Evaluation of primary and secondary grade students ' attitudes towards the environment

In this study, some parameters (gender, grade, grade level, course notes, the level parents 'of education) aimed to determine, depending on primary and secondary grade the students' attitudes towards the environment. For this purpose, "Environmental Attitude Scale" which is composed of "Environmental Behavior Sub-Scale" and "Environmental Thought Lower Scale" is used. At the end of the study, it has been concluded that there are positive effect of the environment on the average score of students' environmental behavior ( = 44.31), student?s of the environmental thinking is the average score ( = 55.56) and student?s of the environmental attitudes is average score ( = 99.86) were found to be positive in terms of thought. According to grade level assessment, environmental thinking average scores were found to favor of 10th, 11th and 12th grades and environmental behavior scores were found to favor of 4th, 5the and 6th grades. Student?s environmental attitudes were found to against to 7th, 8th and 9th grades. The results showed that the environmental thinking was increased with grade level, but the environmental behavior showed decreased with grade level.In the results of the evaluation according to the levels; environmental behavior and environmental attitude scores showed a significant difference in favor of the 1st level and environmental thinking scores showed a significant difference in favor of the 3rd level and this is corresponding with the results of the evaluation carried out by grade level provided showing the consistency.As a result of the evaluation according to gender, female students' environmental behavior, attitude and think in scores were higher than men. There is no significant difference between the scores of the behavior; however important difference was found between the scores of thinking and attitude statistically.Primary and secondary grade students? score averages for the environment in terms of thinking, behavior and attitude are examined and it is found that academic achievement is an important parameter on environmental attitudes. Both students with higher scores in science classes in primary education, and, students with higher scores in biology classes in secondary education were found to be higher in thinking, behavior and attitude towards the environment.There are no significant differences the assessment of mother education level the scores of the environmental behavior and attitude, but there are significant differences between the thinking scores. It has been detected that the education level of mother is university level for the students have the highest average scores in the behavior. It has been seen that thinking score averages were in favor of the students with the education of mother?s level of primary. As the mother educational level increases, the environmental attitude scale also increases and it shows that environmental attitude alters parallelly to the student mother educational level.Assessment of the father education level there is no significant differences between environmental behavior of the students. İt seen that there are significant differences between environmental attitude and thinking scores of the students whose father educational level is secondary school and high school only.Positive relationship between the parents' educational level and environmental attitudes were determined. Key Words: Environmental behavior, Environmental thinking, Environmental attitudes, Environmental education, Primary and secondary education