“Transformation Begins With Me” In The Eyes Of The Littles

Abstract

The research was carried out in order to improve the self-awareness levels of preschool children by increasing their sensitivity to the environment. Simple Experimental Method, one of the Quantitative Research methods, was used in the study. Before and after the training, a five-question pre-test and post-test were administered to the students. Findings were obtained by analyzing with the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test program. The sample group in the research was 11 students aged 5 years, studying in Kindergarten in Rize Province, and were chosen as the Simple Random Sampling Group. Before the research, students were asked to collect waste paper with their families. Before the activity, a pre-test was applied to the children. Practices have been made about recycling and reuse of wastes with videos and visuals and their benefits to the environment. Each child produced a new paper from the waste paper they collected and a joint story book was prepared by making a picture on the environment. They gave messages to teachers and students in other classes by making introductions to parents. At the end of the study, the findings obtained by applying the post-test were analyzed. As a result of the research, a significant difference was found between the pre-test scores applied before the education and the post-test scores applied after the education [z= -2.958, p<.05, r= 0.89]. Accordingly, the measurements of the posttest (median=4) are higher than the pretest (median=1). In other words, it was observed that the recycling, environment and paper production activity from waste paper applied to Kindergarten 5 year old students increased their sensitivity to the environment and had an effect on the development of their self-awareness levels.