Examination of science teacher candidates' climate change awareness and attitudes towards socio-scientific issues

In this study, science teacher candidates' awareness of climate change and their attitudes towards socioscientific issues were investigated. In the study, first of all, science teacher candidates' awareness of climate change, their understanding of the sub-dimensions of "effects of climate change", "personal and industrial initiatives in climate change and behavioral change tendency" were discussed. Descriptive scanning model was used in the study. The study group of this research consists of science students studying at the Department of Science Teaching at Fırat University, Faculty of Education, in the 2023-2024 academic year. "Awareness scale towards climate change" and "Attitude scale towards socioscientific issues" were used in the study. During the data analysis, it was determined that the data obtained showed a normal distribution and it was decided to perform descriptive statistics values, mean, standard deviation and percentage values, and parametric tests such as one-way ANOVA and t-test analyzes for independent samples. As a result of the study, it was determined that science teacher candidates' understanding of the effects of climate change was high. Science teacher candidates' awareness of climate change was found to be significant in favor of the 2nd grade and 3rd grade teacher candidates over the 1st grade and 4th grade teacher candidates. No statistically significant difference was detected between female science teacher candidates and male science teacher candidates in their awareness of climate change in terms of gender. Additionally, it was determined that science teacher candidates' attitudes towards socio-scientific issues were high. A significant difference was detected between teacher candidates' attitudes towards socioscientific issues in terms of grade level. However, it was observed that teacher candidates' attitudes towards socioscientific issues did not vary according to gender.