Sustainability 2019 , 11, x doi: FOR PEER REVIEW www.mdpi.comjournal sustainability [628197]

Sustainability 2019 , 11, x; doi: FOR PEER REVIEW www.mdpi.com/journal/ sustainability
Article 1
Opinions of Preschool Teachers and Pre -service 2
Teachers on Environmental Education and 3
Environm ental Awareness for Sustainable 4
Development in the Preschool Period 5
Bengü Türkoğlu 1 6
1 Department of Pre -school Education, Ahmet Keleșoğlu Faculty of Education, Necmettin Erbakan University, 7
Konya 42090, Turkey; turkoglubengu@ gmail.com ; Tel.: +90 -332-323-8220 (ext.5631) 8
Received: date; Accep ted: date; Published: date 9
Abstract: This research is a qualitative study to determine the opinions of preschool teachers and 10
pre-service teachers on environmental education and environmental awareness for sustainable 11
development. The phenomenology approac h, which focuses on individuals’ own experiences and 12
the meaning of a phenomenon, was used in this direction. The study group of the research consisted 13
of 68 preschool teachers and 72 pre -service preschool teachers. In the study, a semi -structured 14
intervie w form consisting of open -ended questions was used as a data collection tool. The c ontent 15
analysis technique was used in the analysis of the data obtained from the interview form. According 16
to the research results, it can be said that pre -service teachers have more theoretical knowledge than 17
teachers, and teachers have more practical knowledge than pre -service teachers. This can be 18
explained by the fact that the knowledge that pre -service teachers obtain at the university is quite 19
new and they spend much mo re limited time with children within the scope of applied courses, and 20
teachers communicate much more with children every day, and they are more distant from 21
theoretical knowledge. Furthermore, it can be said that teachers and pre -service teachers are 22
sens itive towards environmental problems, interested in environmental education, willing and 23
open to development. 24
Keywords: sustainable development ; environmental education; environmental awareness; 25
preschool teacher; pre-service teacher ; lifelong learning; ed ucation; sustainability; development 26
27
1. Introduction 28
The concept of sustainability is one of the frequently used concepts nowadays. Although the 29
word “sustainability,” which comes from the Latin word “Sustinere” in its origins, is used in many 30
meanings in dictionaries, it is basically used with the meaning of maintaining, providing, sustaining, 31
supporting, and existing [1]. The concept of sustainability is defined as a participatory process that 32
ensures the prudent use of social, cultural, scientific, natural, and human resources of the society and 33
that creates a social point of view on the basis of respecting this [2]. In its simplest terms, sustainability 34
is to protect natural resources and make the most effective use of them [3]. The term “sustainable 35
development,” which was first used in the mid -1970s, is defined as “the development that meets the 36
needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” 37
in the report prepared by the Brundtland Commission. The main purpose of the Br undtland 38
Commission, also known as the World Commission on Environmental and Development (WCED), 39
was to help guide the world nations towards sustainable development goals [4]. Sustainable 40
development consists of three components. These are th e environment, society, and economy. These 41
three areas are intertwined and cannot be considered separately. Environmental responsibility is the 42

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ability to use natural resources without disturbing the balance and integrity of ecosystems. 43
Environmental respo nsibility requires trying to protect the environment, reduce environmental 44
pollution and other negative effects on the environment, mitigate the effects of industrialization and 45
human activities, and ensure the sustainable use of resources. Social solidari ty refers to equal 46
opportunity and social cohesion that include the development of welfare, quality of life, and 47
sustainable human development for humans. Social solidarity aims to develop the education, health, 48
housing, and welfare of individuals and comm unities. Economic efficiency refers to the effectiveness 49
of economic and technological activities, encouraging investment and productivity, economic 50
growth, and economic output potential. It seeks ways to eliminate income poverty with economic 51
efficiency [4]. 52
Education may contribute to a new sustainable global development vision [5]; in other words, 53
high -quality education makes up the basis of sustainable development. As is explained in the 54
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), individuals should be sustainability change -makers to create 55
a more sustainable world [6,7] . Children are a common factor for all aspects of sustainable 56
development. Therefore, in order to have a positive impact on the future, children must acquire the 57
necessary skills from an early age. Sustainable development, which aims solely to support “the child 58
in its entirety” can ensure real development progress by simultaneou sly promoting and protecting 59
children’s emotional, social, physical and cognitive development and their basic life needs [8]. 60
Children have the right to develop, fully develop their potentials, and live in a sustainable world [9]. 61
To this end, children should have the knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes that will enable them 62
to contribute to sustainable development. Therefore, education is very important for achieving 63
sustainable development. Sustainable development and education policies are becoming more and 64
