Creating an Environmental Attitude Scale

Abstract

The aim of this study is to create an environmental attitude scale. The Environmental Attitude Scale (EAS) was prepared with 24 items. The prepared EAS consists items with likert type. The sample of the study consists of 239 university students studying at Faculty of Education and, Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Principal axis factoring with orthogonal rotation (varimax) was used for exploratory factor analysis. Four items did not serve the purpose of the scale, so they were omitted from the created scale. Factor analysis was reconducted with same procedure is and one factor emerged with 20 items along with Cronbach’s alpha =.971 Finalized EAS consists of nine (9) reverse coded items. A confirmatory factor analysis is applied with a different sample (N=132). After covariating the error terms model was approved by confirmatory factor analysis.

Keywords

• attitude,environmental attitude,nature attitude,scale,scale development

References

1. Anthoine, E., Moret, L., Regnault, A., Sébille, V., & Hardouin, J.-B. (2014). Sample size used to validate a scale: a review of publications on newly-developed patient reported outcomes measures. Health and quality of Life Outcomes, 12, 2. http://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-014-0176-2
2. Artvinli, A., Aydın, R. & Terzi, İ. (2019). Environmental attitude levels of primary teachers candidates. Osmangazi Journal of Educational Research, 6 (2), 62-78.
3. Aslan Efe, H., Yücel, S. & Efe, R. (2020). Belgesel çekme etkinliğinin fen bilgisi öğretmen adaylarının sürdürülebilir kalkınma için çevreye yönelik tutumları üzerindeki etkisi. YYÜ Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 17 (1), 436-454. DOI:10.33711/yyuefd.692958
4. Atay, L., Soylu, Y. & Gökdemir, S. (2019). Çevre endişesi, çevresel fedakarlık, normlar ve yer tutumununçevre dostu davranışa etkisi: Kapadokya/Göreme milli parkı örneği. Seyahat ve Otel İşletmeciliği Dergisi, 16 (3), 398-417. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24010/soid.655546
5. Aydede Yalçın, M.N. & Çaycı, B. (2018). Öğretmen adaylarının çevresel farkındalıklarının sosyo-demografik özellikleri açısından incelenmesi. Trakya Eğitim Dergisi, 8 (3), 578-590, Doi: 10.24315/ trkefd.316242
6. Balderjahn, I. (1988). Personality variables and environmental attitudes as predictors of ecologically responsible consumption patterns. Journal of Business Research, 17 (1), 51–56. doi:10.1016/0148-2963(88)90022-7
7. Başaran Uğur, R., Bektaş, O. & Güneri, E. (2019). Sınıf ve fen bilgisi öğretmen adaylarının sürdürülebilir çevre tutum düzeyleri [Classroom and science teachers’ sustainable environment attitude levels]. Uluslararası Sosyal Araştırmalar Dergisi [The Journal of International Social Research], 12 (63), 775-788. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17719/jisr.2019.3275
8. Benzer, S., Güven Yıldırım, E. & Önder, A.N. (2019). The impact of educational films on attitude and awareness towards environmental problems. Trakya Journal of Education, 9 (4), 757-770. DOI: 10.24315/tred.526233

9. Bozdemir, H. & Faiz, M. (2018). Öğretmen adaylarının çevreye yönelik ekosentrik, antroposentrik ve antipatik tutumları. Sakarya University Journal of Education, 8 (1), 61-75. Doi: 10.19126/suje.330546
10. Brinkman, W-P. (2009). Design of a questionnaire instrument, handbook of mobile technology research methods. ISBN 978-1-60692-767-0, pp. 31-57 Netherlands: Nova Publisher
11. Browne, M.W. & Cudeck, R., 1993. Alternative ways of assessing model fit. In: Bollen, K.A. and Long, J. S. (Eds.) Testing structural equation models, Beverly Hills, CA: Sage
12. Büyükkaynak, E. & Aslan, O. (2019). Matematik ve fen bilimleri eğitimi öğretmen adaylarının çevreye yönelik tutumları [Mathematics and science education teacher candidates' attitudes towards the environment]. Uluslararası Sosyal Araştırmalar Dergisi [The Journal of International Social Research], 12 (63), 797-807. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17719/jisr.2019.3276
13. Carlback, J. & Wong, A. (2018). A study on factors influencing acceptance of using mobile electronic identification applications in Sweden. Retrieved from http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1214313/FULLTEXT01.pdf (03 April 2019)
14. Chaisty, P., & Whitefield, S. (2015). Attitudes towards the environment: are post-Communist societies (still) different? Environmental Politics, 24 (4), 598–616. DOI:10.1080/09644016.2015.1023575
15. Chen, S. (2006). Development of a instrument to assess views on nature of science and attitudes toward teaching science. Science Education, 90 (5), 803-819. DOI: 10.1002/sce.20147
16. Chinda, T., Techapreechawong, S., & Teeraprasert, S. (2012). An investigation of relationships between employees’ safety and productivity. Retrieved from http://www.ppml.url.tw/EPPM/conferences/2012/download/SESSON4_A/10%20E145.pdf (12 October, 2019).
