Examination of Preschool Teachers' Environmental Attitudes in Terms of Different Variables

Year 2023, Volume: 12 Issue: 4, 813 - 819, 10.10.2023

Şule Kavak Ebru Deretarla Gül

https://doi.org/10.14686/buefad.1344866

Abstract

This study investigated the environmental attitudes of preschool teachers in relation to various factors including their educational background, city of residence, age, seniority, and gender. The findings reiterate the importance of environmental education in shaping positive environmental attitudes, as teachers with a robust environmental education background showcased more favorable views on the environment. Conversely, factors like place of residence, age, and seniority did not significantly influence environmental attitudes. The results also indicate that there was no differentiation in environmental attitudes based on gender. These findings emphasize the importance of instilling a comprehensive environmental education for educators, who play a pivotal role in shaping the environmental perceptions of the younger generation. Despite its invaluable insights, the study is limited by its geographical scope and potential omission of influential variables. Future research should expand its parameters and delve into deeper qualitative inquiries.

Keywords

environment education, early childhood, education policies, preschool

References

• Ahi, B., & Özsoy, S. (2015). İlkokullarda görev yapan öğretmenlerin çevreye yönelik tutumları: cinsiyet ve mesleki kıdem faktörü [Elementary School Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Environment: Gender and Professional Seniority Factors]. Kastamonu Eğitim Dergisi, Vol23, No1, 31-56.
• Akçay, N. O., Halmatov, M., & Ekin, S. (2017). Okul öncesi öğretmeni adaylarının ağaç ve çevreye yönelik tutumlarının incelenmesi [Examination Of Preschool Teacher Candidates' Attitudes Towards The Tree and The Environment]. Iğdır Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, (13), 1-18.
• Ballantyne, R. R., & Packer, J. M. (1996). Teaching and learning in environmental education: Developing environmental conceptions. The Journal of Environmental Education, 27(2), 25-32. https://doi.org/10.1080/00958964.1996.9941455
• Doğan, E., & Demirel, E. (2019). Okul öncesi öğretmenlerinin çevresel tutumlarının incelenmes [ Examining the environmental attitudes of preschool teachers]. 14. Ulusal Okul Öncesi Öğretmenliği Öğrenci Kongresi: Çocuğun Ekolojik Dünyası Özet Kitapçığı, Maltepe Üniversitesi.
• Duru, B., & Bakanay, Ç. D. (2021). Okul Öncesi Öğretmenlerinin Çevreye Yönelik Etik Tutumlarının İncelenmesi [Investigation of Environmental Ethical Attitudes of Preschool Teachers]. Karaelmas Eğitim Bilimleri Dergisi, 9(1), 47-63.
• Gifford, R., & Sussman, R. (2012). Environmental attitudes. In The Oxford Handbook of Environmental and Conservation Psychology (pp. 65-80). Oxford University Press.
• Hungerford, H. R., & Volk, T. L. (1990). Changing learner behavior through environmental education. The Journal of Environmental Education, 21(3), 8-21. https://doi.org/10.1080/00958964.1990.10753743
• Fernández‐Manzanal, R., Rodríguez‐Barreiro, L., & Carrasquer, J. (2007). Evaluation of environmental attitudes: Analysis and results of a scale applied to university students. Science Education, 91(6), 988-1009. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.20218
• Okyay, Ö., Demir, Z. G., Sayın, A., & Özdemir, K. (2021). Ekolojik okuryazarlık eğitiminin okul öncesi öğretmenlerinin ekolojik farkındalığı ve çevreye yönelik motivasyonlarına etkisi [The Effect of Ecological Literacy Training on Ecological Awareness and Environmental Motivations of Pre-School Teachers]. Başkent University Journal of Education, 8(1), 129-146.
• Payne, P. (2001). Identity and environmental education. Environmental Education Research, 7(1), 67-88. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504620124658
• Rickinson, M. (2001). Learners and learning in environmental education: A critical review of the evidence. Environmental Education Research, 7(3), 207-320. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504620120065230
• Şahin, H. G., & Doğu, S. (2018). Okul Öncesi Öğretmen Adaylarının Çevre Sorunlarına İlişkin Tutum ve Davranışlarının İncelenmesi [Pre-Service Preschool Teachers’ Attitudes and Behaviors Related to Environmental Problems]. Ilkogretim Online, 17(3). Doi 10.17051/ilkonline.2018.466359
• Tilbury, D. (1995). Environmental education for sustainability: Defining the new focus of environmental education in the 1990s. Environmental Education Research, 1(2), 195-212. https://doi.org/10.1080/1350462950010206
• Toprak, P., Algan, K., Alıç, Ü., Aslan, D. A., & Eroğlu, G. (2023). Okul Öncesi Öğretmenlerinin Çevresel Düşünce ve Davranışlarının Farklı Değişkenler Açısından İncelenmesi [Examination of Environmental Thinking and Behavior of Preschool Teachers in Terms of Different Variables]. Temel Eğitim, (19), 6-15.
• Uyanık, G. (2016). Öğretmen adaylarının çevre sorunlarına ilişkin bilgi düzeylerinin ve tutumlarının incelenmesi [Examining of Attitudes and Knowledge Levels towards Environmental Problems of Candidate Teachers]. Online Science Education Journal, 1(1), 30-41.
• Van Liere, K. D., & Dunlap, R. E. (1980). The social bases of environmental concern: A review of hypotheses, explanations and empirical evidence. Public Opinion Quarterly, 44(2), 181-197. https://doi.org/10.1086/268583
• Yildirim, C., Bacanak, A., & Özsoy, S. (2012). Öğretmen adaylarının çevre sorunlarına karşı duyarlılıkları [Pre-Service Teachers’ Sensibilities Towards Environmental Problems]. Kastamonu Eğitim Dergisi, 20(1), 121-134.
• Yurt, Ö., Kandır, A., & Kalburan, N. C. (2012). Okul öncesi öğretmenleri ile öğretmen adaylarının çevresel tutumları yönünden karşılaştırılması [Comparison of Teachers and Teacher Candidates in terms of Their Environmental Attitudes]. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 12(1), 317-327.
• Zelezny, L. C., Chua, P. P., & Aldrich, C. (2000). New ways of thinking about environmentalism: Elaborating on gender differences in environmentalism. Journal of Social Issues, 56(3), 443-457. https://doi.org/10.1111/0022-4537.00177