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Folia Geographica 2026, 68/2, pp. ...

CHILDREN’S SENSE OF PLACE – CASE STUDY FROM THE BOHEMIAN PARADISE IN CZECHIA

Dominik RUBÁŠA*, Anežka NEJEDLOVÁB, Tomáš MATĚJČEKC, Roman KROUFEKD

Received: October 6, 2025 | Revised: November 22, 2025 | Accepted: January 6, 2026

Paper No. 26-68/2-777


A* Technical University of Liberec, Liberec, Czechia
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1559-8650
    dominik.rubas@tul.cz (corresponding author)

B  Technical University of Liberec, Liberec, Czechia
https://orcid.org/0009-0008-2984-3104
     anezka.nejedlova@tul.cz  

C  Charles University, Prague, Czechia,
    J. E. Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem, Czechia
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5119-4066
     tomas.matejcek@natur.cuni.cz 

D J. E. Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem, Czechia
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4188-8715
     roman.kroufek@ujep.cz 

 

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Abstract
The relationship with place is one of the important areas of geography and environmental education. However, research on the concept of sense of place in primary education has not received significant attention in scholarly literature. The aim of this research is to determine which places within their local region fifth-grade students develop a positive relationship with and the reasons for this relationship. Furthermore, the study explores the students‘ relationship with their local region (regional identity) and how this relationship correlates with other factors. A mixed research design was chosen for data collection and analysis from 257 fifth-grade students in the Bohemian Paradise Protected Landscape Area, Czechia. The results suggest that there is a relationship between the time students spend in nature and their connection to the local region. Students with a stronger regional identity have a stronger connection to nature and they are more familiar with significant places in the region compared to students with a weaker regional identity. Students‘ favourite places predominantly fall into the categories of natural environments, cultural monuments, and home. The study also foregrounds children’s voices and highlights the value of listening to how children experience and imagine their favourite places. Research on children’s sense of place can aid in the more effective implementation of this concept into education, thereby contributing to the development of students‘ environmental literacy and their competence in sustainability.

Key words
Sense of place, regional identity, relationship with nature, geography education, environmental education, place-based education.

 

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