Approaches to the design of environmental projects in early childhood education: toward meaningful emotional learning

Abstract

This paper addresses an environmental education project for young children with an emphasis on meaningful emotional learning, according to Piaget, Vygotsky, Ausubel, and Delors, as well as approaches to cognitive development, social interaction, neural plasticity and emotional design. The case study deals with the implementation of a school orchard at Colegio Newland (Querétaro), where children aged 3 to 5 were involved in agroecological activities directed by facilitators. The methodology applies grounded theory and comparative qualitative analysis (QCA) as to evaluate variables such as interest at home, active participation, motor control, and institutional commitment. 32 real scenarios were codified as result of observations, interviews, and records, which revealed the optimal configurations and areas for improvement. Resulting data demonstrate that emotional learning is intensified when there is active participation, sensory exploration, family support, and institutional continuity. Scenarios that lack these conditions reveal disconnection and an urgence for methodological redesigning. The school garden proved to be efficient for instilling values, regulating emotions, and pushing experiential learning, fostering the home-school bond and promoting sustainability. Educational designs require to be flexible, iterative, and sensitive to children’s emotional, contextual, and motor needs. This experimentation attests how early childhood learning is structured in community, through play, exploration, and emotional recognition. The study concludes that environmental projects in early childhood education must integrate cognitive, social, and sensory dimensions in order to generate long lasting and meaningful learning from early childhood.