DOI: 10.11118/978-80-7701-087-0-0392

UNDERSTANDING ECOLOGICAL ROLES OF ORGANISMS AMONG KINDERGARTEN CHILDREN: IMPLICATIONS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

Alexandra Maruniaková¹, Ivan Iľko¹, Katarína Segečová¹, Viera Peterková¹

¹ Department of Biology, Trnava University in Trnava, Priemyselná 4, 91843 Trnava, Slovakia

Understanding ecological relationships among living organisms represents an important foundation for environmental education, as knowledge about ecosystem functioning can foster more responsible attitudes toward nature. This study explores how children perceive living organisms in relation to three dimensions: identification, understanding of ecological roles, and perceived importance for nature. Data were anonymously collected from 60 children attending three state kindergartens. Children were individually presented with visual representations of selected organisms representing different trophic levels within an ecosystem. They were asked to identify the organisms, explain their ecological roles, and evaluate their importance for natural systems. Relationships among these dimensions were analysed using correlation analysis, while potential gender differences were examined using multivariate analysis (MANOVA). The results revealed a positive correlation between identification and understanding of ecological roles (r = 0.517, p < 0.001). However, perceived importance was not significantly associated with either identification or understanding of ecological roles. Multivariate analysis did not reveal statistically significant gender differences (Wilks’ λ = 0.949, F(3,56) = 1.00, p = 0.399). These findings highlight the importance of strengthening ecological literacy as a foundation for environmental education in early childhood.

Klíčová slova: ecological literacy; early childhood learning; biodiversity awareness; ecosystem functioning; environmental education

stránky: 392-397, Publikováno: 2026, online: 2026