Exploring secondary school students' mental models of "both the natural and artificial environment"

In this study, secondary school students' mental models about environment were examined. 146 students who study in the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade of a secondary school depending on the Ministry of Education in Aydın Province (2014–2015 Academic Year) participated in this survey. In the survey, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students' mental models about environment were scored by looking at their drawings about natural and artificial environment. For this scoring, 'Environmental Drawing Rubric' was used. 'Environmental Drawing Rubric' consisted of 4 factors including environmental concept (human, alive, inanimate, manmade). According to statistical analysis, students' mental models about environment was obtained by looking at how they use environmental factors in their drawings. When we examine these models, it was seen that some drawings used all of these environmental, factors or some of these factors. In some of the drawings, factors interact with each other. However, just few interactive drawings are explanatory and special. Key words: Secondary School, Natural Environment, Artificial Environment, Environmental Perception, Mental Model