2010 Volume 73 Issue 5 Pages 741-746
We conducted a study to examine the effects of the frequency of children's approach to a big tree in the school ground and their attendance at environmental education classes on their perceptions. The subjects of the study were two elementary schools with a big tree in their campuses. From the results obtained in this study, frequency of approach and attendance at environmental education classes were found to be related and had an effect on children's perceptions of the big tree and contact with nature. However, when the frequency of approach and attendance at environmental education classes were not related because of the location of the big tree, the children's perceptions of the big tree and frequency of approach were strongly related. Further, a strong relationship was observed between contact with a tree located near the area of daily activities and attendance at environmental education classes that used the big tree as subject matter. Accordingly, teachers should be more conscious about the importance of environmental education, and planning layouts with a future vision is important while installing playground equipment or planting trees in schoolyards.
