The evaluation of the level of environmental awareness of high school 10th grade students

This study was held to evaluate the level of environmental awareness of high school 10th grade students. Backgrounds of attitude, awareness and behavior of environmental awareness among high school were examined. The effect of social and cultural environment of students and biology cirriculum to the level of environmental awareness have investigated. The aim of the study is to designate the effective factors in the creation of the level of environmental awareness and its deficiencies.In this research, as its aimed to evaluate the difference of environmental awareness levels of students who are educated in high schools at different districts in Ankara province. Mamak and Çankaya districts were chosen, these districts were comperatively examined. The reason of the choosing Mamak and Çankaya districts arose from the social and cultural discrepancies of these districts.The universe of study is the 10th grade students from Ankara region. The sample of study was constituded from the Gülveren High school selected from secondary schools in Mamak district of Ankara province and 80 10th grada students from the Kurtuluş High school selected from secondary schools in Çankaya district of Ankara province.The study not only established the effects of Biology course cirriculum, which was structured through the year 2007, but also established the occurence of the level of environmental awareness.In the research, attitude scale, which measures attitude, awareness and behavior that take part in the occurence of environmental awareness in students, was applied and applied schools were determined with the metod of simple, impartial sampling. Attitude scale was synchronously applied to 10th grade students when environmental issues that take part in biology course cirriculum were handled in both group. T- test and variance analysis were used in the study and data were evaluated .In the study, ıt is found that the socio- economic environment of students in secondary schools and environmental units handled in biology course curriculum are effective in occurence of environmental awareness of all students. In this sence, in the not-developed urbanization regions,the conclusion is found that educational background of parents and guidances of environmental education issues of teachers are effective in the occurence of environmental awareness.At the end of the research, these recommendations have been made: it should be found out that biology course programs which were come into force in 2007 are comprehended well by teachers and application metods are determined according to the subjects. Teachers should be ornamented with necessary knowledge and skill about environmental issues told in biology course curriculum. School directors and teachers should be informed about studies made for environment and also they should orient students. Society works about environment and environmental activities followed by theachers and provide participation of students are necessary. It is thought that this kind of studies increases the environmental awareness of secondary level students. The processing of environmental issues should be practical together with theoretic.