AN ANALYSIS OF TURKISH MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE EDUCATION PROGRAM PLACING CLIMATE CHANGE ISSUES IN THE CONTEXT OF EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Year 2018, Volume: 2 Issue: 1, 13 - 21, 28.05.2018

Sinem Demirci , Elvan Şahin

Abstract

Children, who are likely to suffer adverse consequences of climate
change, are expected to find out alternative strategies to struggle the
mitigation and adaptation of climate change. Thus, education for sustainable
development has been pointed out as an essential element of the global reaction
to climate change permitting individuals gain with the necessary
understandings, attitudes, values, and skills to combat climate change. Current
Turkish middle school science education program have the vision which embraces
the notion of sustainable development. In the current study, the concepts of
greenhouse effect, global warming and climate change were examined within this
program and textbooks by means of how these concepts may contribute to develop
an understanding of sustainable development. From the grade level 5 to 8,
several chapters related to the concepts of global warming and climate change
were given in the textbooks. The scientific backgrounds of these concepts were
elaborated compared to previous curricula. However, although UNESCO emphasized
that every nation may choose their local needs as a context for education for
sustainable development; the textbooks did not address any local climate change
issue. Besides, no special emphasis was made on the interactions between these
concepts and sustainable development. The objectives and content may be revised
to emphasize the role of sustainable development within these concepts. Moreover,
some local issues may be integrated into curricula so that children develop a
sound understanding on climate change and sustainable development.

Keywords

Education for Sustainability, Climate Change, Curriculum, Middle School

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