17. Clark, L.A. & Watson, D. (1995). Constructing validity: Basic issues in objective scale development. Psychological Assessment, 7 (3), 309-319.
18. Coertjens, L., Pauw, J.B, De Maeyer, S.D. & Petegem, P.V. (2010). Do schools make a difference in their students’ environmental attitudes and awareness? Evidence from pisa 2006. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 8 (3), 497-522 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-010-9200-0
19. Çavuşoğlu, F., Altay, B., Nuriyeva, G. & Öngör, B. (2017). İlköğretim öğrencilerinin çevre bilgi ve tutumlarının değerlendirilmesi. Anadolu Hemşirelik ve Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi, 20 (4), 254-259.
20. Demirtaş, F , Çinici, A . (2019). sekizinci sınıf öğrencilerinin ekolojik ayak izleri ile sürdürülebilir çevre tutumlarının çeşitli değişkenler açısından incelenmesi. Atatürk Üniversitesi Kazım Karabekir Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi , (38) , 46-65 . DOI: 10.33418/ataunikkefd.549459
21. Deshpande, L. (2004). Challenges in measurement of scientific attitude. Paper presented at epiSTEME-1: An International Conference to Review Research on Science Technology And Mathematics Education (137-138), Goa, India.
22. Dinavasova, J. (2019). Bireylerin çevresel tutumlarının sürdürülebilir tüketim davranışına etkisi üzerine bir araştırma. Unpublished Master Thesis. Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey
23. Doğuç, E. & Arıkan, G. (2018). Sağlik yönetimi öğrencilerinin çevresel tutum ve davranişlarinin incelenmesi (Gazi üniversitesi örneği) [Investigation of environmental attitudes and behaviors of health management students (Gazi university sample)]. International Journal of Economic and Administrative Studies, 2018 (17. UİK Özel Sayısı), 293-306 DOI: 10.18092/ulikidince.431281
24. Dunlap, R.E., Van Liere., K.D., Mertig, A.G. & Jones, R.E. (2000). Measuring endorsement of the new ecological paradigm: A revised NEP scale. Journal of Social Issues, 56 (3), 425-442. DOI: /10.1111/0022-4537.00176
25. Eagles, P. F. J. & Demare, R. (1999). Factors influencing children's environmental attitudes, The Journal of Environmental Education, 30 (4), 33-37, DOI: 10.1080/00958969909601882
26. Field, A. (2013). Discovering statistics using ibm spss statistics (4th Edition). London: SAGE
27. Franzen, A., & Vogl, D. (2013). Two decades of measuring environmental attitudes: A comparative analysis of 33 countries. Global Environmental Change, 23 (5), 1001–1008. DOI:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2013.03.009
28. Garson, G.D., 2006. Structural equation modeling. North Carolina: G. David Garson and Statistical Associates Publishing
29. Gazeloğlu, C. (2019). Akademisyenlerin çevresel davranışlarının istatistiksel yöntemlerle belirlenmesi [The determination of academicians environmental behaviors by statistical methods]. Adıyaman Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi [Adıyaman University Journal of Social Sciences]. 11 (31), 461-487. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.14520/adyusbd.409017
30. Grob, A. (1995). A structural model of environmental attitudes and behaviour. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 15 (3), 209-220. https://doi.org/10.1016/0272-4944(95)90004-7
31. Grunert, S.C. & Juhl, H. J. (1995). Values, environmental attitudes and buying of organic foods. Journal of Economic Psychology, 16 (1), 39-62. https://doi.org/10.1016/0167-4870(94)00034-8
32. Güneş, S., Eser, S., Çevik, C., Kundakçı, F. & Kapamaz, E. (2019). 18 yaş ve üzeri kişilerin çevre farkındalığı ile çevreye yönelik davranış durumları ve ilişkili faktörler. 3 uluslarası 21. Ulusal Halk Sağlığı Kongresi [3th international 21st National Public Health Congress], 188-193. Antalya
33. Heberlein, T. A. (1972). The Land Ethic Realized: Some Social Psychological Explanations for Changing Environmental Attitudes. Journal of Social Issues, 28 (4), 79–87. DOI:10.1111/j.1540-4560.1972.tb00047.x
34. Hinkin, T. R. (1998). A brief tutorial on the development of measures for use in survey questionnaires. Organizational Research Methods, 2 (1), 104-121 DOI:10.1177/109442819800100106
35. Hinkin, T. R., Tracey, J. B., & Enz, C. A. (1997). Scale construction: Developing reliable and valid measurement instruments. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 21(1), 100-120. doi:10.1177/109634809702100108
36. Jechow, A. (2019). Observing the Impact of WWF Earth Hour on Urban Light Pollution: A Case Study in Berlin 2018 Using Differential Photometry. Sustainability, 11, 750.
