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Makale Özeti:
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This study examined the similarities and differences among 171 Grade 7-12 science teachers
from three different countries (54 U.S, 63 Bolivian, and 54 Turkish) with respect to
their attitudes toward environmental education (EE) and instructional practices. The instrument
employed explored how teachers‘ knowledge, instructional practices, decisionmaking
process, and cultural features influenced their EE attitudes and praxis. The instrument,
which was translated into Spanish and Turkish and then back into English, contained
a personal data form that included demographic questions and a three-part questionnaire.
Based on the analysis completed, significant differences were found between these three
countries with respect to 1) teacher‘s knowledge about global environmental issues, 2)
teachers rationales for including environmental education in their science classroom instruction,
and 3) while there were no significant differences in the importance of religion in
the teachers lives, there were significant differences in the extent to which teachers reported
religion influencing instructional decisions. In addition, there were differences regarding
the resources that teachers reported drawing on as they included EE in their classrooms.
There were no significant differences found when comparing the three countries with respect
to extent to which each country reported including technological and/or environmental
problems in science classroom instruction. Finally, generally there was agreement regarding
teachers‘ goals and objectives in science classrooms with respect to EE and the
most important global environmental problems/threats.
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