Dimensions Affecting Environmental Literacy, and Environmental Perceptions Influencing Science Literacy

Abstract

One of the main aims of this paper is to determine the dimensions (effects of family, teacher, student, and teaching) that influence the environmental literacy. Moreover, another purpose is to determine the effects of environmental perceptions (environmental awareness, environmental responsibility and environmental optimism) on science literacy. The sample consisted of 6.500 German students. The relational model, which is one of the quantitative research approaches, has been adopted in this study. The results show that ‘the dimension of the teacher’, one of the dimensions included in the model, has the most negatively effect on environmental literacy; but, the dimension of ‘effect of teaching’ has the positively effect on environmental literacy. In addition, it is obtained results that students of environmental awareness and optimism have a positive effect on the science literacy; but environmental responsibility has a negative effect on it. For this reason, while developing environment-related curriculums, it should be supported students to gain more responsible behaviors towards the environment. Enhancing the environmental responsibility of the students might contribute to both environmental literacy and science literacy.One of the main aims of this paper is to determine the dimensions (effects of family, teacher, student, and teaching) that influence the environmental literacy. Moreover, another purpose is to determine the effects of environmental perceptions (environmental awareness, environmental responsibility and environmental optimism) on science literacy. The sample consisted of 6.500 German students. The relational model, which is one of the quantitative research approaches, has been adopted in this study. The results show that ‘the dimension of the teacher’, one of the dimensions included in the model, has the most negatively effect on environmental literacy; but, the dimension of ‘effect of teaching’ has the positively effect on environmental literacy. In addition, it is obtained results that students of environmental awareness and optimism have a positive effect on the science literacy; but environmental responsibility has a negative effect on it. For this reason, while developing environment-related curriculums, it should be supported students to gain more responsible behaviors towards the environment. Enhancing the environmental responsibility of the students might contribute to both environmental literacy and science literacy.