A comparison of selected elementary curricula in regard to an action based environmental curriculum for elementary schools in Turkey

Abstract

An action based curriculum aims to enhance the formation and development of the human personality by teaching ecological values, knowledge, attitudes, and skills with respect to environmental issues, their understanding, and commitment to be involved in environmental action. In this thesis, five curricula from selected various countries were analyzed, explored, and compared in order to investigate whether they contained certain objectives, environmental terminology and activities that lead students to take environmental action. Four curricula, Ontario, Canada; England, Britain; Turkey; and International Baccalaureate Primary Years programme (IBPYP), were analyzed and compared to the Environmental Education Curriculum for Middle School from the United Nations Environmental Programme in order to be able to determine best practices that encourage and teach environmental action. Educators from elementary education and officers from non-governmental environmental organizations were interviewed to determine their opinions on environmental education within Turkey and the basic elements of an action-based curriculum. Curriculum analysis results and the transcription of interviews were used to prepare recommendations for an action-based environmental curriculum that enables students to acquire environmental knowledge, skills and activities that would lead them to action in finding and implementing solutions to environmental problems.