THE USE OF EDUCATIONAL TOOLS IN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION: THE CASE OF PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION

The aim of the present study is to investigate and reflect the views of the nursery school teachers in the Prefecture of Rhodope on the educational media they make use of within the framework of Environmental Education. Environmental Education resulted from the realization of and the need to address the current environmental problems which threaten our lives. In this context, quality education is required. The selection of the appropriate educational media provides a contribution in this direction by supporting and enriching the educational approach to environmental topics and initiating the achievement of the Environmental Education objectives for a sustainable future. To collect the necessary data, a structured questionnaire consisting of closed-ended questions was developed and was completed by nursery school teachers of the Regional Unit of Rhodope. To analyze the collected data, descriptive statistics and the non-parametric Friedman test were performed. The research findings indicated that the nursery teachers approach mainly topics from the natural environment in their classroom and they regard the selection of the appropriate educational tool as a very important factor in meeting the pursued teaching objectives. Fairytales and photographic material consist the educational tools mostly used by the teachers to approach environmental topics. Finally, it was indicated that there are difficulties in using various educational tools. On the other side, the advantages arising from their use are many and significant making apparent their effectiveness in Environmental Education.