A comparison of primary and secondary school programmes in Finland and Türkiye in terms of environmental education

This study aims to compare primary and secondary school programmes in Finland and Türkiye in terms of environmental education. In this context; which topics related to the environment the Finnish education system deals with, how environmental issues are handled in the Finnish education system, environmental education practices in Finland and environmental education practices in social studies courses in Türkiye were compared. In the research, document analysis was conducted by using documentary scanning method, one of the scanning methods. Document analysis was utilised in data collection. The study group of the research also constituted the data collection tools. Document analysis method, one of the qualitative data analysis methods, was used to analyse the research data. According to the results of the research; environmental education in Finland and Türkiye shows some differences in terms of the scope of curriculum, policy, and practice. In Finland, students achieve the objectives such as getting to know nature, improving sensitivity to environmental problems, protecting natural resources and raising awareness on sustainability issues through projects and activities in different courses. In Türkiye, a wide range of environmental issues are covered in primary and secondary school social studies curricula. The main topics include nature conservation, environmental pollution, waste management, renewable energy and sustainable development. These topics are taught to students progressively at different grade levels. In contrast to Finland's holistic approach, Türkiye is expected to emphasise environmental issues more. In both countries, raising environmental awareness and improving the ability to produce solutions to environmental problems are prioritised. Suggestions on curriculum development, policy and understanding, practices and outcomes are presented at the point of comparison of primary and secondary school environmental education in Finland and Türkiye. Furthermore, suggestions for educators, policy makers and researchers have been developed.