more compatible [6,10] . Nevertheless, not all kind of education supports sustainable development 65
[5]. Education for Sustainable Development -ESD means including the key sustainable development 66
issues (climate change, reducing the risk of disaster, biological diversity, reducing poverty, and 67
sustainable consumption) in teaching and learning. ESD gives every person th e opportunity to 68
acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values necessary to shape a sustainable future [6]. 69
Furthermore, Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) should adopt innovative, participatory 70
teaching and learning meth ods in order to reach and motivate all students for them to implement 71
their creative and critical thinking skills and actively lead the sustainable development process 72
[11,12] . As a result, Education for Sustainable Development promotes competences such as critical 73
thinking, imagining future scenarios, and cooperative decision making. Sustai nable development, 74
which states that both values can be protected and development can be realized, is one of the most 75
important tools for presenting the right to live to all humans in a healthy environment, which is one 76
of the fundamental rights defined by the United Nations [6]. 77
In recent years, environmental issues have become one of the most important issues on the world 78
agenda. Pollution problems, degradation of nature, economic efficiency and national security, global 79
warming, ozone depletion, loss of biodiversity have made hu manity realize environmental problems. 80
Therefore, it is very important to inform children about the environment from an early age in order 81
to protect the environment and raise awareness of environmental issues. In light of the studies they 82
conducted, Korho nen and Lappalainen [13] concluded that education plays a very important role in 83
raising environmental awareness. En vironmental awareness can be defined as emotional attitudes 84
towards the environment that direct students in an emotional and conceptual way to respect the 85
environment, worry about the environment, and behave more properly towards the environment 86
[14]. Environmental education is the process of recognizing values and clarifying concepts in order 87
to develop the skills and attitudes necessary to understand and evaluate the relationship between 88
human beings, their culture, and biophysical environment. Furthermore, environmental education is 89
a process that helps individuals, communities, and organizations to learn more about the 90
environment, develop their research skills, and make intelligent and informed decisions about how 91
to deal with it. Environmental education also requires practice in making decisions about 92
environmental quality issues and applying c odes of conduct [15]. Environmental education, which is 93
based on sustainability principles that focus on how people and n ature can coexist in productive 94

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harmony, is a process that enables individuals to discover environmental problems, participate in 95
solving these problems and act to improve the environment. In this way, individuals understand 96
environmental issues better and therefore develop their conscious and responsible decision -making 97
skills. Environmental education does not support a particular point of view; it even teaches 98
individuals how to discuss various aspects of a topic through critical thinking, develops their own 99
problem -solving and effective decision -making skills. Environmental education uses processes that 100
involve students in observation, measurement, classification, testing, and other data collection 101
techniques. These processes help students discuss, predic t, and interpret data on environmental 102
issues [16,17] . 103
The most important step in the attempt to define the term environmental education was taken 104
at the International Working Meeting on Environmental Education in the School Curriculum held by 105
the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources -IUCN in Nevada in 1970 106
[18]. UNESCO and UNEP later initiated the International Environmental Education Prog ram – IEEP 107
in 1975 to share knowledge, experience, and research, provide training of the personnel, develop 108
curricula and materials, and promote international cooperation in the field of environmental 109
education. The first international environmental educat ion conference was held in Belgrade in 1975. 110
The first Intergovernmental Conference on environmental education held by UNESCO in 111
cooperation with UNEP was held in Tbilisi two years after the Belgrade Charter [19]. In the Belgrade 112
Charter [20], the overall aim of environmental education was to produce environmental actions in 113
order to “develop all ecological relations , including the relations of humanity with nature and 114
people.” At the Tbilisi Conference [21], the purpose of environmental education is to (a) raise clear 115
awareness of economic, social, political and ecological dependence in urban and rural areas; (b) 116
provide everyone with oppor tunities to acquire the knowledge, values, attitudes, commitment, and 117
skills necessary to protect and improve the environment; and (c) that individuals, groups, and society 118
as a whole create new patterns of behavior towards the environment. The objectives of environmental 119
education at the Tbilisi Conference are as follows; (a) awareness: helping individuals and social 120
groups gain awareness and sensitivity towards the environment and environmental issues; (b) 121
knowledge: helping individuals and social groups gain a variety of experiences and develop a basic 122
understanding of the environment and environmental problems; (c) attitude: to help individuals and 123
