Özet:

This study aimed to determine the relationship between critical thinking skills and biodiversity literacy of pre-service science teachers. As a research method, comparative causal and relational research models from descriptive approaches were used together. Data collection tools were the Critical Thinking Skills Scale (CTSS) developed by Yoldaş (2009) and the Biodiversity Literacy Scale (BLS) developed by Gürbüz, Derman and Çakmak (2013). The sample of the study consists of science teacher candidates who continue their education in five different education faculties in the Aegean region. In the study, it was found that there was a significant difference between the critical thinking skills of the pre-service science teachers according to gender, critical thinking skills significantly predicted biodiversity literacy, and knowledge of the concept of biodiversity was high in pre-service science teachers who had a high level of empathy, which is one of the sub-factors of critical thinking skills. As a result, it was understood that people with high critical thinking skills also have high levels of biodiversity literacy, or individuals with biodiversity literacy have high levels of critical thinking skills. As a suggestion for future studies, research can be expanded to include other regions instead of only the Aegean region, prospective teachers from other branches can be included in the study, and it can be conducted with teachers who graduated together with the prospective teachers.

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