Determination of education faculty students on self-efficacy beliefs about environmental education

This resarch investigated environmental education self-efficacy beliefs of social studies, elementary education and early childhood education pre-service teachers. It also examined whether their self-efficacy beliefs towards environmental education varied by their gender, field of study, family income and settlement type. The participants of the study were 193 pre-service teachers enrolled in social studies education, elementary education, and early childhood education teacher education program, Afyon Kocatepe University, in 2011-2012 school year. The data were collected using a paper-pencil approach in classroom. The data were analyzed using t-test and ANOVA when normality assumptions were met and Mann-Whitney U test or Kruskal-Wallis H test when the assumptions were not met. The analyses showed that, overall, environmental education preservice teachers' self-efficay beliefs ranged between 34 points and 75 points with a mean score of 50.50 points. Female preservice teachers had higher self-efficacy belief in academic competence and responsibility dimensions than male pre-service teachers. No gender differences were observed overall or in other dimensions. Elementary education pre-service teachers had higher self-efficacy belief overall and elemantyr education and early childhood educaiton teachers had higher beliefs in responsibility dimension than social studies teacher candidates. Environmental education self-efficacy beliefs of pre-service teachers were not varied by their family income or settlement type they lived before. Suggestions to improve pre-service teachers' self-efficacy beliefs towards environmental education were made.