Investigation of pre-school teacher's awareness of sustainable development

The primary aim of the study is to examine the sustainable development awareness of pre-service preschool teachers. In this study, a mixed method was used. An exploratory sequential design was employed. The quantitative aspect of the study was built on survey method, and the qualitative aspect was built on the holistic multiple case design. The research was carried out on 204 pre-service teachers studying at a state university in the Central Anatolia Region in the spring term of the 2020-2021 academic year. Due to the pandemic process, among 204 pre-service preschool teachers who were selected following a convenience sampling method, participants with low level (f=4 pre-service teachers) and high level (f=4 pre-service teachers) of sustainable development awareness were selected following a purposeful sampling method and interviews were conducted. Quantitative data of the study were collected with two tools prepared electronically via Google forms due to the closure process in Turkey. A Personal Information Form (PIF) and Sustainable Development Awareness Scale (SDAS) which were sent simultaneously to the participants using the Whatsapp application were employed as data collection tools. Qualitative data were obtained through online interviews via Zoom program. In the analysis process of the data; SPSS 22 package program was used for quantitative data. While performing the analyzes in this program, frequency (f), percent (%), arithmetic mean (x̄), standard deviation (SD) values were calculated and independent samples t-test was preferred for one-factor intergroup designs and ANOVA model was preferred for two-factor intergroup designs. The analysis of qualitative data was carried out with the content analysis method. According to the quantitative findings of the research, the pre-service preschool teachers participating in the research have a high level of awareness of sustainable development. It was determined that the sustainable development awareness of pre-service teachers differed significantly according to the variables of environmental awareness, father's education level and being a member of environmental non-governmental organization (ENGO), however, there was no significant difference according to the variables of gender, class level, mother's education level, and family income. According to the findings obtained from the interviews with the pre-service teachers, it has been determined that factors such as environmental awareness, saving, education, the effect of the immediate environment, religion, gender equality, communication and conceptual knowledge level on the subject, responsibility, empathy and awareness of the importance of pre-school education are effective in the high level of sustainable development awareness of pre-service teachers. According to the results of the research, one of the most significant dimensions in the high level of sustainable development awareness of pre-service teachers is the environment. As a suggestion, it was concluded that the society and economic dimension and knowledge personality traits were effective. Also, one dimension is not enough to raise awareness of sustainable development. Considering all three dimensions, it is recommended that teacher training education in the undergraduate period should be based on practice and provide experience in the undergraduate period. Keywords: Pre-school education, Pre-service teachers, Sustainable development awareness.