social groups to create value judgments about the environment and to motivate active participation 124
in the i mprovement and protection of the environment; (d) skills: to help individuals and social 125
groups acquire skills to identify and solve environmental problems; (e) participation: to provide 126
individuals and social groups with the opportunity to participate act ively at all levels in works for 127
the solution of environmental problems. The guiding principles of environmental education 128
determined at the Tbilisi Conference are as follows: Environmental education should: (a) address the 129
environment in its entirety – natural and artificial, ecological, political, economic, technological, 130
social, legal, cultural, and aesthetical; (b) be a lifelong process that continues both in and out of school; 131
(c) be interdisciplinary; (d) emphasize active participation in the preventi on and resolution of 132
environmental problems; (e) examine important environmental issues in terms of the world, giving 133
due consideration to regional differences; (f) focus on current and future environmental situations; 134
(g) examine all development and growt h from an environmental perspective; (h) promote the value 135
and necessity of local, national and international cooperation in solving environmental problems. At 136
the UN Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, it was 137
understo od that education is a vital factor in developing people’s capacity to cope with the subjects 138
related to the environment and development in addition to promoting sustainable development [22]. 139
One of the most important documents that emerged after the 1992 Earth Summit was Chapter 36 of 140
Agenda 21. This document emphasizes the need to “rethink of and reorganize education as a medium 141
of knowledge, thinking patterns and values needed from preschool to university to build a 142
sustainable world” [23]. Since 1992, the field of environmental education has been greatly influenced 143
by the concept of sustainable development, and many educators argue that environmental education 144
should actually focus on achieving sustainable development goals. The World Summit on Sustainable 145
Development – WSSD organized in 2002 by the United Nations, a nd which is the most important 146

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summit held by then, was held in Johannesburg. At this summit, which is the first global conference 147
of the 21st century, the developments and practices after the 1992 World Summit were evaluated, 148
and strategies were determine d for Agenda 21 to be implemented more effectively [24]. With the 149
adoption of decision No. 57/254 that announced 2005 -2014 as the UN Decade of Education for 150
Sustainable Development – DESD in December 2002 by the United Nations General Assembly, the 151
theme of Education for Sustainable Development – ESD has gained international legitimacy and 152
attractiveness. At UNESCO’s World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development held in 153
Bonn in 2009, education was turned into a much more important mechanism to ensure more 154
sustainability in development. Those who parti cipated in the ESD World Co nference created an 155
action plan and defined concrete steps to support achieving the DESD targets [25]. Environmental 156
education emphasizes that knowledge, attitudes, and skills are related to the environment and that 157
the foundations of a sustainable environment can be esta blished through advanced education [26,27] . 158
The pioneer being Lucas [28], environmental researchers such as Fien [29], Fien [30], Gough [31], 159
Tilbury [32], Palmer [18] and Palmer and Neal [33], and organizations such as UNESCO [34] and 160
CDC [35] emphasized that environmental education must include the following three dimension s to 161
be regarded as meaningful education. 162
• EE as education about the environment 163
• EE as education in or through the environment 164
• EE as education for the environment 165
Environmental education means that an individual can interact with the environment, should 166
undertake the role of helping to learn about one’s own environment and finally, that the individual 167
can use the knowledge and skills that are necessary to protect or care for the environment. In their 168
study, Paredes -Chi and Viga -de Alva [36] present the importance of environmental education in the 169
curriculum as a key element that must be implemented since it is not sufficient for students to learn 170
only environmental problems, they should also know the reasons for and consequences of these 171
problems, and possible solutions on how they can help. 172
1.1. Significance and Aim of the Study 173
It is observed that the research in recent years is aimed at the knowledge and perceptions of 174
children and young people regarding the environment [37–44]. Again, research has shown that 175
environmental education ha s a positive effect on students’ greater interest in their environment [45– 176
47]. Therefore, environmental education should start from preschool age and continue during the 177
school years [48]. Hence, the perception and knowledge levels of teachers and pre -service teachers 178
with regard to the environment are critical because teachers play an important role in developing 179
children’s enviro nmental thoughts and environmental education. Improving and developing 180
environmental education can only be achieved through qualified teachers in terms of environmental 181
literacy [49,50] . The studies conducted show that teachers play an important role in developing 182
children’s thoughts about the environment and nature and in their environmental edu cation [45–47]. 183
Undoubtedly, pre -school teachers are the first people who communicate with children and teach 184
