Elementary school students' knowledge of tree species' names: case study of an elementary school in Fujisawa in Kanagawa prefecture. (Special Issue: The development and the practical studies in forest environmental education.) [Japanese]

摘要

This study investigated what tree species elementary school students are familiar with. The subjects were 440 fourth-grade children from five elementary schools in Fujisawa in Kanagawa Prefecture. A questionnaire in which the children had to fill in the names of tree species and explain how they had learned of the species was administered. The results showed that cherry and maple trees were among the most commonly named species. Many children claimed to have learned of these species by having seen them in the circumference of their school (e.g., in schoolyards, parks, or nearby localities). Therefore, it appears that children tend to be cognizant of outdoor environments and to learn from them. Other commonly named species not seen in the circumference of elementary schools were apple, coconut, grape, banana, pear, etc. There is a possibility that many children learned of these species through television. Finally, some children claimed that they had learned of certain tree species through classroom instruction. In sum, students learned of trees species through outdoor avenues such as school grounds and parks and indoor avenues such as classrooms and television.