Determining the plant awareness levels of science teachers: The case of Ankara province

This study aims to examine the attitude levels of science teachers toward plants and their tendencies regarding plant blindness. The primary objective of the research is to determine teachers' attitudes toward plants, to analyze whether these attitudes differ according to various demographic variables, and to reveal their awareness levels regarding the concept of plant blindness. The data were collected from a total of 196 science teachers. In the data collection process, the Plant Attitude Scale and the Plant Blindness Scale were used. Both instruments are based on a five-point Likert scale, where higher scores indicate more positive attitudes and greater awareness. Descriptive statistics, normality tests, and the Kruskal-Wallis test were employed to analyze the data and determine the differences among variables. The study compared scale scores with demographic variables such as gender, age, school type, and place of residence. According to the results, science teachers generally have a high level of positive attitudes toward plants and a low level of plant blindness. Particularly, teachers living in rural areas and those working in private schools demonstrated significantly higher plant awareness compared to other groups. The findings of the study indicate that positive attitudes toward nature enhance the role of teachers in environmental education and serve as a critical factor in reducing plant blindness. In line with this, it is recommended that teacher education programs incorporate more nature-based content. Additionally, integrating natural elements into school environments can strengthen the connection between teachers, students, and plants. The results provide valuable insights into improving environmental education policies and increasing teachers' awareness of plants.