in Kindergarten.

In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Educational Sciences (ICES 2017) - Volume 1, pages 173-177

ISBN: 978-989-758-314-8

173

qualities of the importance of the environmental

education are creativity, teamwork, environment

preservation, appreciation toward the reusable

resources as well as the understanding of the

correlation of life on the earth that can be significantly

developed since early age.

Some researches revealed the importance of the

environmental education, such as the statement from

Chen and Cheng in their research (2008) which stated

that the Environmental Education is a very important

tool in providing knowledge, positive attitudes

toward the environment and establishment of the

skills to protect and improve the environment quality.

Regarding to the limitation of the source of funds and

the increasing number of environmental challenges,

the effective environmental education program.

Therefore, it will be very important for the parents,

teachers and other adults to identify early age as well

as apply the proper strategy to help the kids have high

awareness regarding the environment preservation.

This paper will review the environmental

education study in early childhood. The aims of this

research is to give knowledge about the importance

of environmental education in early childhood and to

find out the if implementation of the environmental

education study is in accordance with the

characteristics and needs of the kids as well as the

kids’ environment characteristics.

2 LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Early Childhood Education

The education for early childhood has a close

correlation with the underlying study theory. The

study theory that underlies the application of the

environmental study to the early childhood kids is the

constructivism theory. In the constructivist

perspective, the environment maturity and experience

play an important role in the learning process. Based

on this theory, the knowledge is basically built by the

kids through the interaction with the environment.

The constructivists is based on the Piaget research

which showed that basically the kids actively

interpreted their physical and social experiences as

well as developing the knowledge, intelligence as

well as their morality. The kids develop their own

knowledge since they have many ideas that are in fact

never taught to them (Masitoh: 2003). Similar to that,

Coughlin (2000) stated that, the constructivists

believed that the learning occurred when the kids are

trying to understand the world around them. The

learning is an interactive process that involves

friends, adults and the environment. In the

constructivists’ point of view, the kids are seen as

active learners that develop their own understanding.

The constructivism is a theory about the

knowledge structure. Kamii and DeVries as quoted in

Branscome (2003) stated that the constructivism is a

knowledge theory that emphasizes on each person’s

role in developing their own knowledge instead of

directly absorbing from the environment. The focus

on the kids is a knowledge creation, not on the

repetition on what others think is an important

knowledge. The constructivists are based on the

research conducted by Piaget which showed that

basically kids actively interpret their experience in the

physical and social world to develop their own

knowledge, intelligence and morality. The kids build

their own knowledge since they have many ideas. In

the constructivists’ point of view, the maturity and

environmental experience play an important role in

the learning process. Based on this perspective, the

knowledge is basically built by the kids through their

interaction with the environment.

Branscome (2003) also stated that when one built

his knowledge, he usually went to the stage of

disagreement or disharmony with others’ thoughts,

usually with people with more experience. The

constructivists gave a strong support to the change of

one’s thinking paradigm after he considered the

opinions and ideas of others. The acceptance of the

thoughts that have been changed or fixed would give

many chances for the students to improve their

knowledge as well as to improve their thoughts.

The constructivists understanding was initiated

by two psychologists, Jean Piaget and Lev Vigotsky.

Basically, they had understood the constructivist’s

assumptions that kids actively develop the

knowledge. The kids developed the knowledge based

on their experience, which was earned by the kids

who actively developed their own selves through

interaction with the environment. Based on this

understanding, the kids are not passive individuals

who only earned their knowledge from others. The

kids are actively learning beings who are able to

create and develop their own knowledge (Rogoff,

1990). Based on the prior assumption, it can be seen

that this approach emphasizes on the importance of

the kids’ involvement in the learning process.

Therefore, the teacher must be able to create fun and

warm learning environment through games and

interactions with the environment to encourage active

participation from the kids. This approach is also

related with the individuals’ variation factors owned

by the kids.

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In relation with the development process, Piaget

(Roopnaire and Johnson: 1993) explained that the

kid’s development occurred through universal

sequence and every development stage is marked

with particular characteristics in thinking and doing.

Basically, the thinking development process is shifted

from concrete thinking to abstract thinking.

Meanwhile, Lev Vigotsky believed that the social

context is very important in the kids’ learning

process. The social interaction experience holds an

important role in developing the kids’ thinking

ability. The interaction between the kids and the

social environment will create new forms of high

mental activities. Rogoff (1990) stated that based on

Vigotsky, the skill in using the culture tools is the core

of social interaction role, and the interaction with the

experts can be similar with the adults in guiding the

kids’ cognitive development. Piaget and Vigotsky

emphasized on the importance of playing as the

facility of the kids’ education, particularly the ones

related with the thinking capacity development.

Creativity is very important to develop, particularly

for kids in early childhood. Kids, who are directed to

create something, must also directed to look for and

explore new ideas so that the will be more reliable

when facing the issues or problems that need to be

solved. The interaction conducted by the kids with the

surrounding environment, whether with adults and

peers, can give valuable experience for them since it

can help them develop their language skill to

communicate and socialize. Last but not least, by

interacting, the kids will learn to understand others’

feeling and respect others’ opinions, so it is indirectly

train them to express their emotions.

2.2 Environmental Education Review

Stapp (1979) stated that the environmental education

is a process to develop the world citizen who are fully

mindful and aware of the environment and the

problems related to the environment, and who have

the knowledge, behavior, motivation, commitment,

and skills to work individually or in teams for the

solutions of the current problems and the preventions

of the new coming problems.

