Urban environmental education in primary school: Comparative case study in Prague and Hanoi

arch. Phuong Thanh Dang

Master's thesis

Abstract:

Today, people are facing countless effects from extreme weather phenomena, which are the results of climate change. Their consequences are extremely serious, by realizing this, countries around the world have begun to pay attention to environmental education, even for children, since the 1970s. There is much research about environmental education, but not so much researches about the environmental education in Vietnam. Therefore, this thesis examines environmental education in Vietnam, in particular, in Hanoi city. To do that, the research questions are about the relationship that urban children have with nature; major environmental problems in Vietnam and Hanoi; how environmental education has been implemented in primary education in Vietnam, and its strengths, weakness, opportunities, and challenges. The methodology made in this thesis is the qualitative approach used to interview children in primary schools in Hanoi. Two primary schools have been chosen in the high density of population. And children will be divided into three groups, which are: grade 1, grade 2 and grade 3, grade 4 and grade 5. Each group will receive different questions based on the child’s cognitive. In total, there are 421 children in two schools participated in this thesis. The findings of this thesis about the way how environmental education is applied in primary schools in Vietnam are similar. Finally, this thesis can contribute to Hanoi or other big cities in Vietnam or city planners or organizations, which have interested in the environment in Vietnam, to become a source of reference.

Keywords

Environmental education, children, primary school, urban

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 4. 4. 2023

Thesis defence

• Date of defence: 16. 5. 2023
• Supervisor: doc. Peter Kumble, Ph.D.
• Reader: Henry William Andrew Hanson IV.

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Faculty of Environmental Sciences

Master programme / field:
Landscape Engineering / Landscape Planning