Completion report
A Comparison of Early Environmental Studies for Enhancing Behabior Concerning Solid Waste
Management: Case Study of Japan and Thailand
Nittaya Pusukphun
LecturerThammasat University
This study aims to compare some of factors;

teaching/classroom environment,childhood experience,

knowledge of environmental issues/concern, educational systems, curriculum and policies regarding
environmental concerns between Thailand and Japan to ascertain whether there are differences and if such is
responsible for pro-environmental behavior and consequently a better solid waste separation and management
system in Japan compared to Thailand. Due to due to the similarity of areas- topography, agricultural, commercial,socials and environment, Chiang Rai province and Samutprakan province, Thailand and Uonuma city of Niigata
prefecture and Chuo city, Chiba prefecture, Japan, will be selected to be study areas for the comparison study, also
representative rural and city area, respectively. The government pre-schools which is located in each selected area
were randomly selected to process the research. A comparison of teaching pattern for pre-school childhood period
in Japan and Thailand would provide the value data and information to find out a reason or a factor that enhance
positive solid waste management behaviors in both countries.
In this study, there were not found differences of objectives of class and teacher role between Thailand
and Japan even in pre-school among urban and rural areas. As mention, it was found not only the pre-school levelof education, but also center-based care and education for ages zero to three. As in some areas kindergartens areplaying the role of day nurseries and in other areas day nurseries are functioning as kindergartens in both countries.
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and Ministry of Health, Welfare, andLabor (MHWL), while Ministry of Education and Ministry of Public Health do the responsibility do responsibilityof rules, regulation, guideline and curriculum for kindergartens and pre-school (day care) for Japan and Thailand,
respectively, it was not found the significant difference in rules, regulation, guideline and curriculum for pre-school(day care) in both countries. Teachers and the assistants play important role as care takers during day such as foodfeeding, sleeping and cleaning however Japanese teachers or care takers promote the difference class activities
from Thailand. It found the clearly differences on (1) class environments (2) class activities (3) enhancing goodpractice in solid waste management in the pre- school;(1) Class environments
In Japan, the pre-school child have been scheduled to have outdoor class room to learn and touching thenaturals while Thai pre-school child are mostly stay indoor class.
(2) Class activities
In Japan, the outdoor class supports the activity in term of learning from nature directly by touching,playing (playground) and closing to the natural living. While, the models of natural items are mostly used forlearning and playing in pre- school class in Thailand.
(3) Enhancing good practice in solid waste management in the pre- school
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The Japanese pre-schools don’t only provide the good practice in solid waste management by waste
separation but all school visited had performed the “waste reduction” and becoming the zero waste school. Also,teachers said the family plays important role in good performances in waste management. Oppositely, waste
separation or waste reduction even the idea of good waste management are not considered in the operation of thepre-school or day care in Thailand.
As for the guideline of improving class environment and teaching pattern in Thailand, childhood
experience may be one of such factors in Japan, the case is different for Thailand. In Japan, pre-school activities
emphasize children becoming aware of their environment through outdoor experiences including the showing of
good performance in against of waste generation. Therefore, the guidelines for nursery care at day nurseries or preschool class in Thailand should be added the term of outdoor activities by learning and touching the natural directlywith safety control including the sanitation rules of solid waste management strongly.
Publication of the Results of Research Project:
Verbal Presentation (Date, Venue, Name of Conference, Title of Presentation, Presenter, etc.)
Thesis (Name of Journal and its Date, Title and Author of Thesis, etc.)
The results of this research will be submitted to the Journal;
1. International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental Education (Manuscript preparation and to besubmitted by December , 2018)“A comparison of early environmental studies for enhancing behavior concerning solid waste management: Acase study of Japan and Thailand”Book (Publisher and Date of the Book, Title and Author of the Book, etc.)

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