Dimensions Affecting Environmental Literacy, and Environmental Perceptions Influencing Science Literacy

Year 2019, , 70 - 77, 17.08.2019

Volkan Hasan Kaya , Doris Elster

https://doi.org/10.31458/iejes.512201

Cited By: 4

Abstract

One of the main aims of this paper is to determine the dimensions (effects of family, teacher, student, and teaching) that influence the environmental literacy. Moreover, another purpose is to determine the effects of environmental perceptions (environmental awareness, environmental responsibility and environmental optimism) on science literacy. The sample consisted of 6.500 German students. The relational model, which is one of the quantitative research approaches, has been adopted in this study. The results show that ‘the dimension of the teacher’, one of the dimensions included in the model, has the most negatively effect on environmental literacy; but, the dimension of ‘effect of teaching’ has the positively effect on environmental literacy. In addition, it is obtained results that students of environmental awareness and optimism have a positive effect on the science literacy; but environmental responsibility has a negative effect on it. For this reason, while developing environment-related curriculums, it should be supported students to gain more responsible behaviors towards the environment. Enhancing the environmental responsibility of the students might contribute to both environmental literacy and science literacy.

Keywords

PISA, environmental literacy, science literacy, environmental perceptions

Dimensions Affecting Environmental Literacy, and Environmental Perceptions Influencing Science Literacy

Abstract

One of the main aims of this paper is to determine the dimensions (effects of family, teacher, student, and teaching) that influence the environmental literacy. Moreover, another purpose is to determine the effects of environmental perceptions (environmental awareness, environmental responsibility and environmental optimism) on science literacy. The sample consisted of 6.500 German students. The relational model, which is one of the quantitative research approaches, has been adopted in this study. The results show that ‘the dimension of the teacher’, one of the dimensions included in the model, has the most negatively effect on environmental literacy; but, the dimension of ‘effect of teaching’ has the positively effect on environmental literacy. In addition, it is obtained results that students of environmental awareness and optimism have a positive effect on the science literacy; but environmental responsibility has a negative effect on it. For this reason, while developing environment-related curriculums, it should be supported students to gain more responsible behaviors towards the environment. Enhancing the environmental responsibility of the students might contribute to both environmental literacy and science literacy.

Keywords

environmental literacy, science literacy, PISA, environmental perceptions

References

• Albayrak-Sarı, A. (2015). Using structural equation modeling to investigate students’ reading comprehension skills, Elementary Education Online, 14(2), 511-521.
• Aslan-Efe, H. (2015). The effects of animation supported environmental education on achievement, retention of ecology and environmental attitude. Journal of Computer and Education Research, 3 (5), 130-143.
• Çimen, O. & Yılmaz, M. (2014). The influence of transformative learning based environmental education on preservice biology teachers' perception of environmental problems. Bartın University Journal of Faculty of Education, 3 (1), 339-359.
• Dannenberg, S. & Grapentin, T. (2016). Education for sustainable development - learning for transformation the example of Germany. Journal of Futures Studies, 20(3), 7-20.
• Department for Children, Schools and Families (2009). The impact of parental involvement on children’s education. London: DCSF.
• Easton, J. & Glauer, D. (2015). What makes plants grow? in book: 4-h plant connections curriculum. 4-H Youth Development Department, UF/IFAS Extension, Gainesville.
• European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training. (2012). Curriculum reform in europe, the impact of learning outcomes, European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, Retrieved 02.02.2018 from: file:///C:/Users/Pc/Downloads/5529_en.pdf
• Farooq, M.S., Chaudhry, A.H., Shafiq, M. & Berhanu, G. (2011). Factors affecting students’ quality of academic performance: a case of secondary school level. Journal of Quality and Technology Management, 7 (2), 01-14.
• Hollweg, K. S., Taylor, J., Bybee, R. W., Marcinkowski, T. J., McBeth, W. C., & Zoido, P. (2011). Developing a framework for assessing environmental literacy: executive summary. Naaee. Retrieved from http://www.naaee.net.
• Kaya, V.H., Godek, Y., Elster, D. & Polat, D. (2019). Comparison of the main determinants affecting science literacy between Germany, Korea and Turkey. The Abstract Proceeding of 13th National Science and Mathematics Education Congress (page 255), Denizli, University of Pamukkale. Kaya, V. H. & Elster, D. (2018a). German students’ environmental literacy in science education based on pisa data. Journal of Science Education International, 29 (2), 75-87. Kaya, V. H. & Elster, D. (2018b). Comparison of the main determinants affecting environmental literacy between Singapore, Estonia and Germany. International Journal of Environmental and Science Education, 13 (3), 1-17.
• Kaya, V. H. & Elster, D. (2017a). German students’ environmental literacy as a starting point for science teacher education. International Teacher Education and Accreditation Congress, İstanbul, TURKEY.
• Kaya, V. H. & Elster, D. (2017b). Change in environmental literacy of German students in science education between 2006 and 2015. The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, Special Issue for INTE 2017, 505-524.
• Kaya, V.H. & Godek, Y. (2016). Perspectives in regard to factors affecting the professional development of science teachers. Journal of Human Sciences, 13(2), 2625-2641. doi:10.14687/jhs.v13i2.3769.
• National Research Council (NRC). (1996). National science education standards. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/4962.
• Nayar, A. (2013). Importance of education for sustainable development, Retrieved 30. 01.2018 from http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/search_wwf_news/?210950/ Importance-of-Education- for- Sustainable-Development.
• UNESCO. (2005a). United nations decade of education for sustainable development (2005-2014): international implementation scheme, Retrieved 12.12.2017 from http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0014/001486/148654E.pdf.
• UNESCO. (2005b). UN decade of education for sustainable development 2005 – 2014, Retrieved 12.12.2017 from http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0014/001416/141629e. pdf.
• Pavlova, M. (2013). Towards using transformative education as a benchmark for clarifying differences and similarities between environmental education and education for sustainable development. Environmental Education Research, 19(5), 656–672.
• Peden, M. I. (2008). Education for sustainable development: knowledge and environment in south african schooling. Southern African Journal of Environmental Education, 25, 13-24.
• Peters, M.A., & E. Gonzalez-Gaudiano. (2008). Introduction. in environmental education: identity, politics and citizenship, ed. E. González-Gaudiano and M.A. Peters, 1–11. Rotterdam: Sense.
• Scottish Executive. (2006). Scottish schools (parental involvement) Act 2006, Scottish Executive, Edinburgh.
• Stabback, P. (2016). What makes a quality curriculum?, current and critical issues in curriculum and learning, Retrieved 02.02.2018 from http://unesdoc. unesco.org/ images/0024/002439/243975e.pdf.
• Tabucanon, M. T. (2010). Education for sustainable development: challenges for transformative education and research. International Journal of Environmental and Rural Development, 1 (1), 1-6.
• Tanriverdi, B. (2009). Analyzing primary school curriculum in terms of sustainable environmental education. Education and Science, 34 (151), 89-103.