This study investigated preservice science teachers’ (PSTs’, n=788) and preservice social studies teachers’ (PSSTs’, n=735) views about the goals of civic education and climate change. The current study is part of large-scale research project that investigated preservice teachers’ cognitive and affective orientations towards climate change. Data were analyzed to compare Turkish and Indonesian PSTs’ and PSSTs’ views of goals of civic education and climate change. The instrument included ten items about the aims of civic education and the fourteen items regarding pro-environmental behaviors. We used a Chi-square test to examine whether there was a significant difference between participants’ perceptions of the most important aims of civic education. An Independent sample t-test was used to analyze whether there was a significant difference between Turkish and Indonesian PSTs’ and PSSTs’ mean scale and subscales scores for the pro-environmental scale. Results indicated that preservice teachers’ views of goals of civic education and pro-environmental behaviors related to climate change mainly differed based on their countries and cultures rather than their content areas. Although Turkish and Indonesian preservice teachers’ (PST and PSST) pro-environmental behavior scores differed significantly, all scores for each group were below average, indicating that participants from both countries exhibited limited pro-environmental behaviors necessary to mitigate climate change. This study highlights the importance of cultural contexts in shaping teachers’ beliefs about citizenship education. In other words, civic education is not a one-size-fits-all concept but rather deeply embedded in the cultural fabric of each country.

Authors:
Mehmet Açıkalın, Istanbul University, Türkiye
Funda Savaşcı-Açıkalın, Istanbul University, Turkey
Betül Alatlı, Balıkesir University, Turkey
Ebru Z. Muğaloğlu, Boğaziçi University, Turkey
Rita Inderawati, Universitas Sriwijaya, Palembang, Indonesia
Kathy Cabe Trundle, Utah State University, Logan, United States

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Mehmet Açıkalın is Professor in the Department of Social Studies Education at Istanbul University- Cerrahpaşa. His research interests are computer-supported instruction in social studies, global education and social studies teacher education.

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