The views of preschool teachers on the contribution of ICT in Environmental Education

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are forms of technology that enhance young children's learning and experiences. When teachers successfully integrate them as targeted tools using computers, tablets, videos, interactive whiteboards, digital games, etc., the quality of teaching and learning can be improved by providing students with an engaging and successful experience. At the same time, environmental conditions worldwide continue to deteriorate at an alarming rate due to a complex web of socio-ecological challenges such as climate change, air pollution, loss of biodiversity, etc. In order to drive transformative changes in human behaviour, it is essential to educate and inform individuals from an early age, starting with kindergarten students. Incorporating new technologies into environmental education and other subjects can spark students' interest and facilitate more effective information dissemination and learning. This study investigated the views of 105 preschool teachers on the contribution of ICT to Environmental Education. The research tool used was a questionnaire distributed to teachers via Google Forms. The research questions pertain to teachers' knowledge and opinions about ICT and EE, as well as the frequency of ICT use and media during teaching interventions. Furthermore, the factors that influence the smooth integration of ICTs into EE teaching and the results that this integration brings were investigated. The research showed that the contribution of ICT in EE positively affected the students. Those that stood out were the active participation, the increased interest, the development of teamwork and the mobilisation of the weak students. However, although the teachers pointed out some difficulties in using ICT in their teaching, such as the deficiency of material and technical infrastructure and the lack of time, they also pointed out how significant and influential the contribution of ICT in teaching Environmental Education is.