Developing environmental education program for primary school students and assessing its effects on prospective science teachers

Abstract

In Turkey, the Primary School Science and Technology Curriculum has been revised recently, and the content has been changed according to scientific and technological advances and emerging environmental problems. In this regard, training prospective teachers according to one of the new demands of the curriculum would be appropriate. Hence, this study aimed to develop an environmental education program and assess its effects on prospective science teachers. The sample included 55 junior and senior pre-service teachers, who were attending Primary Science and Mathematics Education Program in Bogazici University. At the beginning and the end of the study, environmental attitudes and environmental knowledge of the subjects were measured. The experimental part was carried out during an education course for pre-service science teachers. After the application of the program, statistically significant differences were concluded in environmental attitudes and environmental knowledge of pre-service teachers. To sum up, it could be stated that the program seemed to be working for this sample.