CONTRIBUTION OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTARY MOVIE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS' ENVIRONMENTAL ATTITUDES

Abstract

This study investigates whether environmental documentaries have an effect on the attitudes of pre-service teachers, who are in an important position to shape coming generations. A total of 76 pre-service teachers at two state universities in Turkey participated in the study and worked on the activities designed about the documentary ‘Home’.  The RNEP Scale (Dunlap et al., 2000) was used to measure and define the attitudes of pre-service teachers toward environment before and after the activities. The findings of the study showed that working on the environmental documentary had a positive influence since there was a significant difference in the attitude levels of pre-service teachers before and after watching the environmental documentary. The age and gender features of the pre-service teachers did not affect their attitude averages before or after the activity. Nevertheless, significant differences were observed at the sub-dimensions of the scale and at the language proficiency level of the participants. The difference between universities also disappeared after the activities. The difference in the attitudes was progressively significant as the language proficiency level of the participants increased. It is evident that the participants were more anthropocentric than ecocentric although they developed more positive behaviours toward environment after the activities.

Keywords

• Home,Revised New Ecological Paradigm Scale,NEP,Foreign Language Education,Pre-service teachers,Environmental Attitude

CONTRIBUTION OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTARY MOVIE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS' ENVIRONMENTAL ATTITUDES

Öz

This study investigates whether environmental documentaries
have an effect on the attitudes of pre-service teachers, who are in an
important position to shape coming generations. A total of 76 pre-service
teachers at two state universities in Turkey participated in the study and
worked on the activities designed about the documentary ‘Home’. The
RNEP Scale (Dunlap et al., 2000) was used to measure and define the
attitudes of pre-service teachers toward environment before and after the
activities. The findings of the study showed that working on the
environmental documentary had a positive influence since there was a
significant difference in the attitude levels of pre-service teachers before
and after watching the environmental documentary.The age and gender
features of the pre-service teachers did not affect their attitude averages
before or after the activity. Nevertheless, significant differences were
observed at the sub-dimensions of the scale and at the language
proficiency level of the participants. The difference between universities
also disappeared after the activities. The difference in the attitudes was
progressively significant as the language proficiency level of the
participants increased. It is evident that the participants were more
anthropocentric than ecocentric although they developed more positive
behaviours toward environment after the activities.  

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Home,Revised New Ecological Paradigm Scale,NEP,Foreign Language Education,Pre-service Teachers,Environmental Attitude

Kaynakça

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