The effect of argumentation-based environmentaleducation on environmental literacy of sci̇ence teacher candidates

The cultivation of environmentally literate individuals among students is crucial in addressing the rapidly growing environmental issues. In this context, environmental education should be provided to students at every level of education, from elementary school to university. Due to the inadequacy of traditional teaching methods in today's world, there are numerous studies emphasizing the need for alternative approaches. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to educate students about environmental topics, such as environmental education, in a student-centered approach within an active learning environment to foster environmentally literate individuals. In line with this, the aim of this study is to determine the impact of environmental education provided through the argumentation method on the environmental literacy of prospective science teachers. The study sample consists of 55 first-year students enrolled in the Department of Science Education at Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University Faculty of Education. A quasi-experimental design, one of the quantitative research methods, was employed to assess the environmental literacy levels of the teacher candidates. The Environmental Literacy Scale, adapted into Turkish by Teksöz, ġahin, and Ertepınar (2010), was used as the data collection instrument. The obtained data were evaluated in terms of attitude, knowledge, usage, and interest sub-dimensions of environmental literacy. Data analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS 26 software. As a result of the study, it was found that the attitude, knowledge, usage, and interest levels of the experimental group, which received environmental education through the argumentation method, significantly differed from those of the control group, which received environmental education through traditional methods. This difference favored the experimental group. Consequently, it was determined that the use of the argumentation method in environmental education enhances the environmental literacy of teacher candidates.