Özet:

This article explores views of pre-school teachers in Turkey regarding the importance of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). It also explores how pre-school teachers’ views on the importance of Education for Sustainable Development can be explained by their experiences with nature in childhood. The study sample consisted of 838 pre-school teachers currently teaching in the Ankara, Eskisehir, Istanbul, and Antalya provinces across Turkey. A scale developed in 2015 by Park, Kim and Yu called "Pre-School Teachers’ Views on the Importance of ESD" was utilized to collect data. In addition, demographic data were also collected. The study results revealed that the vast majority of teachers emphasized that ESD is necessary for the pre-school period and reported that the purposes of pre-school ESD were: raising awareness about SD and ESD, acquiring creative and holistic thinking skills in problem solving and decision making stages, and acquiring a sustainable lifestyle for SD. The teachers emphasized the inclusion of ESD into teacher training programs and preschool education curriculum as pillars of crucial importance for the launching of ESD practices in the pre-school period. The results also indicated that preschool teachers’ views on the importance of ESD varied according to their relationship with the environment in terms of childhood location and household type. In the light of the results, it is recommended that this study be the pioneer for future studies on the importance of ESD in both Turkey and the world, particularly with reference to experiences with nature.

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