Determining the environmental identities and environment-friendly behaviors of the 3rd grade Science teacher candidates

The purpose of the present study was to determine the environmental identities and environment-friendly behaviors of science teacher candidates; and to examine the relations between these concepts. The study group consisted of 45 teacher candidates who were studying at the 3rd Grade at Aksaray University, Science Education Department in 2017-2018 Academic Year. The study was a quantitative study that was supported by qualitative data. The quantitative part of the study was conducted with Single-Group Pre-Test Post-Test Weak Experimental Model, which is one of the research methods. The "Environmental Identity Scale", and the "Environmental-Friendly Behaviors Scale", were used as the quantitative data collection tools. The descriptive statistics like mean values and standard deviation, t-test for independent and dependent groups, and the Pearson Moments Correlation were used in the analyses of the quantitative data. The Case Study design was used in the qualitative part of the study. The qualitative data were collected by using the semi-structured interview form in the study. Before the qualitative data, the themes were created, and codes were determined in line with these themes.The qualitative data were analyzed by using the Content Analysis Method. According to the results of the t-test, it was determined that there were significant differences between the "Environmental Identity" and "Environmental-Friendly" pre-test and post-test scores of teacher candidates. The difference between the arithmetic means of the environmental-friendly behaviors and environmental identity pre-test post-test scores of the students were not statistically significant according to the gender variable of the students. As a result of the scores obtained from the Qualitative Data analyses, it was determined that the participants could identify environmental problems and their causes, and realize that the environment will change depending on human behaviors in the future after the environmental training. Based on the qualitative findings defining the environmental-friendly behaviors, it was determined that the study, which aimed to raise exemplary teachers who have positive environmental identities and who are environmentally-friendly, was effective in achieving its purpose. As a result of the present study, according to the findings obtained from the quantitative and qualitative data, it was determined that there were significant and positive changes in the environmental identities and environment-friendly behaviors of the teacher candidates.