Development of the Environmental Awareness Scale for Primary School Students

İrem Fener; Kasım Kıroğlu

doi:10.63612/ijesp.1825894

Development of the Environmental Awareness Scale for Primary School Students

Abstract

The present study aimed to develop a valid and reliable scale to measure the environmental awareness levels of primary school students within the Turkish context. Despite the multidimensional nature of environmental awareness discussed in the literature, there is a limited number of comprehensive and psychometrically sound instruments designed specifically for children in Türkiye. The study was conducted with 337 fourth-grade students enrolled in the 2024–2025 academic year in Samsun, Türkiye. An initial item pool was generated through an extensive literature review and expert consultation. Content validity was ensured through expert evaluations, followed by a pilot study. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted to identify the underlying factor structure, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to test model fit. Results of EFA revealed a two-factor structure, which was subsequently confirmed by CFA. Model fit indices indicated acceptable fit (χ²/df = 2.20; RMSEA = .069; CFI = .859; GFI = .901). Factor loadings ranged between .38 and .75 and were statistically significant (p < .001). Convergent and discriminant validity analyses (AVE and CR) supported the construct validity of the scale, while the moderate inter-factor correlation (.356) demonstrated conceptual distinctiveness between the dimensions. Reliability analyses showed satisfactory internal consistency (α = .814 overall; .817 and .700 for subscales). Item–total correlations ranged from .327 to .708, confirming adequate item discrimination. Overall, the findings indicate that the developed scale is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing environmental awareness among primary school students.

Keywords

Ethical Statement

Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Ondokuz Mayıs University Social and Human Sciences Ethics Committee on 30 May 2025 (Decision No: 2025-733). The study was conducted in accordance with established ethical standards. Participation was voluntary, and necessary permissions were obtained from relevant institutions prior to data collection.

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Scale Development

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

İrem Fener ^*
0000-0002-8515-4740
Türkiye

Kasım Kıroğlu
0000-0001-5711-9182
Türkiye

Early Pub Date

February 26, 2026

Publication Date

February 26, 2026

Submission Date

November 18, 2025

Acceptance Date

January 30, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 7 Number: 2

DOI

https://doi.org/10.63612/ijesp.1825894

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA62PJ36NY

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Fener, İ., & Kıroğlu, K. (2026). Development of the Environmental Awareness Scale for Primary School Students. International Journal of Educational Studies and Policy, 7(2), 120-146. https://doi.org/10.63612/ijesp.1825894

AMA

1.Fener İ, Kıroğlu K. Development of the Environmental Awareness Scale for Primary School Students. IJESP. 2026;7(2):120-146. doi:10.63612/ijesp.1825894

Chicago

Fener, İrem, and Kasım Kıroğlu. 2026. “Development of the Environmental Awareness Scale for Primary School Students”. International Journal of Educational Studies and Policy 7 (2): 120-46. https://doi.org/10.63612/ijesp.1825894.

EndNote

Fener İ, Kıroğlu K (May 1, 2026) Development of the Environmental Awareness Scale for Primary School Students. International Journal of Educational Studies and Policy 7 2 120–146.

IEEE

[1]İ. Fener and K. Kıroğlu, “Development of the Environmental Awareness Scale for Primary School Students”, IJESP, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 120–146, May 2026, doi: 10.63612/ijesp.1825894.

ISNAD

Fener, İrem - Kıroğlu, Kasım. “Development of the Environmental Awareness Scale for Primary School Students”. International Journal of Educational Studies and Policy 7/2 (May 1, 2026): 120-146. https://doi.org/10.63612/ijesp.1825894.

JAMA

1.Fener İ, Kıroğlu K. Development of the Environmental Awareness Scale for Primary School Students. IJESP. 2026;7:120–146.

MLA

Fener, İrem, and Kasım Kıroğlu. “Development of the Environmental Awareness Scale for Primary School Students”. International Journal of Educational Studies and Policy, vol. 7, no. 2, May 2026, pp. 120-46, doi:10.63612/ijesp.1825894.

Vancouver

1.İrem Fener, Kasım Kıroğlu. Development of the Environmental Awareness Scale for Primary School Students. IJESP. 2026 May 1;7(2):120-46. doi:10.63612/ijesp.1825894