Examining the attitudes of students towards the environment and their views on the forest program in schools with and without the forest program

The purpose of this research is to examine the attitudes of students studying in primary schools with and without the Forest Programme towards the environment and their views on the forest programme. A mixed-method design was adopted in the study, with the quantitative dimension based on a descriptive survey model and the qualitative dimension on a basic qualitative research design. The population of the study consisted of primary school students, and the sample was limited to 679 students selected from schools with and without the Forest Program. Quantitative data were collected through the "Environmental Attitude Scale for Primary School Students" developed by Demir (2016), while qualitative data were obtained through a semi-structured interview form. The quantitative findings indicated that students' environmental attitudes differed significantly according to gender, school location, parental education level, and preschool attendance status. Furthermore, students attending schools where the Forest Program was implemented had higher environmental attitude scores compared to those in schools without the program. The qualitative findings revealed that students developed awareness about the role of recycling in forest conservation, recognized different tree species, and understood the multifaceted benefits of forests for both living beings and the environment. Additionally, students in schools where the program was not implemented expressed demands for its inclusion in their own schools. The Forest Program was found to be effective in strengthening students' environmental attitudes, fostering positive behaviors toward nature, and raising environmental awareness. The results highlight that providing systematic and practice-oriented environmental education, particularly at the primary school level, makes significant contributions to the development of students' ecological consciousness