STUDIES FOR THE CREATION OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL FOREST IN THE SCHOOL GROUND AND ITS UTILIZATION AS TEACHING MATERIALS

Abstract

In our previous study, it was clarified that the trees planted in the school garden or in the school ground are prepared and cultivated decoratively in most schools. The present study, with the facts mentioned above, was carried through questionary papers to take up a way of the significant utilization of trees planted in the school as teaching materials and/or a means of the creation of an environmental protection forest in the school. The results clarified were as follows: 1. Many teachers in elementary schools were negative in the reaction toward decorative plantation and gardening cultivation of trees in the school, whereas 'most teachers in lower or upper secondary schools were positive. 2. With regard to the utilization of trees as teaching materials, the teachers answered that they were not comfortable in 87% of them all. They were, however, not so highly interested in the cultivation or management of trees in the school; young teachers especially were so. 3. We were not able to take an educational concept about the trees which were planted in the school out to the answers of questionary papers. Hence, it was assumed that there was no long-range plan for the cultivation and management of trees planted in the school. 4. It was clarified that the teachers preferred that a long-range plan of the tree-cultivation or tree-management in the school ought to be prepared by a teacher group involving the people in the neighborhood of the school. Their opinions, however, were divided into many branches in regard to the enforcement of the long-range plan. We were not able, therefore, to take up a direction on which their many different-branched opinions had come to an agreement. 5. The creation of green environmental protection forests, involving a produce of science educational teaching materials, is one of the educational problems which ought to be urgently resolved. For the resolution of the problem, we considered that teachers might change their images about the present school education and should demand some administrative help upon their educational actions.