37. Johanson, G.A., & Brooks, G.P. (2010). Initial scale development: Sample size for pilot studies. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 70 (3), 394-400. DOI: 10.1177/0013164409355692
38. Johnson, R.L. & Morgan, G.B. (2016). Survey scales: Investigating scale quality. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
39. Kahriman Pamuk, D. (2019). Okul öncesi öğretmen adaylarının sürdürülebilir kalkınmaya yönelik tutumlarının belirlenmesi. Turkish Journal of Primary Education, 4 (2), 72-84.
40. Kaiser, F.G., Merten, M. & Wetzel, E. (2018). How do we know we are measuring environmental attitude? Specific objectivity as the formal validation criterion for measures of latent attributes. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 55, 139-146.
41. Kalaycı, Ş. (2010). Spss uygulamalı çok değişkenli istatistik teknikleri. (5. Baskı). Asil Yayın Dağıtım Ltd. Şti. Ankara.
42. Karaçar, E . (2019). Ilgaz dağı milli parkını ziyaret eden turistlerin çevreye yönelik tutumları [Environmental attitudes of tourists visiting national park of ilgaz mountain]. Safran Kültür ve Turizm Araştırmaları Dergisi [Saffron Journal of Culture and Tourism Researches] , 2 (2) , 211-224. Retrieved from https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/saktad/issue/48413/595349
43. Karaküçük, S , Ayyildiz Durhan, T , Akgül, B , Aksin, K , Özdemir, A . (2019). Oryantiring Sporcularında Ekosentrik, Antroposentrik, Antipatik Yaklaşımların Rekreasyon Fayda ile İlişkisi [The Relationship Between Recreation Benefit And Ecocentric, Anthroposentric, Antipatic Approaches in Orienteering Athletes]. Gazi Üniversitesi Gazi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi [Gazi University Journal of Gazi Educational Faculty] , 39 (3) , 1263-1288 . DOI: 10.17152/gefad.578109
44. Karasaç, E. (2019). Mobil uygulama destekli çevre eğitiminin beşinci sınıf öğrencilerinin akademik başarılarına, teknolojiye ve çevreye karşı tutumlarına etkisinin incelenmesi. Unpublished Master Thesis. Marmara University. İstanbul, Turkey
45. Kaya, Ç. & Altinkurt, Y. (2018). Öğretmenlerin psikolojik sermayeleri ile tükenmişlik düzeyleri arasındaki ilişkide psikolojik ve yapısal güçlendirmenin rolü [Role of Psychological and Structural Empowerment in the Relationship between Teachers’ Psychological Capital and Their Levels of Burnout]. Eğitim ve Bilim, 43 (193), 63-78, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15390/EB.2018.6961
46. Kefeli, N., Taş, E. & Yalçın, M. (2018). Kelime oyunları ile fen öğretiminin öğrencilerin çevreye yönelik tutumuna etkisi [The effect of teaching science with word games on the attitudes of students towards environment]. International e-Journal of Educational Studies (IEJES), 2 (3), 44-52. DOI: 10.31458/iejes.388619
47. Kelemen, R.D. (2001). The limits of judicial power. Comparative Political Studies, 34 (6), 622-650. doi:10.1177/0010414001034006002
48. Kılıç, Ç. & Girgin, S. (2019a). 2-ÇDM tutum ölçeğinin üniversite öğrencilerine uyarlanması ve çevreye yönelik tutumun çeşitli değişkenler açısından değerlendirilmesi [adaptation of 2-MEV attitude scale to university students and evaluation of the attitude towards environment in terms of various variables]. GEFAD [GUJGEF], 39 (3), 1203-1233.