In line with the this, Eco Schools Program (1998)

stated that basically, the environmental education in

schools are to bring changes in the students’ behavior

and values as human beings in interacting with all

environmental components. When the school

established the practical environment sound program,

the students would actively participate in improving

the school’s environment quality. In most part of this

case, the best result would be achieved if conducted

with the support and the participation from the

society, including the government departments and

non-government institutions. When the students see

that they give realistic contribution to the

environment, they would study with more goals, their

motivation would increase and their self-esteem will

be higher.

Kinsella (208) stated that in today society, we are

becoming more aware of the global warming, climate

change and planet welfare as well as the habitat for

the future generations. As parents and caregivers, we

are often worried about the future of our kids and

many of us feel that we can do more in daily life to

contribute in the solution and in the cause of the

environmental problems. On the other hand, Kinsella

(2008) also stated that our house and the society is the

place where we raise our kids, so it is rational to want

to preserve our house to be safe and healthy for them

to grow and learn. We know that the kids learn from

the interaction with their family caregivers and

environment, so that through what we do in our daily

life, we can start to involve the kids to learn take care

of their surrounding environment.

3 METHODS

The methodology used is the Literature Review by

reviewing and analysing various sources related with

the writing theme. The review topic is related with the

environmental education and the application on kids

in early childhood.

4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

In this section will be discussed matters related to

environmental education in kindergarten.

4.1 Environmental Education Scope

Environmental education is basically an effort to

instilling individual care for the environment.

Environmental education that is planted early on will

foster positive attitude of children to the environment.

Sutrisno et al. (2005) stated that the introduction of

the surrounding nature through environmental

education to the kids is the initial step for the kids to

respect the environment. Further, Sutrisno (2005)

stated that the concern toward the environment can be

grown in the kids since their early childhood.

Therefore, the most successful and relatively fast as

Environmental Education in Kindergarten

175

well as satisfying way is to teach kids love the

environment.

On other parts, Sutrisno (2005) stated that through

direct interaction with the environment will raise new

appreciation within the kids about the ecological

correlation. The appreciation horizon of the

ecological correlation will be deeper and wider if

supported by the planned and continuous

environmental education practice. Environmental

education is closely related to daily activities

In relation with the scope of the environmental

education, Sutrisno (2005) stated four main principles

as the guidelines in guiding the action in accordance

with the environment, namely:

 Reducing wastes and being provident of the

available goods;

 Reusing;

 Recycling;

 Replanting in order to preserve the nature.

The application of the four principles in daily life

need the support of the adults around the kids that will

be the facilitators in order to understand and love the

environment. The success of the environmental

education for the kids is supposed to be conducted

through integrated learning, the presence of the role

model from the teachers and the chances for the kids

to do real actions that are related with the

environmental education.

Kinsella (2008) stated that in order to involve

children in learning about taking care of the world

around them, there are six areas of sustainability

education:

 Energy saving

 Water conservation

 Waste minimisation-rethink, reduce, reuse,

recycle

 Gardening and composting

 Sustainable food practices

 Green play experience

In practice, the basic principles and areas of

environmental education should be accordance with

the characteristics of early childhood. Teachers have

a very important role to create a fun and meaningful

learning for children.

4.2 Environmental Education Learning

Strategy

A meaningful learning for the kids is the learning that

is in accordance with their interest and needs. The

environmental education delivered to the kids will be

meaningful if related with the context of where the

kids are. This is in accordance with the opinion of

Adisenjaya (file.upi.edu) that the environmental

education can be taught by applying the contextual

approach.

The educational model developed in the

environmental education for kids in early childhood

is the inquiry process based Contextual Learning

Model. This model is seen appropriate since the early

childhood education will be more meaningful if

conducted through activities close to the kids’ daily

life and conducted through direct experiences.

The contextual approach is the learning approach

that facilitates the students to find, process and look

for learning experience that are more concrete and

related with the real life.

Johnson (2007) stated that the contextual learning

involves the kids in important activities that help

them to relate the academicals education and the

context that they face in real life. By connecting both,

the kids will see the meaning in the school

assignments.

The contextual learning model gives the emphasis

on the learning by doing. This will push the kids to

learn actively by doing the activities arranged by the

teachers or the students. Based on Johnson (2007), the

learning components and the contextual learning that

include the active and hands on learning practices, for

instance, continuously challenge the kids to create.

The steps of the application of the contextual

approach in the class are as follows:

(MKDP Curriculum and Learning Development

Team: 2009)

 To develop the thoughts that students will study

more meaningfully by working alone, finding

themselves and constructing the knowledge and

skills by themselves;

 To do inquiry activities (with observation

cycles, asking, hypothesized, data collection,

and conclusion).

 To develop students’ curiosity by raising

questions.

 To create learning society such as group

activities, discussion, question and answer

session, etc.

 To present model as learning example. It can be

through illustration, model and even real media.

 To accustom the kids to reflect on every

conducted learning activity.

 To assess objectively, to assess the students’ real

ability.

The learning steps conducted in this contextual

approach is further aligned with the learning activities

conducted daily that includes opening, main, break,

and closing.

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5 CONCLUSIONS

The environmental education has a very important

role in overcoming the current environmental issues.

The environmental education introduced early is

expected to develop positive behavior toward the

environment preservation. Therefore, the teachers

need to develop the learning strategies that are

appropriate with the characteristics and needs of the

kids in early childhood. The challenging direct

experience is the foundation for the teachers to

arrange the proper strategy. The environmental

education will be more meaningful if conducted with

contextual approach that is more concrete. The four

principles of the environmental education are to

reduce wastes, reuse, recycle and replant, those can

be the references for the teachers in planning the

environmental education activities that are fun for the

kids in early childhood.

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