Components of Environmental Literacy in Elementary Science Education Curriculum in Bulgaria and Turkey

Mehmet Erdoğan; Zdravka Kostova; Thomas Marcinkowski

doi:10.12973/ejmste/75253

Full Text (PDF)

Mehmet Erdoğan ¹ ^* , Zdravka Kostova ², Thomas Marcinkowski ³

More Detail

¹ University of Akdeniz, Antalya, TURKIYE² Kliment Ohridski University, Sofia, BULGARIA³ Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL, USA^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze the extent to which science education objectives in elementary schools addressed to the six basic components of environmental literacy (EL), and how this attention differed from Bulgaria to Turkey. The main method in the study involved comparative content analysis of these objectives. The courses sampled for Bulgaria include “The Human Being and Nature”, “Biology and Health Education”, “Chemistry and Environmental Protection” and “Physics and Astronomy”. The course sampled for Turkey is “Science and Technology Education”. Content analysis of these objectives reveals that all components of environmental literacy did not receive the same attention. For example in both countries most attention was given to knowledge, less to skills and attitudes, and little to environmentally responsible behavior (ERB).

Keywords

Bulgaria
Turkey
environmental literacy
environmental education
science education objectives

License

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed, 2009, Volume 5, Issue 1, 15-26

https://doi.org/10.12973/ejmste/75253

Publication date: 22 Jan 2009

Article Views: 5619

Article Downloads: 5157

Open Access References How to cite this article

References

Andreichin, L. & others. (1976). A Dictionary of the Bulgarian Language (explanatory). [In Bulgarian]. (3rd ed.) Sofia, Nauka i izkustvo.
Babulski, K., Gannett, C., Myers, K., Peppel, K., & Williams, R. (1999). A white paper on the relationship between school reform and environmental education in Florida: Correlating Florida’s Sunshine State Standards and an Environmental Literacy Framework. Melbourne, FL: Unpublished research paper, Science Education Department, Florida Institute of Technology.
Ballontyne, R et all. (2007) Conservation Learning in Wild Tourism Settings: Lessons from Research in Zoos and Aquariums. Environmental Education Research, 13(3), 367- 383.
Chawla, L., Cushing, D. F. (2007). Education for strategic Environmental Behavior. Environmental Education Research, 13(4), 437-452.
Disinger, J. (2005). Environmental educations’ definitional problems. In H. Hungerford, B. Bluhm, T. Volk and J. Ramsey (Eds.) Essential Readings in Environmental Education (pp. 17-32). Champaign, IL: Stipes Publication (Original article: 1983, ERIC, Information Bulletin # 2)
Erdogan, M. (2007). Yeni geliştirilen dördüncü ve beşinci sınıf fen ve teknoloji dersi öğretim programının analizi: Nitel bir çalışma. (An analysis of newly developed fourth and fifth grade science and technology course curriculum; A qualitative study). Türk Eğitim Bilimleri Dergisi, 5(1), 221- 259.
Erdogan, M., & Erentay, M. (2007). Children’s perceptions on endangered species and threatened environments: results from Unique and Universal Project. Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Hands-on Science. Costa MF, Dorrío BV, Reis R (Eds.); 2007, July 23-27; University of Azores; Ponta Delgada, Portugal. 2007. 141-148.
Erdogan, M., & Marcinkowski, T. (2007a). Results of an analysis of K-8 environmental education research in Turkey, 1997-2007. (Research Symposium) 34th North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) Annual Conference and Research Symposium, Virginia Beach, USA, 13-14, November, 2007.
Erdogan, M., & Marcinkowski, T. (2007b). An analysis of K-8 environmental education research in Turkey, 1997-2007. (Main Conference) 34th North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) Annual Conference and Research Symposium, Virginia Beach, The USA, 14-17, November, 2007.
Hart, P., & Nolan, K. (1999). A critical analysis of research in environmental education. Studies in Science Education, 34, 1-69.
Harvey, G. (1977). A conceptualization of environmental education. In J. Aldrich, A. Blackburn, and G. Abel (Eds.), The Report of the North American Regional Seminar on Environmental Education (pp. 67-72). Columbus, OH: ERIC SMEAC.
Hines, J., Hungerford, H., & Tomera, A. (1986/87). Analysis and synthesis of research on responsible environmental behavior: A meta-analysis. The Journal of Environmental Education, 18(2), 1-8.
Hicks, D., Holden, C. (2007). Remembering the future: What do Children Think? Environmental Education Research, 13(4), 501-512.
Honeyman, B. (1998) Non-formal and Formal Learning Interactions: New Directions for Scientific and Technological Literacy. UNESCO, Connect, 23(1), 1.
Hsu. Sh. J., Roth, R. E (1998) An Assessment of Environmental Literacy and Analysis of Predictors of Responsible Environmental Behaviour Held by Secondary Teachers in the Hualien Area of Taiwan. Environmental Education Research, 4(3), 229-249
