Adaptation Study of the Ecological Literacy Scale for Middle School Students

Abstract

The aim of this study is to adapt the Ecological Literacy Scale developed by Ha, Huang, Zhang, and Dong (2021) into Turkish and conduct validity and reliability analyses. During the Turkish adaptation phase, both Turkish translation and English back-translation of the scale were performed by language experts to ensure linguistic equivalence. Language equivalences of the scale to be adapted were tested, adjustments were made based on expert opinions, and linguistic and stylistic controls were ensured. The scale, after a pilot application, was administered to 515 middle school students from different grade levels who were identified as the study group. The study data were analyzed using statistical software. Exploratory factor analyses were conducted on the data collected for the Ecological Literacy Scale. Following the analyses, a structure consisting of five subscales and 30 items was obtained. It was revealed that the factor loadings of the scale were at a very high level. The 5-factor structure of the scale was confirmed, and it was found that the fit indices were acceptable and showed excellent fit. The Cronbach's alpha internal consistency coefficient for the entire scale was calculated and determined to be 0.834. As a result of the study, a 5-point likert type "Ecological Literacy Scale" consisting of 5 factors and 30 items was adapted into Turkish. The adapted Ecological Literacy Scale was found to be a valid and reliable tool suitable for middle school students. A measurement tool that researchers and educators can benefit from has been added to the literature.

Keywords

• Environmental education
• ecological literacy
• validity
• reliability

References

1. Acar Güvendir, M., & Özer Özkan, Y. (2015). An examination of articles on scale development and adaptation in scientific journals in the field of education in Turkey. Electronic Journal of Social Sciences, 52, 23–33.
2. Acar Güvendir, M., & Özer Özkan, Y. (2022). The process of scale development in all its aspects. Pegem A Publishing.
3. Akbaş, U., Karabay, E., Yıldırım-Seheryeli, M., Ayaz, A., & Demir, Ö. O. (2019). A comparison of exploratory factor analysis studies in the Turkish measurement instruments index with parallel analysis results. Journal of Theoretical Educational Science, 12(3), 1095–1123.
4. Ayre, C., & Scally, A. J. (2014). Critical values for Lawshe’s content validity ratio: Revisiting the original methods of calculation. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 47(1), 79–86.
5. Akcay, B., Gelen, B., Tiryaki, A., & Benek, I. (2018). An analysis of scale adaptation studies in science education: Meta-synthesis study. Journal of Education in Science Environment and Health, 4(2), 227–245.
6. Akyüz, E. (2015). The relationship between environmental issues and human rights. Journal of Academic Social Research, 3(15), 427–436.
7. Alexandre, N. M. C., & Coluci, M. Z. O. (2011). Content validity in the development and adaptation processes of measurement instruments. Ciência & Saúde Coletiva, 16(7), 3061.
8. Aydın, M., Dündar, R., & Korkut, Ş. (2016). Teacher views on ecological literacy education in Turkey. Abant Izzet Baysal University Faculty of Education Journal, (16) (USBES Special Issue II), 1160–1172.