them new information after their family. As teachers raise environmental awareness among children 185
through their behaviors and thoughts, teachers should be environmentally conscious i ndividuals and 186
they should possess the knowledge and skills regarding how to teach this awareness and 187
environmental education to children. It is also very important that pre -service teachers are raised in 188
a qualified manner at the university, where they le arn the knowledge and skills on how to teach the 189
environmental consciousness and give environmental education to pre -school children. 190
Undoubtedly, we cannot expect pre -school teachers who do not have environmental awareness and 191
responsibility to be environ ment -friendly teachers. In this context, the opinions of pre -school teachers 192
and pre -service pre -school teachers, who are the teachers of the future, regarding environmental 193
awareness and environmental education gain importance because it is believed that the perceptions 194
and the level of knowledge of pre -school teachers and pre -service teachers regarding environmental 195
education will shape children’s perceptions and knowledge levels. As a result of the literature review, 196
no comparative study that examines th e opinions of pre -school teachers working in different cities in 197

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seven different geographical regions of Turkey and pre -service teachers studying at the Department 198
of Pre -Service Education has been found. The main aim of this study is to examine the opinio ns of 199
pre-school teachers and pre -service teachers regarding environmental education and environmental 200
awareness during the pre -school period. 201
The answers to the following questions were sought within the scope of the main aim of the 202
study: 203
1. What do you think about environmental education during the pre -school period? 204
2. What are the issues that should be taken into consideration in environmental education 205
practices to raise environmental awareness among children during the pre -school period? 206
2. Materials and Methods 207
2.1. Research Design 208
This study, which aims to determine the opinions of pre -school teachers and pre -service teachers 209
about environmental education, is a qualitative study. Qualitative research is a descriptive and 210
inductive method t hat aims to draw meaning from participants’ point of view, which helps to collect 211
and present data in detail with a holistic approach [51,52] . In this direction, the phenomenology 212
approach that focuses on individuals’ own experiences and their interpretation of a case [53] has been 213
used. In phenomenological studies, it is aimed to describe individuals’ experiences with regard t o a 214
specific phenomenon in -depth [53,54] . The phenomenon examined in this study is environmental 215
education a nd the experiences of pre -school teachers and pre -service teachers with regard to this 216
subject . 217
2.2. Study Group 218
The study group of the research consisted of 68 pre -school teachers and 72 pre -service pre -school 219
teachers. The criterion sampling method and maximum diversity sampling method, among purposeful 220
sampling methods, were used in the determination of the study group of the research. In the criterion 221
sampling method, the sample is composed of people, events, objects or situations with the qualificatio ns 222
identified in relation to the problem situation [55]. The main criterion determined in the selection of 223
teachers and pre -service teachers is that they are knowledgeable about environmental education 224
because, in this study, it was attempted to determine the general opinions and observations of pre – 225
school teachers and pre -service teachers who are knowledgeable about environmental education on 226
environmental education practices and the issues that should be taken into consideration. Another 227
method used in the selection of the study group is maximum diversity sampling. The purpose of 228
maximum diversity sampling is to create a relatively small sample and to refl ect the diversity of 229
individuals who may be a party to the problem studied in this sample to a maximum extent [52]. For 230
this purpose, the diversity was determined according to teachers’ age, level of education, professional 231
seniority, region, province, the settlement worked, type of institution, type of pre -school education 232
institution; pre -service teachers’ age, type of university, grade level, the region and city of the university 233
they studied. The demographic features of the teachers and pre -service teachers are shown in Table 1. 234
Table 1. Demographic Information on Teachers and Pre -service Teachers 235
Demographic Information on Teachers n f %
Gender Female
68 41 60
Male 27 40
Age 25-35
68 27 40
36-45 22 32
46-55 19 28
Education Status Bachelor’s degree
68 47 69
Master’s degree 21 31
Professional Seniority 1-5 years
68 12 18
6-10 years 18 27

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11-15 years 20 29
16-20 years 11 16
21 years and higher 7 10
The Region Worked Central Anatolia Region
68 14 21
Black Sea Region 9 13
Marmara Region 12 18
Aegean Region 9 13
Mediterranean Region 9 13
Eastern Anatolia Region 7 10
Southeastern Anatolia Region 8 12
The Province Worked Konya
68 7 10
Ankara 3 4
Kırșehir 2 3
Eskișehir 2 3
Samsun 5 8
Trabzon 4 6
İstanbul 6 9
Bursa 3 4
Çanakkale 3 4
İzmir 5 8
Aydın 4 6
Antalya 6 9
Mersin 3 4
Erzurum 4 6
Malatya 3 4
Adıyaman 5 8
Șanlıurfa 3 4
The Settlement Worked Provincial center
68 37 54
District center 23 34
Village 8 12
Type of Institution State School
68 42 62
Private School 26 38
Type of Pre -school Education Institution
Worked Independent pre -school
68 39 57
Pre-school class within a primary school 29 43
Means of Obtaining Information
