Environmental Cognition

Early ideas and misconceptions at the ages of four and six

Bibliographic Data

ID12525596
AuthorsJoya Palmer (Durham University, corresponding author), Jennifer Suggate (Durham University), Jonathan C F Matthews (0000-0001-6184-1813, National Student Clearinghouse Research Center), Jonathan Matthews
Year1996
Volume2
Issue3
Pages301-329
Publication date1996-10-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueEnvironmental Education Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1350-4622 • E-ISSN: 1469-5871
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/1350462960020304
OpenAlexW2094960787
LanguageEN
Citations received8
References cited2

The purpose of this paper is to present some of the key findings of the first main stage of an on‐going research project entilted ’Emergent Environmentalist]!’, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council in the UK and based at the University of Durham, UK. Early results from pilot studies of this project have already been published (Palmer, 1993, 1994, 1995). The findings discussed here relate to the more detailed and fine grained analysis of the project's main data base collected in the UK and the USA. It should be noted that related databases are currently being collected and analysed in a number of countries in the world and that further international and cross‐cultural comparisons will be made in due course. This paper is concerned with: (i) the knowledge (accurate, partial and inaccurate) of the environment that young children have when they enter school; (ii) the way in which such knowledge may develop and change as children mature during their first two years in school; (Hi) the sources of early years knowledge of and potential concern for the environment. This report will focus on knowledge relating to two key environmental topics, namely tropical rain forests (including deforestation and biodiversity issues) and polar lands (including reference to warming of the climate). The results are divided into three sections. First the emergent knowledge and misconceptions possessed by 4‐year‐olds; second the changes in knowledge noted between ages four and seven; finally, the apparent sources of young children's ideas about the environment. The discussion of the results is divided into three corresponding sections

Deforestation (computer science · Environmental education · Geography · Knowledge base · Pedagogy · Social science · Sociology · Sociology of scientific knowledge · Environmental Education and Sustainability · Psychology

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