9. Bayık, M. E., & Gürbüz, S. (2016). Methodological issues in scale adaptation: A study on scales adapted in the field of management and organization. Journal of Business and People, 3(1), 1–20.
10. Bryman, A., & Cramer, D. (2001). Quantitative data analysis with SPSS release 10 for Windows. Routledge.
11. Büyüköztürk, Ş. (2019). Handbook of data analysis for social sciences: Statistics, research design, SPSS applications, and interpretation. Pegem Academy Publishing.
12. Can, A. (2022). Quantitative data analysis in the scientific research process with SPSS (10th ed.). Pegem Citation Index.
13. Costello, A. B., & Osborne, J. (2005). Best practices in exploratory factor analysis: Four recommendations for getting the most from your analysis. Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation, 10(1), 7.
14. Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2021). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (Trans. E. Karadağ). Nobel Academic Publishing.
15. Çabuk, B. (2019). Environmental education. In D. Kahrıman Pamuk (Ed.), Environmental education and sustainability in early childhood (pp. 1–50). Anı Publishing.
16. Çakır Arıca, Ş., & Kağar, C. (2018). The key to leaving a sustainable world for future generations: Ecological literacy. Voice of Nature, 1(2), 31–42.
17. Çapık, C., Gözüm, S., & Aksayan, S. (2018). Cross-cultural scale adaptation stages, language, and culture adaptation: An updated guide. Florence Nightingale Journal of Nursing, 26(3), 199–210.
18. Delice, A., & Ergene, Ö. (2015). Examination of scale development and adaptation studies: Example of mathematics education articles. Karaelmas Journal of Educational Sciences, 3, 60–75.
19. Demir, F. B. (2022). Opinions and awareness of social studies teachers for ecological literacy. E-International Journal of Educational Research, 13(4), 1–21.
20. Demir, F. B. (2021). Investigating the effect of argumentation-based science learning approach on 6th grade students' environmental literacy. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Kastamonu University, Institute of Social Sciences, Kastamonu.
21. DeVellis, R. F., & Thorpe, C. T. (2021). Scale development: Theory and applications. Sage Publications.
22. Dündar, R., & Kızık, M. M. (2022). Examining the place of environmental themes in the life science curriculum in the context of ecological literacy, environmental education, and education focused on sustainable development. Inonu University Journal of Education Faculty, 23(3), 1954–1974.
23. Erkal, S., Şafak, Ş., & Yertutan, C. (2011). The role of the family in establishing sustainable development and environmental awareness. Socioeconomics, 14(14), 145–158.
24. Erkorkmaz, Ü., Etikan, İ., Demir, O., Özdamar, K., & Sanisoğlu, S. Y. (2013). Confirmatory factor analysis and fit indices. Turkish Clinics Journal of Medical Sciences, 33(1), 210–223.
25. Erkuş, A. (2012). Measurement and scale development in psychology-1: Basic concepts and procedures. Pegem Academy.
26. Ferreira, M. E., Cruz, C., & Pitarma, R. (2016). Teaching ecology to children of preschool education to instill environmentally friendly behaviour. International Journal of Environmental and Science Education, 11(12), 5619–5632.
27. Field, A. (2013). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (4th ed.). Sage.
28. Gelen, B., Akçay, B., Tiryaki, A., & Benek, İ. (2019). Self-efficacy scale for science teacher candidates in the field of science-technology-engineering-mathematics (FeTeMM): Adaptation to Turkish, validity, and reliability study. Theory and Practice in Education, 15(1), 88–107.
29. Gül, Ş., & Sözbilir, M. (2015). Thematic content analysis of scale development studies in the field of science and mathematics education. Education and Science, 40(178), 85–102.
30. Gülersoy, A. E., Dülger, İ., Dursun, E., Ay, D., & Duyal, D. (2020). What kind of environmental education? Some recommendations within the framework of contemporary approaches. Turkish Studies, 15(5), 2357–2398.
31. Ha, C., Huang, G., Zhang, J., & Dong, S. (2021). Assessing ecological literacy and its application based on linguistic ecology: A case study of Guiyang City, China. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 29, 18741–18754.
32. Hammarsten, M., Askerlund, P., Almers, E., Avery, H., & Samuelsson, T. (2019). Developing ecological literacy in a forest garden: Children’s perspectives. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 19(3), 227–241.
33. Heggestad, E. D., Scheaf, D. J., Banks, G. C., Monroe Hausfeld, M., Tonidandel, S., & Williams, E. B. (2019). Scale adaptation in organizational science research: A review and best-practice recommendations. Journal of Management, 45(6), 2596–2627.
34. Howard, M. C. (2016). A review of exploratory factor analysis decisions and overview of current practices: What we are doing and how can we improve? International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 32(1), 51-62.
