Investigation of pre-school teachers' competencies on environmental literacy

This research was conducted to examine the environmental literacy competencies of preschool teachers. The research was applied using mixed method with preschool teachers working in Artvin province and its districts in the 2021-2022 academic years. Among the mixed methods, explanatory sequential pattern was preferred. It is aimed to determine the qualifications of preschool teachers on environmental literacy. In the quantitative part of the study, 106 preschool teachers working in Artvin were included in the sample. In the qualitative part, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a total of 15 preschool teachers. In order to obtain the data, a questionnaire consisting of 3 parts was used: the scale of affective tendencies towards the environment, the scale of environmental behavior and the personal information form prepared by the researcher. The data obtained in this study were analyzed with the SPSS 22 program. The application data were first subjected to descriptive statistics and then to inferential statistics. Since the application results showed normal distribution, independent samples t-test was used for two-category variables and one-way ANOVA test was used for variables with more than two categories. In line with the main problem of the research, it was determined that the general average of the results of the affective tendencies of the preschool teachers towards the environment was 3,95; In addition, it was determined that the lowest given opinion was 1,75 and the highest stated opinion was 4,63. It was determined that the general average of the answers given by the preschool teachers to the environmental behavior scale was 3,50, the lowest opinion was 1,78 and the highest stated opinion was 4,69.