Teacher Opinions about Chil dren’s Awareness of Zero Waste and Recycling in the Pre School Education Years

Abstract

The aim of this study is to encourage the development of pre school teachers by raising their awareness about zero
waste and recycling activities. The need for this research is linked to the lack of prominence about the concept of zero
waste in pre school programs in Turkey, and also the limited inclusion of opportunities for pre school students to learn
about recycling strategies. This research uses a qualitative design and adopts a case study approach. The study group
was purposefully sampled using criter ion sampling. Interviews were conducted with forty pre school education
teachers who volunteered to support the research, had at least five years experience, and had received training about
zero waste and recycling activities. The interviews with pre schoo l education teachers were conducted once and took
approximately fifty minutes. Content analysis and descriptive analysis approaches were employed. The research
findings were based on each interview question, and tables were created under five headings. Res earch findings
indicate that most of the pre school education teachers stated the children’s awareness about zero waste and recycling
was insufficient during the pre school education years. Teachers have stated that awareness about zero waste and
recycling can be enriched through the inclusion of specific content and the use of visual materials in pre school
education programs. Additionally, pre school education teachers emphasized that using an educational game will make
the learning process about zero was te and recycling strategies more enjoyable and will also be the most suitable
method in terms of the children’s age and levels of development. On the other hand, teachers have stated that in order
to raise children’s awareness about zero waste and recyclin g, there should be further studies conducted about how
such awareness will contribute to the social and emotional development of children as well as studies about how
children can learn by doing.