Abstract:

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of environmental education based on transformational learning theory to sensitivity and attitudes towards environmental problems of elementary teacher candidates. Pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design was used in this study. The study group, consist of 47 teacher candidates who have been studying in two different classes at fourth grade inKastamonu University Faculty of Education, Elementary Teaching degree program in fall semester of 2015-2016 academic year. One of these classes was determined randomly as an experimental group (N=24) and the other as a control group (N=23). Lessons in the experimental group were processed based on the transformational learning theory. The traditional method was applied in the control group. The attitude scale towards environmental problems developed by Şama (2003) and sensitivity behavior scale to the environment developed by Çimen (2013) were used as data collection tools. For analyzing the data independent t-test was used and pearson correlation coefficient was calculated. At the end of the study, it was concluded that the experimental groups’ both attitude scale towards environmental problems and sensitivity behavior scale to the environment post-test scores were statistically significantly higher than the scores of control group. Besides, it was determined that a positive and significance relationship between the attitude scale and sensitivity scales’ post-test scores of the experimental group. According to these results, environmental education based on the transformational learning theory, it is said to be effective to development of environmentally conscious behavior and positive attitudes towards environmental problems

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