Narratives of nature : television's storyline and preschool viewers' accounts
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Authors
Magrath, Laura
Issue Date
2012-02-27
Type
Language
Subject
Preschool children , Environmental education , Preschool television
Alternative Title
Abstract
Preschool children grow up in a media-saturated environment, easily accessing a variety
of technologies, including television. This study investigated the environmental content
in both the television programming for preschool children and in the personal narratives
of this viewing audience. Cultivation studies suggest the lack of environmental content
on television, coupled with heavy viewing patterns, reduces individual concerns for the
environment. This study explored the possible cultivation effect that television viewing
enacts on preschool children’s conceptions of the environment. A content analysis coded
environmental actions and environmental literacy benchmarks on preschool television.
Interviews with preschoolers explored their conceptions of the environment through a
play-based narrative. Findings include: environmental content exists on television but
lacks frequency and context to enhance audience understanding; and preschool children
utilize experiences from their daily lives and from television to explain “nature.”