49. Kılıç, Ç. & Girgin, S. (2019b). Ortaokul öğrencilerinin çevreye yönelik tutumlarının 2-ÇDM tutum ölçeği kullanılarak çeşitli değişkenler açısından değerlendirilmesi [Investigation of Secondary School Students’ Attitudes Towards Environment in terms of Several Variables by Using 2-MEV Attitude Scale]. Eğitim ve Toplum Araştırmaları Dergisi [Journal of Research in Education and Society], 6 (2), 215-232.
50. Kline, R. B. (2011). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (3rd edition). New York: The Guilford Press
51. Liu, K.S., Hsueh, S-L. & Chen, H-Y. ( 2018). Relationships between environmental education, environmental attitudes, and Behavioral intentions toward ecolodging. Open House International, 43 (2), 5-12.
52. Lovelace, M. and Brickman, P. (2013). Best practices for measuring students’ attitudes toward learning science. CBE-Life Sciences Education, 12 (4), 606-617. DOI: 10.1187/cbe.12-11-0197
53. McGuire, N.M. (2015). Environmental education and behavioral change: an identity based environmental education model. International Journal of Environmental & Science Education, 10 (5), 695-715. DOI: 10.12973/ijese.2015.261a
54. Milfont, T. L., & Duckitt, J. (2010). The environmental attitudes inventory: A valid and reliable measure to assess the structure of environmental attitudes. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 30 (1), 80–94. DOI:10.1016/j.jenvp.2009.09.001
55. Mol, A. P. J. (2006). From Environmental Sociologies to Environmental Sociology? Organization & Environment, 19 (1), 5–27. DOI:10.1177/1086026605285643
56. Newsom, J.T. (2017). Nested models, model modifications, and correlated errors. Retrieved from http://web.pdx.edu/~newsomj/semclass/ho_nested.pdf (3 February, 2020).
57. Oğuz, Y , Yılmaz, V . (2019). Çevre Bilincinin Yeşil Yıldızlı Otel Tercihine Etkisi: ESOGÜ Turizm Fakültesi Öğrencileri Örneği. Eskişehir Osmangazi Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Dergisi, 14 (1) , 51-66. DOI: 10.17153/oguiibf.411968
58. Otto, S., Kröhne, U. & Richter, D. (2018). The dominance of introspective measures and what this implies: The example of environmental attitude. PLoS ONE 13 (2), : e0192907. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0192907
59. Pedroso, R., Zanetello, L., Guimaraes, L., Pettenon, M., Goncalves, V., Scherer, J., Kessler, F., & Pechansky, F. (2016). Confirmatory factor anlaysis (CFA) of the crack use relapse scale (CURS). Archives of Clinical Psychiatry, 43 (3), 37-40.
60. Price, G.G. (2019). Community environmental attitudes and the Victorian school curriculum: An historical narrative of their connections from 1835 to 2000. Unpublished Doctorate Thesis. Melbourne Graduate School of Education, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
61. Rao, B.S. & Suribabu, M. (2018). Different dimensions of environmental attitude of prospective secondary school teachers. Research and Reflections on Education, 18 (1), 1-10
62. Sakurai, R., Tsunoda, H., Enari, H., Siemer, W.F., Uehara, T. & Stedman, R.C. (2020). Factors affecting attitudes toward reintroduction of wolves in Japan. Global Ecology and Conservation, 22, e01036, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01036
63. Scarce, S. & Mascarenhas, M. n.d Environmental sociology syllabi and instructional materials. https://www.asanet.org/sites/default/files/savvy/images/members/docs/pdf/teaching/SylEnvironmental03.pdf#page=173 (20 March 2020)
64. Schmithuesen, F. (2004). Forest Policy Developments in Changing Societies – Political Trends and Challenges to Research. Published in: Towards the Sustainable Use of Europe’s Forests: Forest Ecosystem and Landscape Research. EFI Proceedings No 49 (2004): 87-99, Joensuu, Finland
65. Schultz, P.W. & Zelezny, L. (1999). Values as predictors of environmental attitudes: evidence for consistency across 14 countries. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 19 (3), 255-265. https://doi.org/10.1006/jevp.1999.0129
66. Shadfar, M. & Malekmohammadi, I. (2013). Application of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in restructuring state intervention strategies toward paddy production development. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 3 (12), 576-618. DOI: 10.6007/IJARBSS/v3-i12/472
67. Sica, C. & Ghisi, M. (2007). The Italian versions of the Beck Anxiety Inventory and the Beck Depression Inventory-II: Psychometric properties and discriminant power. In M.A. Lange (Ed.), Leading - Edge Psychological Tests and Testing Research (pp. 27-50). New York: Nova
68. Stets, J. E., & Biga, C. F. (2003). Bringing Identity Theory into Environmental Sociology. Sociological Theory, 21 (4), 398–423. doi:10.1046/j.1467-9558.2003.00196.x
69. Şeker, F. & Sert, H. (2019). Fen bilimleri dersinde kuş eğitiminin başarı ve çevreye yönelik tutuma etkisi [The effect of bird education in science lesson on student achievement and attitude toward environment]. Online Fen Eğitimi Dergisi [Online Science Education Journal], 4 (2), 166-182.
