Investigating Variables Predicting Environmental Awareness in the Context of Education for Sustainable Development: An Analysis Based on TIMSS 2019 Data

Year 2024, Volume: 12 Issue: 1, 85 - 129, 29.03.2024

Neslihan Üstün , Mustafa Ürey

https://doi.org/10.46778/goputeb.1320538

Cited By: 2

Abstract

Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) provides unique and detailed information to explore the competencies and attitudes of fourth and eighth-grade students worldwide. The "Environmental Awareness Scale" was developed for the first time in the TIMSS 2019 cycle to measure students' environmental awareness. This cognitive scale gives essential information on students' scientific understanding of some environmental problems at the national and international levels. Using this scale to assess students' environmental awareness will improve education for sustainable development (ESD) in this setting since the obtained data provide reliable information that education policymakers use to integrate the most important environmental education topics and concepts into their curricula and identify the factors that should be considered to raise students' environmental awareness. This study aims to investigate to what extent the science self-concept variable from science-related factors, as well as the gender and socioeconomic status (SES) variables from demographic characteristics, predict the environmental awareness of eighth-grade students in Türkiye participating in the TIMSS 2019. For this purpose, a theoretical model was developed and analyzed with Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to investigate the association between students' environmental awareness and science self-concept, gender, and SES. The analysis revealed that science self-concept, SES, and gender variables together explained 36% of students' environmental awareness. Furthermore, while science self-concept appears to be the strongest predictor of students' environmental awareness, SES level was also a significant variable explaining students' environmental awareness. On the other hand, there was no significant difference in environmental awareness between male and female students. The study's findings are discussed based on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)'s emphasis on the periodic monitoring and evaluation of progress in implementing ESD based on data.

Keywords

Environmental Awareness, Sustainability, Education for Sustainable Development, Science Self-Concept, Socioeconomic Status

Sürdürülebilir Kalkınma için Eğitim Bağlamında Çevre Farkındalığını Yordayan Değişkenlerin İncelenmesi: TIMSS 2019 Verisine Dayalı Bir Analiz

Abstract

TIMSS uygulamaları, dünyanın dört bir tarafındaki dördüncü ve sekizinci sınıf öğrencilerinin yeterliklerini ve tutumlarını araştırmak için eşsiz ve detaylı bilgiler sunmaktadır. Bununla birlikte, TIMSS 2019 döngüsünde öğrencilerin çevre farkındalığını ölçmek amacıyla ilk defa “Çevre Farkındalık Ölçeği” geliştirilmiştir. Bu ölçek, bilişsel bir ölçek olup öğrencilerin bazı çevre sorunları ile ilgili bilimsel anlayışlarına ilişkin hem ulusal hem de uluslararası düzeyde çok değerli bilgiler vermektedir. Bu bağlamda, bu ölçeğin kullanılarak öğrencilerin çevre farkındalıklarının araştırılması, sürdürülebilir kalkınma için eğitimin (ESD) iyileştirilmesine yönelik katkı sağlayacaktır. Çünkü elde edilen veriler, öğrencilerin çevre farkındalıklarını geliştirmek için hangi faktörlerin dikkate alınması gerektiğinin yanında, eğitim politikacılarına ülkelerin en çok ihtiyaç duyulan çevre eğitim konularını, kavramlarını müfredatlarına entegre etmeleri konusunda güvenilir veri sağlamaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, TIMSS 2019 uygulamasına katılan Türkiye’deki sekizinci sınıf öğrencilerinin çevre farkındalıklarını fen ile ilişkili fen benlik kavramı değişkeni ile demografik değişkenlerden cinsiyet ve sosyoekonomik statü (SES) değişkenlerinin ne derece yordadıklarını araştırmaktadır. Bu amaçla, öğrencilerin çevre farkındalıkları ile fen benlik kavramı, cinsiyet ve SES arasındaki ilişkiyi incelemek için kuramsal bir model oluşturularak Yapısal Eşitlik Modellemesi (YEM) ile analiz edilmiştir. Analiz sonucunda, fen benlik kavramı, SES ve cinsiyet değişkenlerinin birlikte öğrencilerin çevre farkındalığının %36’sını açıkladığı saptanmıştır. Ayrıca, fen benlik kavramının öğrencilerin çevre farkındalığını en güçlü yordayan değişken olduğu bulunurken, SES düzeyinin de öğrencilerin çevre farkındalığını açıklayan önemli bir değişken olduğu saptanmıştır. Öte yandan, kız ve erkek öğrencilerin çevre farkındalığı arasında önemli bir farklılık olmadığı görülmüştür. UNESCO’nun, veriye dayalı olarak ESD’nin uygulanmasındaki ilerlemenin periyodik olarak izlenmesine ve değerlendirilmesine yönelik vurgusu esas alınarak çalışmanın bulguları tartışılmaktadır.

Keywords

Çevre Farkındalığı, Sürdürülebilirlik, Sürdürülebilir Kalkınma için Eğitim, Fen Benlik Kavramı, Sosyoekonomik Statü

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