Elementary School Teachers' Experience of Environmental Protection Education (مقاله علمی وزارت علوم)

چکیده

The present study examines the teachers' experience of teaching "environmental protection" to elementary school students. Qualitative research has been done using the phenomenological method. The research population includes all teachers working in primary schools in Ahvaz. Sampling was purposeful, and after semi-structured interviews with 30 teachers, theoretical data saturation was obtained. The condition for selecting teachers was their desire to participate in research and interest in environmental topics. Interview data were analyzed using the Van Manen method to explore teachers' experience of environmental protection education. Findings include five main themes: ethics education in environmental protection, elements of environmental protection education, knowledge in environmental protection, attitude in environmental protection, and skills in environmental protection, and 15 sub-themes. According to teachers' experience, promoting and increasing students' sense of responsibility towards the environment and teaching environmental ethics is essential. It is also necessary to pay attention to human interaction and the two-way relationship with the environment and teach students that there is a kind of trade between us and nature, and if humans do not fulfill their obligations to nature, they face dangerous and unsolvable consequences. The teachers believed that, to increase students' understanding of how to preserve the environment, its harmful factors, and the consequences of polluting it, some lessons should mention environmental issues and problems and their solutions. Also, teaching aids should be prepared and used for environmental protection education. Improving students' attitudes toward the environment can motivate them to react to right and wrong environmental behaviors, make them aware of the value of nature, and ultimately lead to environmental protection.