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Predictors of Preschool Teachers’ Environmental Activities in Kindergarten

action (Mitranić Marinković et al., 2019). Notably, Flogaitis et al. (2005) dis-
tinguish between two types of preschool teachers: technocentric – those
who adhere strictly to existing guidelines; and ecocentric – those who ini-
tiate innovative practices. In their recent study, Lepičnik Vodopivec and
Šindić (2025) emphasize that key outcomes of environmental programmes
in kindergartens include experiential learning, children’s active participation
in decision-making, and the cultivation of a personal sense of responsibility
toward the community and nature. These findings reinforce the argument
that holistic approaches, integrating both institutional culture and participa-
tory practices, are crucial for the effective implementation of sustainability
in preschool education.

Methodology
The aim of this research was to identify predictors of the frequency of en-
vironmental activity implementation in kindergartens, with particular em-
phasis on the personal and sociodemographic characteristics of preschool
teachers. Specifically, the study examined the predictive contribution of the
following variables: years of service, level of education, teaching group, and
thedegreeofdevelopment ofpreschoolteachers’environmentalcompeten-
cies. Grounded in the theoretical framework and aligned with this research
aim, the following hypotheses were formulated:

H1 There is a statistically significant positive correlation between the
degree of development of preschool teachers’ environmental
competencies and the frequency of environmental activity
implementation in kindergartens.
H2 Preschool teachers with higher levels of formal education implement
environmental activities more frequently than those with lower levels
of education.
H3 Greater professional experience among preschool teachers is
positively associated with an increased frequency of conducting
environmental activities.
H4 There are statistically significant differences in the frequency of
environmental activity implementation based on the teaching group
(younger, middle, older, preschool, or mixed-age groups).

Sample Characteristics
The study was conducted on a convenience sample of 101 preschool teachers
from four administrative districts in the Republic of Serbia. The sample was
purposefully selected to ensure diversity in sociodemographic backgrounds,
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