ERIC Number: EJ1350506
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: EISSN-2331-0464
Fostering Empathy for People and Animals: An Evaluation of Lake Superior Zoo's Nature Preschool
Ernst, Julie; Budnik, Leah
International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental Education, v9 n2 p3-16 Spr 2022
In light of the significance of empathy in prosocial and conservation behavioral contexts, and with its relevance to social-emotional learning, which is an emphasis in early childhood education, empathy is a timely and meaningful construct to study within the context of nature preschools. Thus, a program evaluation was conducted to explore the potential of a nature preschool, and specifically a zoo-based nature-preschool, to foster children's empathy. This was a small-scale evaluation, conducted with 10 preschool participants. Yet it suggests the potential for supporting children's empathy through a zoo-based nature preschool, as data indicates children's emotional sharing and empathic concern significantly increased across the three contexts of with humans, non-wildlife animals, and wildlife. Cognitive perspective-taking significantly increased in the context of humans, but not in animal contexts. Implications for further research are discussed.
Descriptors: Empathy, Recreational Facilities, Outdoor Education, Preschools, Program Evaluation, Psychological Patterns, Preschool Children
North American Association for Environmnental Education. 1725 DeSales Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 202-419-0412; Web site: https://naturalstart.org/research
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Preschool Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A