70. TCC (Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Cumhurbaşkanlığı). (2018). Millet bahçeleri projemiz milletimiz tarafından büyük bir şevkle sahiplenilmiştir. https://www.tccb.gov.tr/haberler/410/99683/-millet-bahceleri-projemiz-milletimiz-tarafindan-buyuk-bir-sevkle-sahiplenilmistir- (27 March 2020)
71. Thompson, S. C. G. & Barton, M.A. (1994). Ecocentric and anthropocentric attitudes toward the environment. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 14 (2), 149-157. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0272-4944(05)80168-9
72. Topkaya, Y., & Doğan, Y. (2019). 7. sinif sosyal bilgiler dersindeki “çevre sorunlari ve çevreyle ilgili örgütler” konularinin öğretilmesinde eğitici çizgi romanlarin etkisi: karma bir araştirma [the effect of educational comics on teaching environmental issues and environmental organizations topics in 7th grade social studies course: a mixed research]. Eğitim ve Bilim [Education and Science], 45 (201). 167-188. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.15390/EB.2019.8575
73. Tuncel, G. (2018). Alternative environmental applications in developing "sensitivity to natural environment" value in social studies. International Journal of Geography and Geography Education, 38, 91-103.
74. Türk, Z. & Çakır, F. (2019). Ekoturistlerin Çevresel Tutum ve Davranışları ile Ekoturizm Aktiviteleri Arasındaki İlişkiye Yönelik Bir Araştırma: Fethiye ve Ortaca Ekoçiftlikleri Örneği. Üçüncü Sektör Sosyal Ekonomi Dergisi [Third Sector Social Economic Review], 54 (4), 1671-1684.
75. Ulas Kadıoglu, B. & Uncu, F. (2018). Health Sciences students’ attitudes towards environmental problems. Journal of Current Researches on Health Sector, 8 (2), 285-296
76. Uzunöz, A. (2011). Reliability and validity towards environment attitude scale for secondary school students. Educational Research and Reviews, 6 (16), 893-901. DOI: 10.5897/ERR11.236
77. Vassallo, M., & Saba, A. (2015). Does money for grocery expenditure sway Italian consumers’ motivational values in predicting Attitude towards eco-sustainable food products?. Contemporary Management Research, 11 (1), 3-22. DOI:10.7903/cmr.13840
78. Wang, H-H., Hong, Z-R., Lin, H-S. & Tsai, C-Y. (2020). The relationships among adult sustainability attitudes, psychological well-being, nature relatedness, and interest in scientific issues. Current Psychology. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-020-00708-1
79. Watkins, M. W. (2000). Monte carlo PCA for parallel analysis [computer software]. State College, PA: Ed & Psych Associates.
80. Witt, A.H., Boer, J. & Boersema, J.J. (2014). Exploring inner and outer worlds: A quantitative study of worldviews, environmental attitudes, and sustainable lifestyles. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 37, 40-54. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2013.11.005
81. Wong., M. & Lian, S. (2003). Development of a self-efficacy scale for assessing secondary school students’ science self-efficacy beliefs. http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.472.8479 Retrieved October 2014
82. Yılmaz, S., Yılmaz-Bolat, E. & Gölcük, İ. (2020). Erken çocukluk döneminde uygulanan çevre eğitim programının çocukların çevreye karşı tutumları üzerindeki etkisi. YYÜ Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 17 (1), 557-578. DOI: 10.33711/yyuefd.693833
83. Yiğit, K. (2019). Sürdürülebilir yaşam için geri dönüşüm eğitiminin 8. sınıf öğrencilerinin çevre bilincine etkisi. Unpublished Master Thesis. Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey
84. Yüksel, Y.E. & Kaya, M.T. (2019). Environmental attitude of pre-service teachers: a case study at Afyonkarahisar. Turkish Studies, 14 (2), 139-149. DOI: 10.7827/TurkishStudies.14847