To What Extent Do Curricula Support the Realization of Environmental Literacy in Turkey?

Abstract

The aim of environmental education is to transform learners into individuals with environmental literacy and active participants of environment related issues. Also the curricula aim to students’ acquisition of environmental literacy. The aim of this study is to determine to what extent the attainments of curricula from preschool to high school support to students’ acquisition of environmental education objectives. Reviewed curriculum documents were evaluated basically on attainments while adhered to levels of environmental education together with categories of awareness, knowledge, attitude, skill, participation which are sub-dimensions of environmental education objectives. Approximately half of the attainments of the reviewed curricula belong to the category of knowledge. “The ecological foundations” level is at the forefront in the curricula and levels of “the conceptual awareness” and “the investigation and evaluation” are supported slightly by the attainments of curriculum documents. However, it was determined that it is not possible to realize “the issue resolution” level in the curricula. The environmental education purposes of examined curriculum documents are inconsistent with especially the environmental education high-level goal attainments of curricula. If it is desired to train students who can respond to environmental issues in the behaviour dimension within the environmental literacy framework, initially, the contradictions between the protecting of present social order and dominant educational values approach of the education system and the education approach to the realization of the high-level goals of environmental education should be eliminated. Secondly, the attainments of awareness, skills and especially participation categories should be included in the curricula in a sufficient number and content, planned, and in a gradually way.