An Introduction To Ecology for Young Children: Systematic Literature Review and Bibliometric Analysis

Sandy Tegariyani Putri Santoso; Alif Mudiono; Eny Nur Aisyah; Evania Yafie; Lidia Astutik

doi:10.18860/icied.v11i1.3917

Sandy Tegariyani Putri Santoso Universitas Islam Negeri Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang
Alif Mudiono Universitas Negeri Malang
Eny Nur Aisyah Universitas Negeri Malang
Evania Yafie Universitas Negeri Malang
Lidia Astutik Universitas Islam Negeri Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18860/icied.v11i1.3917

Keywords: early childhood education, ecology, nature-based learning, systematic literature review, bibliometric analysis, environmental identity

Abstract

An early introduction to ecology is an important foundation for developing environmental awareness and pro-environmental behavior throughout life. This study aims to map the development of global research on the introduction of ecology in the context of Early Childhood Education (PAUD) through a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) approach complemented by bibliometric analysis. Data were obtained from 199 articles indexed by Scopus and Google Scholar published between 2015 up too 2025. The analysis included mapping research themes, citation networks, publication trends, and identifying research gaps. The analysis identified six main theme clusters: (1) family and community ecology, (2) nature and green space experiences, (3) social ecology and child development, (4) digital ecology, (5) physical environment and health, and (6) environmental identity formation. Bibliometric findings indicate that research output peaked in 2017 with 33 articles, then gradually declined after 2020. Five significant research gaps were identified, including a lack of studies from the Southeast Asian context, particularly Indonesia, limited evidence-based intervention design, and the absence of longitudinal studies of long-term impacts. This research provides a theoretical and empirical basis for the development of contextual and evidence-based ecology-based PAUD programs in Indonesia.

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