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Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 19, Issue 1, Article 3 (Jun., 2018) |
Disruption of natural relationships, population increase, increase in living standards and increase of resource needs, along with the introduction of technologies developed using resources and people unnecessarily exploiting nature by considering only their own needs, causes new and difficult to solve environmental problems that arise daily. These problems can also cause significant changes in people’s perception of the environment. In this study, such multidimensional problems demonstrated that environmental education has to be addressed in a widespread manner to become a permanent topic in modern societies.
It is known that action is being taken regarding the necessity that the environment and environmental problems must be reconsidered within the context of individuals, society and nations. Affective acquisitions must be approached from the perspective of the determinations included in the scientific databases regarding the environment (UNESCO-UNEP, 1977; Ünal & Dımışkı, 1999; Stokes, Edge & West, 2001; Özata Yücel & Özkan, 2014c). Environmental problems started to be debated worldwide at the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment held in Stockholm in 1972. In 1975, the research of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) showed that environmental education was inadequate on a global scale (Ünal & Dımışkı, 1999). In 1977, with the cooperation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), UNESCO organized the International Environmental Education Conference for the purpose of identifying basic environmental problems, the function of environmental education in eliminating environmental problems and the international goals required for improving environmental education. Thus, the first international steps regarding environmental education were taken (Palmer, 2003). In this conference, it was determined that the ultimate aim of environmental education is to enable people to understand the complexities of the environment and the need for nations to adapt their activities and pursue their development in ways which are harmonious with the environment (UNESCO-UNEP, 1977, p. 6). Environmental education, which is regarded as one of the solutions for the prevention of environmental problems, aims to develop environmental consciousness, a positive attitude towards nature, interest, sensitivity, awareness and responsibility in individuals (UNESCO-UNEP, 1977). In order to understand the scientific reasons for environmental problems, first, it is necessary to understand what is the natural environment and what are the elements, factors and processes shaping it (Shepardson, Wee, Priddy & Harbor, 2007). Therefore, correct understanding of the concept of environment should be situated at the centre of environmental education by taking into account ecological data that can assist individuals to identify environmental problems correctly, and then work toward solutions to mitigate those problems. Therefore, it is important for society to understand environmental responsibilities, and thus, facilitate environmental education to reach its goals (Ahi, Balci & Alisinaoğlu, 2017). It is believed that perception and interpretation of environmental events by individuals can have a positive effect on their attitude, consciousness and knowledge (Yardımcı & Bağcı Kılıç, 2010).
According to the Oxford Dictionary perception is “the neurophysiological processes, including memory, by which an organism becomes aware of and interprets external stimuli”. Perception, which is influenced by anticipation and past experiences, can be defined as the process of explaining and interpreting sensory information on the basis of our knowledge acquired partly in an objective and partly in a subjective way (Senemoğlu, 2005). This process starts when we are aware of sensory stimuli, and students can only learn the information which they can perceive. If the incoming environmental stimuli are correctly perceived and correctly interpreted, the information obtained becomes valid and accurate. Thus, perception is an important element in learning (Senemoğlu, 2005). Therefore, correct cognitive structuring of environmental concepts may be considered as a sign of correct environmental perception, and these concepts can be structured properly in the mind only by establishing correct environmental perception. In this context, it is important to determine the environmental perceptions of teachers and prospective teachers, who are important elements of environmental education, because teachers’ approaches to the environment and their perception of the environment as a whole can have an effect on their students’ cognitive understanding and interpretation of this concept when taught (Özata Yücel & Özkan, 2014a).
Environment is expressed as an integrated order created by living and non-living things that are constantly interacting with each other (Yavetz, Goldman & Pe’er, 2014). Shepardson et al. (2007) stated that this complex order actually consists of three basic elements. The first of these are natural systems, which include living and non-living things, the second are the humane systems consisting of social, cultural and political elements, and the third are the processes involving non-linear variable relations with each other (Shepardson et al., 2007). Approaches to the concept of the environment, which include such different transitions, make it difficult to understand and define the complex structure of the concept in order to explain it in a simpler manner (Hmelo-Silver, Marathe & Liu, 2007; Plate, 2010).
In the literature, it is apparent that the environment is generally perceived as an object or place which living beings inhabit (Barraza, 1999; Demirkaya, 2009; Lougland, Reid & Petocz, 2002; Shepardson et al., 2007; Yardımcı & Bağcı Kılıç, 2010; Yavetz et al., 2014). In these studies, the environment is regarded only as the place which living beings inhabit or living beings use to supply their vital resources, and in this kind of environmental perception, plants are highlighted more so than animals. It was highlighted in the studies of Shepardson et al. (2007), that students between classes 4 and 12 accept natural habitats as the environment, while they do not accept man-made areas as the environment. In the same study, the majority of the students kept human beings outside the environment.
It was determined that the environment is frequently associated with environmental problems. However, it was pointed out that the approaches of different social levels have both similarities and differences. Yardımcı and Bağcı Kılıç (2010) emphasized that the 8th grade students who participated in the study knew about environmental problems, were aware of the harm humans caused to the environment and took various measures to protect the environment. Barraza (1999) stated that participants associated the environment with pollution, nuclear waste, war, violence, litter, forest fires, etc., while Özsoy (2012) stated that participants associated the environment with problems such as air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution and irregular urbanization. Studies conducted by Yavetz et al. (2014) and Demirkaya (2009) found that prospective teachers tended to emphasize humans’ relationship with the social environment.
From the evaluation of studies in the literature, it was understood that students have a limited environmental understanding and they cannot regard the environment as an integrated system consisting of living beings, non-living things and the relationship between them. Also, findings showed that humans tend to see themselves as placed at the centre of the environment, that a perspective focusing on humans is dominant and that there are problems in understanding and interpreting environmental events and facts.
When evaluated in terms of age groups, it would be expected that as the education grade increases, environmental perception also increases proportionally; however, studies in the literature do not support this. In this context, the similarities between the results and findings of the studies conducted with primary, middle, high school and undergraduate students are remarkable. As the limitation in environmental perspective continues while education grade increases, it appears that some difficulties regarding environmental education could not be eliminated. Although environmental education at secondary school level in Turkey does not take place as a separate course, it is apparent that some issues regarding the environment and its protection are scattered throughout several curricula (Akınoğlu & Sarı, 2009; Tanrıverdi, 2009; Ürey & Aydın, 2014). Environment and many other subjects and concepts related to it are covered in secondary school, mainly in science classes (Akınoğlu & Sarı, 2009; Özata Yücel & Özkan, 2014b; Tanrıverdi, 2009; Ürey & Aydın, 2014). Thus, science teachers have an important role in providing environmental education. The expertise of teachers will affect the quality of environmental education. Therefore, the quality of education can be increased by improving teachers’ skills in environmental education (Gökdere, 2005; Lang, 2000; Walker, 1997). It is important for teachers to be effective environmental educators, to be scientifically correct with their environmental information, as well as affective in their methodological delivery, and to teach environmental concepts in a consistent manner (logical and sequential). This conceptual approach is also expected to be provided by prospective teachers at the college level.
Science teachers who play a great role in environmental education in Turkey do not take a course under the heading of environmental education. However, during their education, they take courses which include subjects and concepts directly or indirectly related to the environment, such as Biology and Biology Laboratory Applications in the second class year, Ecology, Geology and Special Subjects in Chemistry in the third class year, Special Subjects in Biology and Biological Resources of Turkey in the fourth class year. The purpose of this study was to determine how prospective science teachers’ perception of environment changed after their education and training based on college courses.
