Italian children's visions of nature: A cluster analysis of environmental themes in drawings

The present study explores how Italian primary school children represent nature through drawing. A convenience sample of 2997 students (aged 9–11; 50.4 % female) from grades 3 to 5 in public elementary schools in northern Italy participated. Each child completed two drawings: one illustrating nature in the present and one envisioning nature in the future. Content analysis revealed a tendency to depict environmental issues and a largely negative view of nature in the future. A cluster analysis identified five distinct representational profiles, with “Balanced Realists” (30 %) being the most prevalent and “Technological Futurists” (10 %) the least. Gender differences emerged: females were more likely to portray environmental degradation and biotic elements, while males favored urban and technological features. An exploratory within-subject analysis further showed that while some children maintained consistent orientations across both time frames, many shifted from neutral or positive depictions of the present to negative depictions of the future. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating children's environmental perceptions into education programs to foster ecological awareness and sustainable thinking. Study limitations and future research directions are discussed.