The purpose of this study is to evaluate eighth grade students&rsquo / environmental literacy (knowledge, attitude, sensitivity and concern) level and to assess effects of socio-demographic variables (gender, parents&rsquo / educational level, parents&rsquo / work status and source of information about environmental knowledge) on their environmental literacy level. A total of 437 (212 girls and 225 boys) eight grade public school students are administered Environmental Literacy Test which includes four parts / knowledge (20 items), attitude (10 items), sensitivity (19 items), concern (12 items). Descriptive analysis showed that students have positive attitude and high degrees of concern and sensitivity toward environment / however they have low to moderate levels of environmental knowledge. In order to evaluate the role of socio-demographic variables on students&rsquo / environmental literacy level, six separate one-way MANOVAs were conducted. The results revealed that / a) there is significant effect of gender on students&rsquo / environmental literacy regarding to concern, in favor of girls, b) there is a significant effect of parents&rsquo / educational level on students&rsquo / environmental literacy / c) there is a significant effect of mothers&rsquo / work status on students&rsquo / environmental literacy and d) there is not a significant effect of source of information about environment on students&rsquo / environmental literacy.

Based on the importance of implementing effective environmental education has been asserted to a sustainable solution to the environmental problems, this study aimed to (1) investigate the pre-service science teachers&rsquo / processes of construction of explanations regarding environmental problems, and (2) provide an environment for researchers to understand the dispositions of participants in terms of how using environmental explanations for answering the questions. The research has been realized within the context of an elective course titled &ldquo / Laboratory applications in environmental education&rdquo / in the Department of Elementary Education throughout 2008-2009 Spring semesters. The 21 pre-service science teachers attended the course and participated the environmental learning activities including five different environmental problems / biological diversity, surface waters, drinking water, waste water and air pollution with in a small group. Field trip activities, group discussions and whole class discussions were conducted through the course. Data were collected through audio and video recorders from one small group and through pre, post-tests. Analyses of data revealed that pre-service science teachers could not aware of the complex and multidisciplinary nature of environmental knowledge, so they mostly interpreted environmental problems through the everyday knowledge that they derived from everyday experiences. Through peer collaboration in fields and student-facilitator collaboration in discussions weeks, the pre-service science teachers have a chance to analyze different perspectives and ideologies about the causes and solutions of environmental problems. The pre-tests and post-test results revealed that in the field-based collaborative inquiry activities the participants&rsquo / nature of explanations shifted from descriptive to formal and scientific explanations.

This thesis aimed to assess attitudes of primary school students toward environment by four dimensions / awareness of environmental problems, awareness of individual responsibility general awareness of solutions and awareness of national environmental problems according to gender, grade level, student parents&rsquo / education level and student parents&rsquo / occupation. Data was obtained by the application of Environmental Attitude Questionnaire (EAQ) during 2009-2010 semesters. The sample of the study is comprised of 817 students from seven public schools in Bodrum. Data were analyzed by using frequency distributions, one-way ANOVA, independent sample t-test, Pearson product-moment correlation (zero order). Findings revealed that, there is a statistically significant effect of grade level, gender, mothers&rsquo / and fathers&rsquo / education level on students&rsquo / attitudes. Moreover, frequency distributions of the student responses indicated that students were aware of general and national environmental problems and individual responsibilities but they were mostly undecided about the effects of industrialization on the environment. Besides, they were not aware of the role of science and technology for finding solutions for environmental problems. Another important finding regarding to local circumstances was that, students living in Bodrum are not aware of the local environmental problems, such as the reasons for sea pollution. It is concluded as a result that, environmental education attempts shall be proceeded in accordance with the local conditions as well as national and global issues and the curriculum should lead students to make relations between life styles and environmental problems.

The interest on environmental education increases with the increasing environmental problems of today&rsquo / s worlds. This thesis has been conducted as a country wide study to investigate levels, components and predictors of environmental literacy of primary school science and technology teachers, since teachers are the fundamental actors of environmental education. The study is comprised of environmental literacy level determination as well as the investigation of the relationships between the components of environmental literacy and the factors (environmental interest, importance of environmental problems, self assessment on environmental knowledge, outdoor activity choices, age, income, gender, experience, importance perception of environmental education, education level, residential difference, environmental knowledge source, and having an environmental related course) affecting environmental literacy. The sample of the study was selected from 34 provinces of 12 subregions of Turkey. A total of 1182 science and technology teachers answered the Environment Literacy Questionnaire including four components (knowledge, attitude, use, and concern) of environmental literacy. Besides descriptive analysis, zero order correlation, MANOVA, and Canonical correlation analyses were conducted to obtain the results. Descriptive analysis revealed that 77 % of the science and technology teachers have adequate level of environmental knowledge, have positive attitudes, high degrees of responsibility and concern toward environment. Further analyses indicated that all environmental literacy components correlated with each others with different correlation strengths. Moreover environmental interest, importance of environmental problems, self assessment on environmental knowledge, outdoor activity choices, age, income, gender, experience, importance perception of environmental education are found to have significant effects on environmental literacy of the participants but no significant effect was observed for education level, residential difference, environmental knowledge source, and having an environmental related course on environmental literacy.

Thesis (MEd(Curriculum and instructional design and development))--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.

<p> This thesis explores the question: can an ecocritical approach to environmental virtue ethics (EVE) in undergraduate climate change education inform students' understanding of the ethical issues of climate change and promote environmental responsibility and action? Philosophical theories of virtue ethics will be discussed from an historical perspective as well as to its renewal in the 20^th century, especially within the context of the wicked dimensions of the climate change crisis. Dominant themes in climate change ethics including concerns over the scientific complexity, global dimensions, temporal issues, intergenerational fairness and responsibility, justice, and human rights will be presented and used to devise a compendium of climate change virtues and vices. Environmental and climate change education research will be reviewed as well as the reasons for its failure to produce a substantial shift in attitudes and behavior of people especially in the global North will be deliberated. Ecocriticism, which studies the relationship between literature and visual and audial art will be explored, and a novel curriculum based on theoretical elements from climate change virtue ethics and supported with examples of the ecocritical arts will be proposed. It is my belief that an interdisciplinary framework supported and illustrated by climate change ecocriticism from any and all of the literary, visual, audial, and performance arts will create deeper understandings of climate change complexity.</p>

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 194-202).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Murdoch University, 2003. / Thesis submitted to the Division of Arts. Bibliography: p. 456-492.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Miami University, Dept. of Educational Leadership, 2009. / Title from second page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 107-115).

Thesis (M.Ed.(Curriculum and Instructional Design and Development))-Universiteit van Pretoria, 2007. / Abstract in English. Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.