regarding Environmental Education Learned during education life
68 47 69
Having attended a seminar 12 18
Having conducted research on the subject 9 13
Demographic Information on Pre -service Teachers n f %
Gender Female
72 49 68
Male 23 32
Age 19-21
72 33 46
22-24 36 50
25-27 3 4
Type State
72 41 57
Private 31 43
Grade Level of the University 3rd grade
72 29 40
4th grade 43 60
The Region of the University Studied Central Anatolia Region
72 16 22
Black Sea Region 12 17
Marmara Region 12 17

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Aegean Region 10 14
Mediterranean Region 9 12
Eastern Anatolia Region 6 8
Southeastern Anatolia Region 7 10
The Province of the University Studied Konya
72 8 11
Ankara 6 8
Kırșehir 2 3
Kastamonu 7 10
Ordu 5 7
İstanbul 8 11
Bursa 4 6
İzmir 10 14
Antalya 9 12
Muș 6 8
Gaziantep 7 10
Means of Obtaining Information
regarding Environmental Education Learned during education life
72 61 85
Having attended a seminar 8 11
Having conducted research on the subject 3 4
236
According to Table 1, it is observed that the majority of the pre -school teachers who participated 237
in the study consist of female (41 – 60%) teachers, in the age interval between 25 and 35 years old (27 – 238
40%), who have a bachelor’s degree (47 – 69%), a professiona l seniority of 11 -15 years (20 – 29%), who 239
work in the Central Anatolia Region (14 – 21%), Konya province (7 – 10%), provincial centre (37 – 54%), 240
at a state school (42 – 62%), in an independent pre -school (39 – 57%). As for the pre -service pre -school 241
teachers, it can be observed that the majority of them consist of female (49 – 68%) pre -service teachers, 242
in the age interval between 22 and 24 years old (36 – 50%), studying at a state university (41 – 57%), at 243
the fourth grade (43 – 60%), in the Central Anat olia Region (16 – 22%), and in Izmir (10 – 14%). 244
2.3. Data Collection Tools 245
The interview method was used to examine in depth the views of teachers and pre -service teachers 246
regarding the phenomenon in question. In order to prepare the semi -structured interview form, first, 247
the literature was reviewed, and four interview questions were prepared in addition to the personal 248
information of the participants. The purpose of using the semi -structured interview form is to influence 249
the flow of the interview with different sub -questions based on the flow of the interview and get 250
detailed an swers from the participants [52,56,57] . Indeed, the teachers and pre -service teachers who 251
gave more general answers during the interviews were asked to make more detailed explanations. In 252
order to determine the clarity of the questions in the interview form and whether the research served 253
its p urpose, opinions were taken from three domain experts. The questions were revised and made 254
serve the purpose in line with the suggestions of the domain experts. The interview form consisted of 255
two open -ended questions that did not direct the participants. Open -ended questions are questions that 256
allow participants to explain their thoughts, emotions, beliefs, and tendencies [58]. As a preliminary 257
trial of the interview form, two pre -school teachers and two pre -service pre -school teachers were 258
interviewed to check if the questions in the interview form were correctly understood by the 259
participants and whether the form was suitable for the purpose of the research once again. 260
2.4. Data Collection 261
Pre-school teachers and pre -service pre -school teachers who participated in the seminars or 262
workshops held by the researcher in different cities were informed about the subject and aim of the 263
study and interviews were conducted with the willing participants. Participation in the study was 264
based on the principle of volunteering. Each of the 68 teachers and 72 pre -service teachers who 265
volunteered was interviewed separately and face -to-face between 23 June 2018 and 18 May 2019. In 266

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order to prevent data loss, interviews were recorded by a voice recorder. Before the interviews, the 267
participants were informed that a reco rding device would be used, and it was emphasized that all 268
records could be listened to by themselves at the end of the interviews and the records could be partially 269
or completely erased upon their request in order to make the participants feel more comfor table. During 270
the interviews, the researcher certainly avoided directing the participants. The interviews with the 271
participants lasted approximately 30 – 40 minutes. 272
2.5. Data Analysi s 273
The content analysis technique among qualitative data analysis methods was used in the analysis 274
of the data obtained from the interview form. The main purpose of content analysis is to reach the 275
concepts and correlations that can explain the collected data [52]. All of the interviews conducted with 276
the teachers and pre -service teachers and recorded by a voice recorder were put in writing in the 277
computer environment and then analyzed. In the content analysis method used in qualitative research, 278
the data are analyzed in four stages. The first stage is the coding of data, the second stage is finding the 279
themes, the third stage is editing codes and themes, and the fourth stage is defining and interpreting 280
the findings [52]. The researcher and an independent researcher read the written data and formed the 281
codes based on important words and sentences. Considering the relationship between the codes, the 282
codes were categorized, and sub -themes were created. Then, the codes and sub -themes created by both 283
researchers were compared and finalized. The sub -themes were correlated to the sub -objectives of the 284
