Applied environmental education in 6th grade: Example of evaluation of the ringing study

In this study, it is aimed to investigate the knowledge, emotional approach and behavior tendencies of the 6th grade students in the middle school by means of applied environmental education and to determine whether practical trainings have a positive effect on them. The research was carried out in the screening model. In addition, the research was designed as an experimental design with pre-test-post-test control group. The population of the study is composed of 6th grade students in the middle of 2018-2019 academic year in Antalya. The sample consisted of 350 students studying in 7 secondary schools in Serik, Antalya. The seçim simple random sampling öğ method was used in the selection of the students. "Knowledge, Emotion and Behavior Scale for Environmental Education gu developed by Avan (2011) was used as data collection tool. The validity and reliability studies of the Knowledge, Emotion and Behavior Scale for Environmental Education were conducted. Before the application, the scales were applied as pre-test to the students in the experimental and control groups. Then, experimental group students were given 4 hours of theoretical and 4 hours of applied environmental education. Approximately one week after the end of the applied environmental education, the data collection phase of the experimental school and control group students was completed by using the final test. The collected data were evaluated by using quantitative analysis methods. In the comparison of experimental and control groups, unrelated samples t-test, pre-test and post-test scores were compared with t-test, non-independent samples t-test in comparison with gender, and Pearson Correlation Analysis in correlation analyzes. It was determined that the knowledge, emotion and behavior tendencies of the control and experimental groups pre-tested before the applied environmental education were equivalent to each other, ie there was no significant difference. After the applied environmental education, the students' information about the environment made a significant contribution to the positive emotional approach and behavioral tendencies. The mean scores of the students in the experimental group before the training showed a significant increase after the training, while there was no significant increase in the control group. In addition, no significant difference was found between male and female students in the experimental and control groups.