Promoting education for sustainable development through research activities with water application

Tema ovog diplomskog rada je Promicanje odgoja i obrazovanja za održivi razvoj istraživačkim aktivnostima uz primjenu vode. Djeca od najranije dobi počinju istraživati svijet oko sebe, a to im uvelike omogućuje vrtić kao ustanova u kojoj većina aktivnosti ima istraživački karakter. Istraživačkim aktivnostima kod djece predškolske dobi cilj je potaknuti interes o značenju, zaštiti i očuvanju vode. Očuvanje okoliša i racionalno korištenje energije dio je cjeloživotnog obrazovanja koje treba započeti od ranog djetinjstva. Predškolska dob je pogodno vrijeme za postavljanje temelja u razvoju interesa, znanja i navika čuvanja okoliša. U smislu održivog razvoja to znači: osobni razvoj pojedinca i razvoj demokratskih odnosa kao pokretača ekonomskog i ekološkog razvoja usmjerenog na racionalno gospodarenje u skladu s prihvatnim kapacitetom okoliša. Institucije poput dječjeg vrtića imaju važnu ulogu, a to je proširiti dječja znanja o okolišu, poticati razvoj dječje ljubavi prema prirodi, razvoj sposobnosti, stavova i vještina koje će im omogućiti življenje u skladu s održivim razvojem. Kroz praktično radne aktivnosti provedene u dječjem vrtiću „Srednjaci“ pokazalo se kako su djeca sposobna učiti od najranije dobi o važnosti i načinima očuvanju vode. Kroz aktivnosti istraživanja vode primijetila sam: kreativnost, suradnički rad među djecom, originalnost u izričaju, koncentriranost na rad i samostalnost. Igra vodom je višestruko korisna jer njom djeca potiču i razvijaju: socio – emocionalni razvoj, razvoj govora, tjelesni razvoj i razvoj kreativnosti. Ne smijemo zaboraviti ni ulogu odgojitelja kao kreativnu osobu osjetljivu na dječje potrebe te spremnu na ulogu aktivnog sudionika u dječjim istraživanjima.The theme of this graduate thesis is to promote education and training for sustainable development through research activities with water application. Children of the earliest age begin to explore the world around them, and that is made available by nursery as an institution where most of the activities have a research character. Through research activities with pre – school children the aim is to encourage their interest in meaning, protection and preservation of water. Preserving the environment and rational use of energy is part of lifelong education that needs to start from early childhood. Pre-school age is a good time to set the foundation for developing an interest, knowledge and habit of preserving the environment. In terms of sustainable development, this means: personal development of the individual and the development of democratic relations as a driver of economic and ecological development directed towards rational management in accordance with the absorption capacity of the environment. Institutions like kindergartens play an important role in expanding children's environmental knowledge, encouraging the development of children's love for nature, developing skills, attitudes and skills that will enable them to live in harmony with sustainable development. Through practical work in the kindergarten „Srednjaci", it was shown that children from the earliest age have ability to learn about importance and ways of preserving water. Through the activities of research it was noticed: creativity, collaborative work among children, originality in expression, concentration on work and autonomy. The game with water is multifuncional because through the game children are encouraging and developing socio-emotional development, speech development, physical development and creativity development. We must not neither forget the role of the educator as a creative person sensitive to children's needs and ready to play an active role in children's research