Examination of environmental knowledge and environmental education self-sufficiency levels of science teachers and science teacher candidates through various variables

In this research, it is aimed to examine the environmental knowledge and environmental education self-efficacy levels of Science teachers and prospective science teachers in terms of various variables. In this context, screening model was used. The universe of the study consisted of the science teachers who work in Iğdır province in the 2016-2017 academic year and the 3rd and 4th class studying in the Science Teaching Department of the Faculty of Education at Bayburt University. The sample of the study consisted of 110 science teachers and 110 science teacher candidates determined by easily accesible sampling from the universe. Environmental Information Test developed by Kışoğlu (2009) and Environmental Education Self-Efficacy Scale developed by Özlü (2012) were used as data collection tools. The data collected in the study were analyzed in SPSS 25 package program and it was determined that the data collection tools of the research did not show normal distribution. Therefore, non-parametric tests KruskalWallis H and Mann Whitney U tests were used in the study. As a result of the analysis conducted in the research; it was found that science teachers had moderate self-efficacy level, science teachers had high level, environmental knowledge score averages were higher than science teachers, and science teacher candidates were on average level. In terms of age variables, there was no significant difference between the pre-service teachers' environmental education self-efficacy levels, and the science teachers were significantly different from the teachers in the 40+ age group in the field knowledge and instructional strategies sub-dimensions. It has been identified. In addition, it was determined that environmental knowledge scores of science teachers and science teacher candidates did not show a significant difference in terms of age variable. In terms of gender variable, it was found that there was no significant difference in the environmental education self-efficacy levels of science teachers and science teacher candidates. While there is no significant difference in terms of environmental knowledge scores of the science variable among the science teachers, there is a significant difference in favor of male teachers in science teachers. It was found that the mean scores of environmental knowledge and environmental education self-efficacy scores of science teachers did not show a significant difference in terms of service year variable.