Abstract:

The paper deals with environmental sensitivity, experts traditionally defined as a relationship to nature and the environment, among children of preschool and younger school age. This issue is viewed from a variety of angles in the literature, and the most important question is the possibility of measuring this construct. In addition to participating observations, tests, questionnaires and in-terviews, we find it appropriate to use content analysis of children's creations and analysis of text testimonies accompanying children's drawings.

At the same time, the paper presents the results of a research probe focused on children of younger school age at the age of 6-11 years. Specifically, how the selected respondents portray themselves, how they do things in nature by means of artwork and textual explanations explaining the picture. Drawings and testimonies were subsequently evaluated qualitatively. In the framework of an inves-tigation at two elementary schools (Staňkovice ČR, Ruzomberok SR) this research problem was solved. "Perception of Relationship to Nature by Children of School Age". The aim of the research was to find out what the relationship between children at primary school and nature is. And in the meantime, we answered the question: How do children in primary school record and describe their relationship to nature? The analysis was performed in children aged 6-11 years. A total of 107 re-spondents were asked to draw, two methods were used to collect the data.

Descriptive analysis of visual content (analysis of the drawing and analysis of the text accompanying the drawings). They all received A4 paper and had crayons, then they were given simple tasks "1. draw yourself as you do something in nature "," 2. describe the picture ". Everybody had the same time, 45 minutes.

It can be said that in our case the children had different experiences with nature at different levels. A limiting factor was undoubtedly the age of the respondents, as well as the family environment, residence, past experience ... etc. Assessing children's drawings often depends on the interpreter's image by the observer. However, he does not need to fully understand and objectively formulate real values and environmental orientations without further explanation, which may be another limiting factor.

Keywords:

Environmental sensitivity, primary school, Descriptive analysis of the visual content.