ENVIRONMENTAL ATTITUDES: THE POSITION OF PRE-SERVICE EARLY EDUCATION TEACHERS

Abstract

It is important to focus on the environmental awareness of pre-service teachers, as their decisions as future professionals can have an impact not only on the environment, but also on the education of the next generation. On the other hand, it is also useful for teachers to be aware of trends in students' environmental attitudes in order to be able to emphasise one or other of the sustainable development goals in the context of the curriculum. The main research question is what environmental attitudes have been developed by pre-service preschool, pre-primary and primary school teachers. The study is a mixed-method (qualitative and quantitative) pilot study. The study was carried out between January and March 2023. The participants were 136 university students, pre-service pre-school, pre-primary and primary education teachers (pre-service early childhood teachers). The survey instrument used a 22-item scale. The statements were scored using an interval 5-point Likert scale. The quantitative data obtained from the survey were analysed using descriptive statistics. The mean, standard deviation and significance index of the statements were calculated. Environmental attitudes, like any other attitudes, influence human behaviour. Students have learned these behaviours from their parents and teachers since they were children. What they have expressed in this study is the result of many years of education and experience. Students are very clear about the importance of recycling, they are in favour of preserving biodiversity, conserving heat, responsible consumption in general, etc. It is likely that pre-service teachers, having developed environmental attitudes and skills in practical environmental activities, will base their future professional life on these values and will transfer their experience to their learners in new contexts. Environmental attitudes are becoming increasingly important as the ideas of sustainable development and sustainable living are reflected in the curriculum guidelines for pre-school education (2023) and in the pre-primary and primary curricula (2022). Students' attitudes towards environmentalism reflect their relationship with the environment, and the high significance indexes (Sis) suggest that synergies are developing in the human-nature system. However, this calls for a new in-depth study of environmental attitudes. Keywords: environmental attitudes, early education, human behaviour, pre-service teachers, science education.