The purpose of the study is to quantitatively evaluate preservice teachers and biologist candidates knowledge levels about environmental and ecological concepts and their attitudes towards the environment in terms of different variables. The study was carried out with a sample of students in the departments of biology and elementary education at Abant İzzet Baysal University in the spring term of 2011-2012 academic year. The research group consisted of 133 females and 40 males, with a total of 173 participants. Data were collected by means of the Environment and Ecology Concept Knowledge Test and Attitude towards the Environment Scale used by Akbaş (2007). Statistical analysis of the collected data were performed using descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test and one-way ANOVA followed by Scheffe test for multiple group comparisons. The results of the study indicated that there were significant differences among the knowledge levels of the participants. The achievement between all groups in the concept knowledge test was found to be in favour of preservice elementary science teachers. Females also performed better at the concept knowledge test and showed that they have more positive attitudes towards the environment than males. It was also emerged from the study that according to the department variable, there were not significant differences between the attitudes of participants towards the environment.
Key words: Environmental education, environment and ecology knowledge, attitudes toward the environment, preservice teachers, biologist candidates.
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