Comparison of Teachers and Teacher Candidates in Terms of Their Environmental Attitudes.

Abstract

Abstract It has been aimed to compare the environmental attitudes of teachers and teacher candidates and to present the importance of environmental education in teacher training. The sample of the research includes 605 final year students attending undergraduate programs of pre-school education and child development education in the universities of Konya, Ankara, Afyon, and Denizli provinces during 2008-2009 academic year and 300 pre-school teachers attending National Ministry In-service Training Programs conducted in Yalova, Aksaray and Rize provinces during 2008-2009 academic year. Attitude Scale has been used as the data collection tool. According to t-test and MANOVA results, it has been determined that teacher candidates got higher scores than pre-school teachers in terms of the total results of environmental attitude scale, and particularly the sub-factors Importance of Field Trips in Environmental Education and Activities. Also, it has been stated that the difference between the scores of teachers and teacher candidates taken from the sub-factors Requirement of for Environmental Problems and Pollution and Conservation is not significant. In the light of the findings, researchers and practitioners have been provided with suggestions. Key Words Environmental Attitude, Environmental Education, Early Childhood Teachers, Early Childhood Teacher Candidates. Environmental education has a critical importance to prevent negative effects of technology, consumerism and urbanism that gradually increase on ecological balance in the globalizing world. According to Bakker (2006), ecological balance can be provided through behaviors. Behavior requires a level of awareness. This awareness depends on environmental attitudes of individuals. Lubomira (2004) stated that environmental education is the most effective way to change environmental attitudes that are the unique opportunity for saving human being and future of world. According to Vrasidas, Zembylas, Evagorou, Avraamidou, and Aravi (2007), objectives of environmental education include to improve environmental awareness for problems and probable solutions, to raise awareness for using resources economically, to respect the rights of all the living things, and to help individuals develop positive environmental values and attitudes. To accomplish this goal, teachers should be aware of factors that develop understandings about environment belonging to themselves and their students (Desjean- Perrota, Moseley, & Cantu, 2008). Researches showed that environmental education improved environmental attitudes of teachers and teacher candidates (Chatzifotiou, 2006; Meichtry & Smith, 2007; Volk & Cheak, 2003). Supporting teachers to acquire knowledge and understand the importance of developing environmental conscious in early years is crucial. Flogaitis and Agelidou (2003) found that preschool teachers had contradiction in terms of nature and environment. In addition, Flogaitis, Daskolia, and Agelidou (2005) determined that conceptions of the kindergarten teachers were knowledge-Centered type of environmental education. In addition, they are primarily Centered on nature and protection of nature in terms of environmental education content. Besides, they aim not only to shape citizens willing to adopt environmental measures recommended by the experts, but also to participate actively in social actions for the protection of the environment. Erten (2005) found that any early childhood teacher candidates did not spend their spare times with nature activities. In addition, they do not worry about environmental issues and they are not sensitive about environmental protection. Cabuk and Karacaoglu (2003) ascertained that teacher candidates thought their training did not include subjects of air, water, and land pollution. The present study aims to compare preschool teachers and teacher candidates in terms of their environmental attitudes by setting forth the importance of environmental education in teacher training. …