DİSİPLİNLERÜSTÜ ÇEVRE EĞİTİM PROGRAMININ ORTAOKUL ÖĞRENCİLERİNİN ÇEVRE BİLİNCİNE ETKİSİ

Abstract

Environmental problems are increasing day by day, and their effects directly affect our lives. The only solution for the elimination of these problems is a conscious society. A conscious society is possible with a solution-oriented education that starts at a young age, includes all disciplines, and addresses real-life problems. The study aimed to examine the effect of an environmental education program prepared with a transdisciplinary approach for a sustainable world on students’ environmental awareness. The program was implemented by teachers from different branches for 5th, 6th, and 7th grade students in a public secondary school selected by convenience sampling method in the 2021–2022 academic year. In the program, environmental problems were divided into seven themes and the implementation period of 63 activities suitable for these themes lasted 9 months. There were 385 students and 30 teachers who took part in the study. In the quantitative dimension, the environmental awareness questionnaire was applied to the students as a pre-test and post-test, and the students were asked to evaluate the activities using the form developed by the researcher. In the qualitative dimension, the opinions of students and teachers were taken. In these semi-structured interviews, a total of 30 students (15 girls and 15 boys), ten from each grade level, and 10 teachers were interviewed. According to the findings obtained through content analysis, the program had positive effects on the environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of both students and teachers. Quantitative findings also supported this finding. Students’ scores in all dimensions of the environmental awareness test showed a significant difference in favor of the post-test. In line with the results, it is recommended to implement a long-term program that includes all branches instead of studies in which environmental education is associated with a single course. It is thought that this study will contribute to the field by setting an example for practicing teachers to follow in line with this recommendation.