幼児期の環境教育研究をめぐる背景と課題

抄録

  This paper reviewed the researches on environmental education (EE) for kindergartens and nursery schools that have been conducted in the past 20 years. Throughout the history of EE, international guidelines have emphasized the incorporation of EE in early school curriculum. However, these guidelines have not directly influenced the EE-related practical activities that are adopted in kindergartens and nursery schools in each nation. Research papers on EE focusing on early childhood have been produced mainly in the USA (1990s) and Australia (late 1990s∼2000s). In Europe, although only a few English language works exist, works on the practical activities for young children are plentiful; prominent among these are Waldkindergarten in Denmark and Germany and Skogsmulle in Sweden. Further, in Japan, many research papers dealing with the same issue have been produced since the 1990s. However, only a few of these papers discussed what EE is, what significance EE has, and the practical manner in which EE can be implemented in the early school curriculum. Based on the analyses of these research papers, the author discusses the factors hindering the incorporation of practical activities related to EE in kindergartens and nursery schools.