Classroom teachers? opinions about science-technology-society-environment learning area?s benefits for environmental awareness

At 2004, with the renewal of primary education programs, primary education science curriculum was also renewed, and its name was changed to Science and Technology. Science?Technology?Society?Environment learning area is available in the renewed Science and Technology course teaching program and is an important learning area with learning standard regarding environment. Since there is not a separate course on environment in primary education programs, and issues regarding environment take part in Science?Technology?Society?Environment learning area, this learning area?s contribution to improving environmental awareness seems to be important. This study aims to investigate classroom teachers? opinions about the impact of Science?Technology?Society and Environment learning area on students? environmental awareness.Research was conducted at ten primary education schools affiliated to Kayseri province Melikgazi Country National Education Management, during spring semester of 2009-2010 academic year. Data were collected with a qualitative approach, within the scope of descriptive model. For the purpose of maximum variety, 30 classroom teachers from socio-economically lower, middle and higher primary schools participated to the research. Semi-structured interviews were used for the primary data collection method. Data were analyzed descriptively.Results of the study showed that teachers give importance to environment, however they do not recognize Science?Technology?Society?Environment learning area?s role in creating environmental awareness. Teachers generally define environmental awareness as environmental hygiene. While mentioning environmental awareness, teachers from all of the socio-economical levels of schools have emphasized trash separation. Teachers have generally evaluated Science?Technology?Society?Environment learning area?s appearance in 2004 curriculum of teaching Science and Technology course positively. Teachers, who find this learning area?s standards generally sufficient for bringing environmental awareness, have indicated that they?ve encountered problems during classroom application. In regard with the content, teachers from lower socio-economic level schools have indicated that context was too extensive, whereas while some of the teachers from middle and higher socio-economic level schools have indicated that it context was superficial; some of them indicated that the duration was insufficient. Teachers have indicated that the contents were not convenient for the near environment and this affected the application process in a negative way. During the application of the activities, it has been determined that, especially the teachers from higher socio-economic level schools do not follow the curriculum. Teachers who work in higher socio-economic level schools emphasized project and performance tasks, while teachers who work in lower and middle socio-economic schools have indicated that they generally do the evaluations via oral and written exams. Problems which teachers encounter in Science?Technology?Society?Environment learning area have emerged as lack of tools, insufficient application facilities, insufficient time, parents? indifference, laboratory deficiencies and organization problems about trips. It has been determined that there are similar problems in all socio-economic levels of schools. Nevertheless, differing social environment have revealed that there are differences in problems? content too.Keywords: Science and Technology, environmental awareness, Science?Technology?Society?Environment, classroom teacher