Hungerford, H., Peyton, R., & Wile, R. (1980). Goal for curriculum development in environmental education. The Journal of Environmental Education, 11(3), 42-47.
Hungerford, H. & Volk, T. (1984). The challenges of K-12 environmental education. In Arthur B. Sacks (Ed.) Monographs in environmental education and environmental studies, Volume 1 (pp. 3-30). Troy, OH: NAAEE.
Hungerford, H. & Volk, T. (1990). Changing learner behavior through environmental education. The Journal of Environmental Education, 21(3), 8-22.
Kostova, Z., L. Naidenova and M. Dodova (1978) A system of nature conservation concepts in education. [In Bulgarian]. Sofia, Ministry of Education.
Kostova, Z. (1995). Environmental Education in Bulgaria. Pedagogika, 3 (12), 53 – 65
Kostova, Z. (2003) Conceptualization of Environmental Education. [In Bulgarian]. Veliko Turnovo, Faber
Kutov, A. & Z. Kostova (eds) and others. (1984) A Dictionary of ecology and environment conservation. [In Bulgarian]. Sofia, Partizdat
Iozzi, L. (ed.) (1981). Research in environmental education, 1971-1980. Columbus, OH: ERIC/SMEAC. (ERIC Document No. ED 214 762)
Iozzi, L. (ed.) (1984). A summary of research in environmental education, 1971-1982. The second report of the national commission on environmental education research. (Monographs in Environmental Education and Environmental Studies, Vol. #2). Columbus, OH: ERIC/SMEAC. (ERIC Document No ED. 259 879).
Lundmark, C. (2007). The New Ecological Paradigm Revisited: Anchoring the NEP Scale in Environmental Ethics. Environmental Education Research, 13(3), 329-347
Lundegard, I. & Wickman, P.O. (2007) Conflicts of Interest: An Indispensable Element of Education for Sustainable Development. Environmental Education Research, 13(1), 1- 15
Makenzie, A.C., Smith, R. (2003). Ecological Literacy: the “missing paradigm” in Environmental Education. Environmental Education Research, 9(4), 497-524.
Marcinkowski, T., & Mrazek, R. (Eds.) (1996). Research in environmental education research, 1981-1990. Troy, OH, NAAEE.
McBeth, W. (Primary investigator – PI) (2006). National Environmental Literacy Assessment of Middle School Students in the U.S. (A Special Project Award to the North American Association for Environmental Education [Award no NAO6SEC4690009] by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department Commerce). Washington, D.C.: NAAEE.
Ogegov, S.I. (1981) Dictionary of Russian Language. Moscow, Russian Language (57000 words). In Russian (Slovar Ruskava Yazika, M., Ruskii Yazik)
Ozgelen, S., & Yilmaz-Tuzun, O. (2007, April). Pre-service science teachers’ perceptions about science process skills and their practices. Paper presented at the 84th Annual American Educational Research Association, Chicago, USA.
Revised School Programs (2003). “The Human Being and Nature” and “Biology and Health Education”. Journal of Biology, Ecology and Biotechnology, 12 (3-4), 6 – 76 [In Bulgarian].
Roth, C. (1992). Environmental literacy: Its roots, evolution and directions in the 1990s. Columbus, OH: ERIC Clearinghouse for Science, Mathematics and Environmental Education.
Schmieder, A.A. (1977). The nature and philosophy of environmental education: Goals and objectives. In UNESCO, Trends in environmental education (pp. 23-34). Paris, France: UNESCO.
Simmons, D. (1995). Working paper # 2: Developing a framework for national environmental education standards. In papers on the Development of Environmental Education Standards (pp. 53-58). Troy, OH: NAAEE.
Singh, M. (1998). Critical Literacy Strategies for Environmental Educators. Environmental Education Research, 4(3), 341-354.
Stables, A. & Bishop, K. (2001). Weak and strong conceptions of Environmental Literacy: Implementations for Environmental Education. Environmental Education Research, 7(1), 89-97
Stables, A. (1998) Environmental Literacy: Functional, Cultural and Critical. The Case of the SCAA guidelines. Environmental Education Research, 4 (2), 155-164.
Stapp. W. B. et. al. (1969). The concept of environmental education. The Journal of Environmental Education, 1(1), 30- 31.
UNECE Strategy for Education for Sustainable Development, Vilnius, 17-18 March 2005. CEP/AC.13/2005/3/Rev.1
UNESCO (1989). Environmental literacy for all. Connect, 14 (2), 1.
UNESCO (1978). Intergovernmental conference on environmental education: Final report. Paris, France: UNESCO.
UNESCO (1977). Trends in environmental education. Paris, France: UNESCO.
Volk, T. & McBeth, W. (1997). Environmental literacy in the Unites States: What should be…What is…Getting from here to there. A report funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and submitted to the Environmental Education and Training Partnership, NAAEE. Washington, DC: U.S. EPA.
Wilke, R. (1995). Environmental education literacy/needs assessment project: Assessing environmental literacy of students and environmental education needs of teachers; Final report for 1993-1995. (Report to NCEET/University of Michigan under U.S. EPA Grant #NT901935-01-2). Stevens Point, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point.

