University students’ behaviors pertaining to sustainability: A structural equation model with sustainability-related attributes

The purpose of this study is to construct a structural equation model to examine the links among attitudes, values, and behaviors pertaining to sustainability, participation in outdoor recreation as well as gender and tendency to follow mass media for university students. The data were collected by on-line administration of a survey to 958 students at Middle East Technical University during February-June of 2008. It needs to be stressed that gender emerged as a strong factor explaining sustainability-related attributes. It was reflected that female students having higher tendency to follow media held more favorable attitudes and behaviors toward sustainable life styles, and more ecocentric values. Furthermore, attitudes and values were found to be significant determinants of university students' behaviors pertaining to sustainability. It was also reported that higher tendency to follow media yielded more favorable attitudes, higher levels of ecocentric values, and engagement in outdoor recreational activities such as walking in nature, bird watching, and camping. These results implied that the university campus should be well equipped with the necessary infrastructures that will satisfy the needs and encourage female students as well as male students to motivate them take appreciative outdoor activities. A gender perspective should be integrated into existing mainstream institutions and all programmatic areas or sectors, including education in order to hinder gender inequality. In addition, during the rehabilitation of sustainability issues in higher education institutions, favorable attitudes and values of university students should be regarded as an auxiliary agent

The Relationship between Environmental Literacy and Self-efficacy Beliefs toward Environmental Education

AbstractThis study examines the level of preservice elementary teachers’ literacy and self-efficacy beliefs and investigates the relationship between their environmental literacy and self-efficacy beliefs. The sample for the study comprises 61 2nd year students in the Elementary Education Department of a private university in Turkey. The results of the study show that the participants did not have sufficient environmental knowledge or self-efficacy beliefs related to environmental education, although their environmental attitude, concern, and perception of environmental issues were relatively high. The results also indicate a significant correlation between their self-efficacy beliefs and their concern for the environment. The authors conclude that the quality of environmental education in teacher education programs in Turkey needs to be improved

Moral reasoning patterns and influential factors in the context of environmental problems

Yilmaz, Ozgul/0000-0001-7869-9251WOS: 000306087900004This study investigated pre-service science teachers' (PSTs') moral reasoning patterns and the factors underlying these reasoning patterns. Local and non-local environmental dilemmas were used to examine moral reasoning patterns. An explanatory design was used with the collection and analysis of quantitative data, which was subsequently refined using qualitative interview data. For the quantitative part of the study, PSTs were asked to comment on four local and non-local environmental dilemmas (i.e. deforestation, e-waste, oil spills, and global warming). The responses were categorized as ecocentric, anthropocentric, or non-environmental reasoning. The findings showed that the participants' moral reasoning focused on both ecocentric and anthropocentric perspectives, with a few displaying non-environmental reasoning. Concern for environmental problems was related to perceptions of whether the issue was directly related to nature, and was independent of whether the issues were local or non-local. The Moral Decision Making Interview protocol was used in the qualitative part of the study. Analysis revealed that the participants' moral decisions were based on their resolutions in situational context and their concerns showed variations in their moral reasoning due to different factors like, effect on human life, formal principles, notion of rights, moral emotions, potential harm to others, and popular culture

Effects of Gender and Grade Level on Environmental Moral Reasoning Patterns

Yilmaz, Ozgul/0000-0001-7869-9251WOS: 000353428900011The purpose of this study was to examine environmental moral reasoning patterns of 120 pre-service science teachers together with the effects of gender and grade level on these reasoning. For data collection, participants were asked to write their concerns about four environmental problems (i.e., deforestation, electronic waste, oil spills, global warming) each of which were presented as local and global cases. Content analysis was performed on the participants' written statements and frequencies of the statements reflecting ecocentric, anthropocentric, and non-environmental moral reasoning were calculated to be used in descriptive and inferential analyses. While analyses did not reveal statistically significant difference between environmental moral reasoning patterns of males and females, grade level was found to have statistically significant effect. In addition to general patterns in pre-service science teachers' environmental moral reasoning, findings were also interpreted for local and global environmental problem dichotomy. Implications for environmental education were discussed

Training early childhood teachers for sustainability: towards a "learning experience of a different kind'

In this study, we discuss findings from a small-scale project evaluating an in-service teacher training programme focused on perspective transformation' in early childhood education and education for sustainability (EfS). A bespoke professional development programme was developed for Turkish early childhood teachers, based on a variety of Mezirowian-inspired adult education activities. Data were gathered using a mixed method research design, from 24 early childhood educators, through learning diaries, a Learning Activities Survey and follow-up interviews. Initial findings illustrate the range of transformations possible in the teachers' perspectives during and after the training workshops. Influential factors in facilitating perspective transformation are shown to be the content, structure and sequencing of the training, and peer support. We conclude that transformative learning techniques offer a viable framework for engaging practicing early childhood teachers with EfS and also discuss implications for teacher preparation in both areas