Pre- and In-Service Teachers’ Understandings of Atmosphere-related Environmental Issues: The Effects of Major and Gender

Year 2020, Volume: 22 Issue: 1, 193 - 210, 30.04.2020

Sakip Kahraman

https://doi.org/10.17556/erziefd.615183

Cited By: 1

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate pre- and in-service teachers’ understandings of the greenhouse effect, global warming, ozone layer depletion, and acid rain in terms of gender and major using a three-tier diagnostic test which has the potential to differentiate respondents with lack of knowledge from those with misconceptions. The data of the research in which the survey method was used were collected using “The Atmosphere-related Environmental Problems Diagnostic Test (AREPDiT).” The sample of the study consisted of 987 respondents (634 pre-service and 353 in-service teachers). The data were analyzed using a three-way ANOVA. The results revealed that although males’ AREPDiT mean score was higher than that of their female counterparts, the difference between them was not statistically significant. Also, science and social studies in-service teachers’ understandings of atmospheric environmental issues were significantly higher than that of pre-service teachers with the same majors, while there was no significant difference between pre- and in-service primary teachers’ understandings of atmosphere-related environmental issues. It was found that the participants had some common misconceptions about atmosphere-related environmental issues. Moreover, both pre- and in-service teachers more commonly use informal sources such as the Internet and TV to access environmental knowledge than formal ones such as seminars and books.

Keywords

Atmosphere-related environmental problems, Teacher, Gender, Major

Supporting Institution

Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University Scientific Research Coordination Unit

Project Number

SBA-2015-562

Thanks

I would like to thank the Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University Scientific Research Coordination Unit for supporting the research financially.

Understandings of Atmosphere-related Environmental Issues of Pre- and In-Service Teachers in Turkey: The Effects of Major and Gender

Abstract

This study aimed to
investigate pre- and in-service teachers’ understandings of greenhouse effect,
global warming, ozone layer depletion and acid rain in terms of gender and
major using a three-tier diagnostic test which has the potential to
differentiate respondents with lack of knowledge from those with
misconceptions. The data of the research in which survey method was used were
collected using “The Atmosphere-related Environmental Problems Diagnostic Test
(AREPDiT)”. The sample of the study consisted of 987 respondents (634
pre-service and 353 in-service teachers). The data were analyzed using
three-way ANOVA. The results revealed that although males’ AREPDiT mean score
was higher than that of their female counterparts, the difference between them
was not statistically significant. Also, science and social studies in-service
teachers’ understandings of atmospheric environmental issues were significantly
higher than that of pre-service teachers with the same majors while there was
no a significant difference between pre- and in-service primary teachers’
understandings of atmosphere-related environmental issues. It was found that
the participants had some common misconceptions about atmosphere-related
environmental issues. Moreover, both pre- and in-service teachers more commonly
use informal sources such as the Internet and TV to access environmental
knowledge than formal ones such as seminar and book.

Keywords

Atmosphere-related environmental problems, teacher, gender, major

Project Number

SBA-2015-562

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