Research Information System
Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 2025 (ESCI, Scopus)
This study aims to explore how preschool children (n = 89, age 60–72 months) conceptualize and represent nature through their drawings and accompanying verbal expressions. It further investigates how these representations vary according to socio-economic context and how they align with the values and goals of the Türkiye Century Education Model (TCEM). The study employs a qualitative case study design based on the analysis of preschool children’s free drawings and verbal narratives collected from various provinces in Türkiye. Data were analyzed through thematic content analysis, with attention to symbolic, spatial, and emotional elements. The theoretical framework is grounded in developmental drawing and environmental perception theories, including cognitive, representational, and projective approaches. The findings demonstrate that children’s nature representations are cognitively structured and symbolically rich, reflecting both developmental stages and socio-environmental experiences. In higher socio-economic regions, nature is often portrayed as harmonious and recreational, while in lower socio-economic settings, themes of environmental degradation and restricted access to nature are more prevalent. Across contexts, children assigned human characteristics to natural elements, indicating affective and empathic engagement.