Children's ideas about air pollution and its consequences

Abstract

The main focus of this study is on primary school children's ideas about air pollution and its consequences. Air pollution is currently a main environmental problem in Malta and it is frequently mentioned by the media. Primary level children develop ideas about scientific issues before any formal education. The aim of this research is to probe their knowledge about air pollution, to measure children's knowledge about different sources of air pollution, to identify whether children are aware of the effects of air pollution, and to probe children's ideas in proposing what can be done to reduce it. Three main ideas were examined: knowledge about the issue of air pollution, its sources and effects, and the possibility of using alternative frameworks to reduce air pollution. It has emerged that children are not sufficiently aware about the threat of air pollution. They are less aware of its main sources of pollution as well as its effect on human health. It was also noted that there does not appear to be any progression in knowledge with age, as the majority of the children knew very little about the subject. More education needs to take place for children to become more familiar and have adequate understanding of certain technical terms.