Mathematics in Environmental Education: An Investigation of Preservice Teachers’ Skills in Drawing and Interpreting Population Size Graphs

Year 2024, Volume: 18 Issue: 2, 460 - 479, 27.12.2024

Veli Ünlü , Zeynep Koyunlu Ünlü

https://doi.org/10.17522/balikesirnef.1558829

Abstract

Drawing and interpretation graphs, as key mathematical skills, are widely used in teaching various subjects within science education. Population ecology, a topic in the environmental education course within the elementary education curriculum of Türkiye, is one such subject. In the context of this environmental education course, graphs are employed to teach and interpret the factors influencing the growth and decline of populations. This qualitative study aimed to examine the graph drawing and interpretation skills of preservice elementary school teachers in relation to population size. Fifty-seven preservice elementary school teachers from the elementary education department of a university in the Central Anatolia region of Türkiye participated in the study. These preservice teachers were provided with growth rate vs. time graphs of different populations and were asked to draw and interpret graphs representing change numbers of individuals vs. time. The findings revealed that many preservice teachers struggled with both drawing and interpreting population graphs. Specifically, most participants encountered difficulties while drawing and interpreting linear and particularly curvilinear graphs, as they failed to account for the simultaneous changes in two variables. The study’s findings are expected to raise awareness about the importance of mathematical skills and the need for interdisciplinary collaboration in environmental education, as well as providing direction for future research.

Keywords

Environmental education, mathematics education, graph drawing skills, graph interpretation skills, population ecology, preservice teachers

Ethical Statement

The study involves human participants. Ethics committee permission was obtained from Yozgat Bozok University, Social and Human Sciences Ethics Committee.

Çevre Eğitiminde Matematik: Öğretmen Adaylarının Popülasyon Büyüklüğü Grafiği Çizme ve Yorumlama Becerilerinin İncelenmesi

Abstract

Matematiksel bir beceri olan grafik çizme ve yorumlama, fen eğitiminde pek çok konunun öğretiminde kullanılmaktadır. Sınıf öğretmenliği programında yer alan çevre eğitimi dersindeki popülasyon ekolojisi bu konulardan biridir. Çevre eğitimi dersi kapsamında bir popülasyonun büyüme ve küçülme nedenlerinin öğretimi ve yorumlanmasında grafiklere başvurulmaktadır. Nitel olarak yürütülen bu çalışmada sınıf öğretmen adaylarının popülasyon grafiği çizme ve yorumlama becerilerinin incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırmaya Türkiye’nin İç Anadolu Bölgesinde yer alan bir üniversitenin sınıf eğitimi bölümünde öğrenim gören 57 öğretmen adayı katılmıştır. Sınıf öğretmen adaylarına farklı popülasyonlara ait büyüme hızı-zaman grafikleri verilmiş, onlardan birey sayısındaki değişimleri zamana göre gösteren grafikler çizmeleri ve yorumlamaları istenmiştir. Sonuçlar öğretmen adaylarının popülasyon grafiği çizme ve yorumlama konusunda güçlük yaşadığını göstermiştir. Doğrusal ve özellikle eğrisel grafiklerin çizim ve yorumlanmasında öğretmen adaylarının çoğu iki değişkenin eş zamanlı değişimini hesaba katamamıştır. Araştırma sonuçlarının çevre eğitiminde matematiksel becerilerin kullanımına ve disiplinler arası işbirliğinin gerekliliğine ilişkin farkındalığı artıracağı, yapılacak çalışmalara rehber olacağı düşünülmektedir.

Keywords

Çevre eğitimi, matematik eğitimi, grafik çizme becerisi, grafik yorumlama becerisi, popülasyon ekolojisi, öğretmen adayları

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