Investigation of digital stories prepared by preservice elementary teachers about environmental education

The aim of this research is to examine the digital stories prepared by preservice elementary teachers about environmental education. 36 preservice elementary teachers (13 males, 26 females) studying in the elementary education department of a university in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey participated in the research. In this research, embedded design was used one of the mixed method types. The quantitative data of the research were collected with the Multidimensional 21st Century Skills Scale, which was applied as pre- and post-test, and the scores given to the digital stories prepared by the preservice elementary teachers. During the implementation process, preservice elementary teachers were divided into six groups and prepared six digital stories on environmental education (GMO Foods and Fertilization in Agriculture, Recycling, Water Pollution, Soil Pollution, Behavioral Pollution, and Sustainable Development). The digital stories prepared by preservice elementary teachers were evaluated with the Digital Story Rubric. After the evaluations, feedback was given to the preservice elementary teachers. In line with the feedback given, preservice elementary teachers made the necessary adjustments to the digital stories they prepared. In the research, qualitative data were collected from the digital stories and opinion forms prepared by the preservice elementary teachers. Quantitative data were subjected to the Wilcoxon Conjugate-Pair test in the SPSS program, and qualitative data were subjected to content analysis. As a result, the 21st century skills of preservice elementary teachers have changed significantly in a positive direction. There was a difference in the average scores obtained from the digital stories prepared by the preservice elementary teachers before and after the feedback. As a result of the analysis of qualitative data, preservice elementary teachers' technological pedagogical content knowledge, cooperation and communication skills have improved. The results showed that preparing digital stories in the environmental education course was innovative and engaging for preservice elementary teachers.