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Journals / Anadolu Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi / 2026 / Volume: 10 Issue: 1

Exploring environmental perceptions through family involvement: A phenomenological inquiry with students and parents

Özgecan Yaman(Gökçeahmet Şehit Fevzi Kıral Primary School)0009-0003-1570-1758
Özlem Ateş(Manisa Celal Bayar University, Faculty of Education)0000-0001-9446-2940
Pages
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Publication Date
2026-03-06
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Findings reveal that participants define the environment as an integrated system of living beings within both natural and artificial contexts, viewing it as a shared home for people, animals, and plants.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:This phenomenological study explores how eight third-grade students and their families in a rural district interpret environmental phenomena and their shared educational experiences.
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Key Findings & Data:Findings reveal that participants define the environment as an integrated system of living beings within both natural and artificial contexts, viewing it as a shared home for people, animals, and plants.
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Conclusion & Impact:By transforming routines into a conscious environmental mindset, this synergy fosters a lasting culture of sustainability at home.
🔬Design:Research Article
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Environmental education · Family involvement · Phenomenology

Abstract

This phenomenological study explores how eight third-grade students and their families in a rural district interpret environmental phenomena and their shared educational experiences. Data were gathered through multiple qualitative instruments, including word association tests, student and researcher diaries, semi-structured interviews, and observations to capture the depth of these perceptions. Findings reveal that participants define the environment as an integrated system of living beings within both natural and artificial contexts, viewing it as a shared home for people, animals, and plants. Participants notably pointed to pollution, drought, and climate change as primary environmental problems while emphasizing the influential role of human factors and their consumption habits. They proposed concrete strategies to prevent these issues, focusing on waste repurposing, recycling, and social warnings. The intentional practice-based design of this study enabled children to act as effective catalysts for intergenerational learning. Participants characterized this process as a meaningful lived experience that fostered positive emotions and interactive dialogue. This process enabled reverse socialization, in which children influenced parental habits and strengthened family bonds through quality time. Pedagogically, the study suggests reconceptualizing family participation as a learning ecosystem that bridges the gap between formal schooling and daily life. By transforming routines into a conscious environmental mindset, this synergy fosters a lasting culture of sustainability at home.

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Cite This Article

Yaman, Ö., Ateş, Ö. (2026). Exploring environmental perceptions through family involvement: A phenomenological inquiry with students and parents. Anadolu Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, Volume: 10 Issue: 1. https://doi.org/10.34056/aujef.1857350

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