study and themes were created. T he themes determined were reviewed in detail based on the sub – 285
themes and codes. Furthermore, the frequency of the codes repeated under each sub -theme was 286
calculated and indicated in tables with frequency values. The findings were supported by direct 287
quotat ions in order to reflect the views of teachers clearly and fully. 288
2.6. Validity and Reliability of the Data Collection and Data Analysis Process 289
In order to ensure internal validity, first of all, codes were created and then codes were supported 290
with direct quotations. In the analysis, pre -school teachers were given code numbers as (T1, T2, T3…), 291
and pre -service pre -school teachers were coded as (PST1, PST2, PST3…). The findings were presented 292
with frequency values. The significance and completeness of the findings were continuously checked 293
by the researcher. The consistency of the codes forming the sub -themes was checked with each other 294
and with the other themes. The themes were explained by the induction method. In order to ensure the 295
external validity of the study, all the processes in the study such as the research model, study group, 296
data collection process, and data analysis were explained in detail. In order to increase the internal 297
reliability of the study, the data obtained from the interviews were coded separately by two different 298
researchers and the correspondence percentage between the coders was calculated. The inter -coder 299
reliability a nalysis formula developed by Miles and Huberman [51] was used for the inter -coder 300
reliability analysis of the researcher. Accordingly, the inter -coder reliability is calculated by the 301
following formula: Reliability = Consensus / (Consensus + Dissensus) × 100. The data obtained were 302
subjected to content analysis by two researchers, separate codes were created and then these codes were 303
compared. As a result of the comparison, consensus was reached in 68 codes, while 4 codes dissent ed. 304
When the formula was calculated, [Reliability = 68 / (68 + 4) × 100 = 94.4] the inter -coder reliability was 305
found to be approximately 94%. That the result of the reliability analysis was found to be above 70% is 306
deemed as reliable for the researcher [51]. In this context, it can be said that the reliability coefficient 307
between the coders is sufficient. In order to check the results of the study with other studies, the 308
necessary explanations were made in detail and clearly, an d the external reliability was achieved by 309
avoiding assumptions and prejudices. Furthermore, pilot interviews were conducted with two pre – 310
school teachers and two pre -service pre -school teachers in order to ensure the content validity of the 311
interview form. An unbiased approach was taken to determine the teachers and pre -service teachers 312
during the research process, the participants were given detailed information about the aim and content 313
of the study, and the ethical findings were taken into consideration by not using the real identity 314
information of the participants. 315

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3. Results 316
In this part of the study, the findings obtained during the research process were categorized 317
under two different themes. The sub -themes and codes on the themes were determined, and the 318
expressions of the participants were added to clarify the codes. 319
Table 2. General opinions of pre -school teachers and pre -service teachers on environmental education in the 320
pre-school period 321
Theme Sub-Theme Code f(1)* f(2)* General considerations regarding environmental education in the pre -school period The necessity of environmental
education To raise environment protection awareness 56 50
To teach the environmental rules 49 33
To raise sensitivity and responsibility towards the
environment 37 59
To become environment -friendly 22 9
Factors affecting environmental
education Teacher’s knowledge 51 43
Child’s interest 45 54
Teacher’s personality 38 39
Teaching materials 35 21
Number of students 29 33
Curriculum 17 4
Family support 15 8
The physical structure of the school/classroom 11 9
Financing 8 2
Administrative workload 5 0
Climate 2 0
Benefits of environmental
education for the child Love for nature 61 26
Social skills development 56 49
Development of motor skills 52 29
Permanent learning 48 51
Development of the sense of responsibility 41 64
Development of self -confidence 29 42
Problems encountered in
environmental education
practices Crowded classroom 54 56
Lack of knowledge of the teacher 43 41
Lack of materials 41 59
The indifference of the child 34 20
The indifference of the family 30 38
Inadequacy of in -service training 21 3
Inadequate support from the school administration 13 0
Source of the problems
encountered in environmental
education practices Administration 53 11
Parents 32 32
Teachers 44 48
Children 18 5
Suggestions for environmental
education practices Being a role model 62 66
Arranging field trips 55 47
Gamification of environmental issues 48 61
Reading books about the environment and nature 40 24
Organizing in -service training for teachers 37 5
Giving art training about nature 9 16
* 1=Teachers 2= Pre -service Teachers 322
323

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3.1. General Considerations regarding Environmental Education during the Pre -school Period 324
Six sub -themes were created as a result of the interviews held with the pre -school teachers and 325
pre-service teachers whose general opinions regarding environmental education in the pre -school 326
period were asked. These sub -themes are “the necessity of environmental education”, “factors 327
affecting environmental education”, “benefits of environmental education for the child”, “problems 328
encountered in environmental education practices”, “the source of the problems encountered in 329
