Nature through children’s eyes: a phenomenological inquiry using the storyline method

This study examines third-grade primary school students’ perceptions of nature within a science education process structured through the Storyline method, grounded in a constructivist learning approach. The research was conducted using a qualitative descriptive phenomenological design with 22 students attending a public primary school in Istanbul, Türkiye. Data were collected through observations, focus group interviews, student artifacts, a Nature Perception Form, mind maps, and a Word Association Test, and were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings indicate that students’ perceptions of nature are organised around three interrelated dimensions: functionality of nature, emotional perception of nature, and protecting nature. Students conceptualised nature not only as a physical environment but also as an interconnected system, a source of emotional meaning, and a shared value requiring protection. Furthermore, students’ explanations regarding environmental concepts such as natural – artificial distinctions, extinction, recycling, and responsibility became more elaborated over the course of the learning process. The study suggests that the Storyline method provides a meaningful pedagogical context for supporting students’ socially mediated meaning-making about nature in early science education.