An exploratory qualitative study of preschool children’s understanding of fauna and endangered animals

This exploratory qualitative study examined short-term changes in preschool children’s elicited understandings of fauna and endangered animals following a classroom-based environmental education unit. Participants were 18 children aged 4–6 years attending one public kindergarten classroom in Greece. Data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews conducted before and after a one-week intervention and were supplemented by an open-ended parent questionnaire used as supportive evidence of topic salience beyond the classroom. Interview data were analyzed through qualitative thematic comparison, with descriptive counts used to summarize patterns of change across key domains. After the intervention, children showed clearer and more frequent conceptually appropriate responses regarding the meaning of fauna, the identification of classroom-taught endangered animals, the causes of endangerment, human responsibility, and possible protective actions. Parent reports further suggested that these themes remained salient in family conversations, particularly in relation to Caretta caretta. Although findings should be interpreted cautiously given the small sample, single-classroom design, and short time frame, the study suggests that developmentally appropriate, pedagogically sensitive and multimodal environmental learning experiences can support preschool children’s early engagement with biodiversity-related concepts and care-oriented environmental thinking.