environmental education practices ,” and “suggestions for environmental education practices”. 330
3.1.1. The n ecessity of environmental education 331
Pre-school teachers expressed that environmental education is necessary to “raise envi ronment 332
protection awareness”, “teach the environmental rules”, “raise sensitivity and responsibility towards 333
the environment”, and “become environment -friendly”; while pre -service pre -school teachers 334
expressed that environmental education is necessary to “raise sensitivity and responsibility towards 335
the environment”, “raise environment protection awareness”, “teach the environmental rules” and 336
“become environment -friendly”. 337
Examples of the answers indicating that environmental education is necessary to rai se 338
environment protection awareness are as follows: 339
“I think environmental education is quite important during the pre -school period because the sense of 340
environment protection may only be developed at a young age.” (T47) 341
“I believe that environmental educ ation given at the age of 4 -5 years supports children's environmental 342
protection instincts.” (PST11) 343
Examples of the answers indicating that environmental education is necessary to teach the 344
environmental rules are as follows: 345
“The environmental rules that are learned at an early age accompany the individual in adulthood, I believe 346
that the perception of the rules will not be established after adolescence.” (T21) 347
“We can teach children all the rules we must obey in relation to nature with environmental educ ation 348
during the pre -school period.” (PST56) 349
Examples of the answers indicating that environmental education is necessary to raise sensitivity 350
and responsibility towards the environment are as follows: 351
“Just like all subjects, environment responsibility mu st be taught to children at a young age with 352
environmental education.” (T7) 353
“I believe that environmental education is quite important to raise conscious individuals who are sensitive 354
to nature.” (PST34) 355
Examples of the answers indicating that environmenta l education is necessary to become 356
environment -friendly are as follows: 357
“I believe that the first step of environment -friendly adulthood is effective environmental education 358
learned in early childhood.” (T50) 359
“I believe that children who are given environm ental education are more conscious and environment – 360
friendly individuals regarding the environment.” (PST18) 361
3.1.2 . Factors affecting environmental education 362
Pre-school teachers expressed that the factors affecting environmental education are “the 363
teacher’s knowledge”, “child’s interest”, “teacher’s interest”, “teaching materials”, “number of 364
students”, “curriculum”, “family support”, “the physical structure of the school/classroom”, 365
“financing”, “administrative workload” and “climate”; while the pre -service pre-school teachers 366
expressed that these factors are “the child’s interest”, “teacher’s knowledge”, “teacher’s interest”, 367

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“number of students”, “teaching materials”, “the physical structure of the school/classroom”, “family 368
support”, “curriculum,” and “fi nancing”. 369
Examples of the answers indicating that the teacher’s knowledge is a factor affecting 370
environmental education are as follows: 371
“If the teacher does not have sufficient knowledge regarding environmental education, he/she naturally 372
remains incapable , but if he/she has previous knowledge, then he/she has the ability to fulfill the needs of 373
children.” (T61) 374
“I believe that it is quite important for the teacher to be knowledgeable and competent in terms of the 375
activities for environmental education.” (P ST5) 376
Examples of the answers indicating that the child’s interest is a factor affecting environmental 377
education are as follows: 378
“If the child is introduced to nature until he/she comes to a pre -school education institution, then his/her 379
interest and sense of curiosity are at a high level.” (T12) 380
“I believe that it is not quite possible to give effective environmental education if the child is not interested 381
in nature.” (PST47) 382
Examples of the answers indicating that the teacher’s personality is a factor aff ecting 383
environmental education are as follows: 384
“If the teacher has an environmentally sensitive and responsible character, this is definitely reflected on 385
the students.” (T29) 386
“The children raised by teachers who love nature and who have the responsibility and awareness of 387
protecting nature definitely have the same temperament, as well.” (PST69) 388
Examples of the answers indicating that teaching materials are a factor affecting environmental 389
education are as follows: 390
“It is almost impossible to create sensiti vity towards the environment in children who do not touch the 391
soil, sand, leaf, and stone.” (T43) 392
“Most schools do not possess materials such as microscopes, magnifying glass, but these materials are 393
quite effective in activating the sense of curiosity of children.” (PST24) 394
“The number of students in a classroom is a very important factor for the activities of getting acquainted 395
with nature. We generally have to give up this kind of activities if the number of students is high.” (T2) 396
“As the safety of child ren is the primary priority for teachers, the number of students in the classroom is 397
quite important for outdoor environmental education practices. It is impossible for a single teacher to control 398
many children in nature.” (PST29) 399
Examples of the answers i ndicating that the curriculum is a factor affecting environmental 400
education are as follows: 401
