Effects of Elementary Third Graders' Reading Activities Related to the Environment on Their Attitude toward the Environment

초등학교 3학년 학생들의 환경관련 독서활동이 환경에 대한 태도에 미치는 영향

The purpose of this study was to investigate and analyze how reading activities related to the environment of third grade students at elementary schools affect their attitude on the environment. A survey was carried out on 73 third grade students in K elementary school located in Buk-gu, Daegu metropolitan city. The students were divided into an experimental group and a control group. A preliminary inspection with a check paper on environment -related attitude was performed. Then the students in the experimental group performed a reading activity connected with the environment for eight weeks, and a comparative analysis of the results of posttest was conducted. As a result of the study, the posttest of the experimental group in its overall attitude toward the environment and change in attitude by areas, subjects, gender, showed high statistical significance. In terms of effects by areas, each of the three areas progressed evenly as a whole, although emotion showed the most improvement among them. In consequence of the effect by subjects, all subjects improved positively, although the environmental pollution and recycling parts showed the biggest change. Therefore, elementary third graders' reading activities related to the environment was more likely to change their attitude toward the environment to a more desirable direction. Hence, when the proper data for this activity is put into environment-related classes according to the aim of a lesson, it seems that students' attitude toward environment can be improved and moved into a desirable direction. Moreover, hopefully their environmental consciousness and practical inclination will grow when it is sustained even in ordinary times.