How to cite this article

APA

Erdoğan, M., Kostova, Z., & Marcinkowski, T. (2009). Components of Environmental Literacy in Elementary Science Education Curriculum in Bulgaria and Turkey. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 5(1), 15-26. https://doi.org/10.12973/ejmste/75253

Vancouver

Erdoğan M, Kostova Z, Marcinkowski T. Components of Environmental Literacy in Elementary Science Education Curriculum in Bulgaria and Turkey. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2009;5(1):15-26. https://doi.org/10.12973/ejmste/75253

AMA

Erdoğan M, Kostova Z, Marcinkowski T. Components of Environmental Literacy in Elementary Science Education Curriculum in Bulgaria and Turkey. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2009;5(1), 15-26. https://doi.org/10.12973/ejmste/75253

Chicago

Erdoğan, Mehmet, Zdravka Kostova, and Thomas Marcinkowski. "Components of Environmental Literacy in Elementary Science Education Curriculum in Bulgaria and Turkey". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education 2009 5 no. 1 (2009): 15-26. https://doi.org/10.12973/ejmste/75253

Harvard

Erdoğan, M., Kostova, Z., and Marcinkowski, T. (2009). Components of Environmental Literacy in Elementary Science Education Curriculum in Bulgaria and Turkey. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 5(1), pp. 15-26. https://doi.org/10.12973/ejmste/75253

MLA

Erdoğan, Mehmet et al. "Components of Environmental Literacy in Elementary Science Education Curriculum in Bulgaria and Turkey". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, vol. 5, no. 1, 2009, pp. 15-26. https://doi.org/10.12973/ejmste/75253