35. Ikhsan, F. A., Kurnianto, F. A., Apriyanto, B., & Nurdin, E. A. (2019). The effectivity of environmental education in scaffolding students’ ecological literacy. Jurnal Pendidikan IPA Indonesia, 8(3), 398-406.
36. Johnson, B., & Christensen, L. (2014). Educational research: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed approaches (Trans. by S. B. Demir). Eğiten Kitap.
37. Karakoç, A. G. D. F. Y., & Dönmez, L. (2014). Basic principles in scale development studies. Medical Education World, 13(40), 39-49.
38. Kayan, A. (2018). Creating awareness of environmental issues through education. Journal of Awareness (JoA), 3, 481-496.
39. Khanal, S., Pandey, U., Khan, I. A., Mishra, S., & Kunwar, B. (2020). Ecological literacy among technical and non-technical students of Nepal. The Journal of Agriculture and Environment, 21, 19-30.
40. Korkmaz, Ö., Çakır, R., & Erdoğmuş, F. U. (2021). Secondary school students’ basic STEM skill levels according to their self-perceptions: A scale adaptation. Participatory Educational Research, 8(1), 423-437.
41. Lees, M. (2017). Effect of contemplative pedagogy on the ecoliteracy of undergraduate public state university students. (Doctoral dissertation, Walden University).
42. Lewinsohn, T. M., Attayde, J. L., Fonseca, C. R., Ganade, G., Jorge, L. R., Kollmann, J., ... & Weisser, W. W. (2015). Ecological literacy and beyond: Problem-based learning for future professionals. Ambio, 44, 154-162.
43. McBride, B. B., Brewer, C. A., Berkowitz, A. R., & Borrie, W. T. (2013). Environmental literacy, ecological literacy, ecoliteracy: What do we mean and how did we get here? Ecosphere, 4(5), 1-20.
44. Muthén, L. K., & Muthén, B. O. (2002). How to use a Monte Carlo study to decide on sample size and determine power. Structural Equation Modeling, 9(4), 599-620.
45. Okyay, Ö., Demir, Z. G., Sayın, A., & Özdemir, K. (2021). The effect of ecological literacy education on preschool teachers' ecological awareness and motivation toward the environment. Başkent University Journal of Education, 8(1), 129-146.
46. Pallant, J. (2020). SPSS user guide: Step-by-step data analysis with SPSS (Trans. by Sibel Balcı, Berat Ahi). Anı Publishing.
47. Patton, M. Q. (2014). Qualitative research and evaluation methods (Ed. by M. Bütün & S. Beşir Demir). Pegem Academy Publishing.
48. Pitman, S. D., Daniels, C. B., & Sutton, P. C. (2018). Characteristics associated with high and low levels of ecological literacy in a western society. International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology, 25(3), 227-237.
49. Seçer, İ. (2017). Practical data analysis, analysis, and reporting with SPSS and LISREL. Anı Publishing.
50. Seçer, İ. (2018). The process of developing and adapting psychological tests: SPSS and LISREL applications (2nd ed.). Anı Publishing.
51. Sönmez, V., & Alacapınar, F. G. (2016). Illustrated scientific research methods (4th ed.). Anı Publishing.
52. Stover, J. B., de la Iglesia, G., Boubeta, A. R., & Liporace, M. F. (2012). Academic motivation scale: Adaptation and psychometric analyses for high school and college students. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 5, 71-83.
53. Sürücü, L., Şeşen, H., & Maslakçı, A. (2021). Applied analyses of relationship, mediation/moderation, and structural equation modeling with SPSS, AMOS, and PROCESS macro. Detay Publishing.
54. Şahin, M. G., & Boztunç Öztürk, N. (2018). Scale development process in the educational field: A content analysis research. Kastamonu Eğitim Dergisi, 26(1), 191-199.
55. Şeker, H., & Gençdoğan, B. (2014). Developing measurement instruments in psychology and education (2nd ed.). Nobel Publishing.
56. Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (2019). Using multivariate statistics (7th ed.). Allyn and Bacon.
57. Tavşancıl, E. (2014). Measurement of attitudes and data analysis with SPSS. Nobel Publishing.
58. Wallace, H. D. (2019). Transdisciplinary learning in a kitchen garden: Connecting to nature and constructing a path to ecoliteracy? International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 28(4), 309-323.
59. Wooltorton, S. (2006). Ecological literacy: An Australian perspective. Social Educator, 24(2), 26-28.
60. Yaşlıoğlu, M. M. (2017). Factor analysis and validity in the social sciences: The use of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Istanbul University Faculty of Business Administration Journal, 46, Special Issue, 74-85.
61. Yıldırım, A., & Şimşek, H. (2011). Qualitative research methods in the social sciences (8th ed.). Seçkin Publishing. Yıldırım, F., & Hablemitoğlu, Ş. (2013). Ecological literacy for a sustainable future: Proposal of an “eco-sociological model.” In The Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference Rural Environment. Education. Personality (REEP), 6, 46-50.