Application and evaluation of ecological footprint as an environmental education tool towards sustainable life

In this thesis, education policies, education philosophies and their reflections on Biology curriculum development have been examined. Moreover, the present study aims at evaluating different Biology curricula with respect to their components and making a comparative analysis of these curricula since the beginning of Turkish Republic. Based on these objectives, this study sheds light on extracting the problems in curricula development and their applications and providing suggestions for solution. This study is based on six different Biology curricula ((1924 Tabiiyat Öğretim Programı, 1935 Tabiiat Öğretim Programı, 1957 Tabiat Bilgisi Öğretim Programı, Modern Biyoloji Programı, 1985 and 1998 Biyoloji Öğretim Programları) developed and utilized in Biology education in six different periods. In the first step, influential factors on the development and transformation of Biology curricula have been outlined. Then, the second step is about the evaluation of the Biology curricula with respect to their components. The third step analyzed the other important factors of the issued curriculum. Finally, a comparative analysis based on the components of the curricula has been made. While analyzing the curriculum, public and private documentations and information from the archives have been utilized and in the light of the previous literature measurement tools have been developed for the evaluation of each component of the curriculum. As a summary, it is argued that each period?s both domestic and foreign political, social and philosophical circumstances affect the contents and application of Biology curricula in important ways. Furthermore, evaluation of different Biology curricula with respect to their components provides support for the conclusion that, in comparison to other curricula, 1924 Tabiiyat Öğretim Programı, Modern Biyoloji Programı ve 1998 Biyoloji Öğretim Programı have been relatively more successful. By pointing out the forces that have shaped the Biology curriculum development in the past and providing an evaluation of the above mentioned six different curricula, the present study along with other similar studies is vital for understanding the present circumstances of Biology education and enhancing future standards in biology education.