The Effect of Environmental Education on the Pre-service Teachers’ Affective Tendency towards the Environment and Cognitive Structure

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of the ‘Environmental Protection’ course on the pre-service chemistry teachers’ affective tendency towards the environment and cognitive structure. Moreover, the pre-service teachers’ opinions on the content, applications and contributions of the Environmental Protection course have been also evaluated. One group pretest- posttest design has been used in the study. 12 pre-service teachers, who study in Hacettepe University, Faculty of Education, and Department of Chemistry Education and have registered for the Environmental Protection course during fall semester 2012-2013, have been included in the study. Trends in Environmentally Oriented Affective Scale, Word Association Test and open-ended questions intended for learning the pre-service teachers’ opinions have been used in the study as a data collection tool. Consequently, it is found that the Environmental Protection course led to a positive increase in the pre-service teachers’ sensorial tendency towards the environment and that it is influential in their setting up associations between concepts through the knowledge of environmental concepts. Regarding the views held by the pre-service teachers, it is found in their personal statements that the course was effective in their learning the new concepts about the environment, in making them more sensitive to the environment, and in their gaining awareness of the environment.