The Impact of the Eco-School Program on Preschoolers’ Environmental Awareness, Responsible Behavior, and Skill Development

English (OpenAlex)

This study investigates the impact of the Eco-School program on preschoolers’ environmental awareness, responsible behavior, and foundational skills. Recognizing the formative influence of early childhood education, a sequential mixed-methods design was employed, combining quantitative and qualitative approaches. The participants were 20 five-year-old children enrolled at Çay Melek Sultan Kindergarten in Afyonkarahisar, Turkey. Established scales were used to measure environmental attitudes, responsible behavior, and skill development, while qualitative insights were gathered through researcher diaries and semi-structured interviews. The intervention consisted of a 12-week program featuring interactive activities on waste recycling, water conservation, and connecting with nature. Quantitative analyses revealed significant improvements in children’s environmental awareness, responsible behaviors, and skills following the program, which were further enriched by qualitative findings on children’s lived experiences. The results demonstrate that early environmental education, particularly when guided by the Eco-School framework, fosters responsible decision-making and essential competencies, thereby laying a foundation for lifelong environmental stewardship. These findings offer valuable implications for educators, curriculum developers, and policymakers in strengthening early childhood environmental education practices.