“The curriculum should include arrangements for children to become more intertwined with nature, I am 402
of the opinion that the curriculum is insufficient in terms of the achievements for environmental education.” 403
(T17) 404
“I believe that environmental education should be included in any dimension of the pre -school 405
curriculum.” (PST71) 406
Examples of the answers indicating that family support is a factor affecting environmental 407
education are as follows: 408
“Families are always worried that their children will be sick during outdoor activities. First of all, we need 409
to change this mentality. I find it hard to make parents understand that the indoor environment contains more 410
germs.” (T64) 411

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“Teachers definitely feel the need to get approval from parents when they will make outdoor activities as 412
they refrain from their reaction. I have witnessed this situation a lot in my teaching practices. It is a must that 413
awareness is ra ised among parents regarding nature.” (PST15) 414
Examples of the answers indicating that the physical structure of the school/classroom is a factor 415
affecting environmental education are as follows: 416
“It is very important that the school has a large garden for environmental education. In this way, children 417
closely witness the growth of flowers, seedlings, the lives of ants, insects, the air, the soil, in other words, the 418
life cycle.” (T24) 419
“Feeding a pet such as a bird in the classroom or growing various plants are classroom activities that can 420
be done within the scope of environmental education, but the important point here is that the classroom should 421
be large enough.” (PST25) 422
Examples of the answers indicating that financing is a factor affecting environmental education 423
are as follows: 424
“Sometimes the budget of our school falls short of covering the fee of the materials and equipment we will 425
use in environmental activities.” (T38) 426
“All arrangements for environmental education that must be performed in the school and the garden 427
actually bring about a certain financial load.” (PST60) 428
Examples of the answers indicating that administrative workload is a factor affecting 429
environmental education are as follows: 430
“The positive effect of organizing excursions on children is indisputable, but the permissions required 431
from top management to be able to take these excursions are really weary.” (T63) 432
Examples of the answers indicating that climate is a factor affecting environmental education 433
are as follows: 434
“Since our city and region have a cold climate, we find it difficult to organize outdoor activities.” (T5) 435
3.1.3 . Benefits of environmental education for the child 436
Pre-school teachers expressed their opinion regarding the benefits of environmental education 437
for the child as “the love for nature”, “social skills development”, “development of motor skills”, 438
“permanent learning”, “development of the sense of responsibility” and “development of self – 439
confidence”; while pre -service pre -school teachers expressed their opinion regard ing “development 440
of the sense of responsibility”, “permanent learning”, “social skills development”, “development of 441
self-confidence”, “development of motor skills” and “love for nature”. 442
Examples of the answers indicating that environmental education cont ributes to the love for 443
nature of children are as follows: 444
“We can easily place the love for nature in children’s heart since a young age thanks to environmental 445
education.” (T41) 446
“I think that children who receive environmental education at an early age w ill love and protect plants 447
and animals, and nature, in short, more.” (PST8) 448
Examples of the answers indicating that environmental education contributes to the social skills 449
development of children are as follows: 450
“I observe that children try to make commo n decisions without breaking each other’s heart, they are more 451
affectionate, more understanding, more compassionate and try to maintain their relationships in a healthy way 452
in the education activities I apply.” (T57) 453
“One of the teachers frequently arrange s activities in relation to environmental education at the school 454
where I go for teaching practices. I observe that these activities enable children who are intertwined with nature 455

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to develop their cooperating with peers, empathy and coping with aggressive ness skills in a much more positive 456
way.” (PST42) 457
Examples of the answers indicating that environmental education contributes to the motor skills 458
of children are as follows: 459
“The time spent in nature, activities held, and games played also support the phys ical development of 460
children.” (T10) 461
“Children love being outdoors most as they can move freely. They run, jump, crawl, roll over, and 462
consequently develop.” (PST49) 463
Examples of the answers indicating that environmental education contributes to the permane nt 464
learning of children are as follows: 465
“Children who learn in nature never forget the knowledge and skills as they learn through experience.” 466
(T68) 467
“We can teach children any new knowledge that we try to teach by using pages of activity worksheets in 468
a much easier and permanent way using natural materials outdoors.” (PST1) 469
Examples of the answers indicating that environmental education contributes to the 470
development of the sense of responsibility of children are as follows: 471
“The task of feeding an animal o r growing a plant develops the sense of responsibility of children much 472
more than we think.” (T45) 473
“Environmental education practices develop children’s skills of responsibility taking and fulfilling by 474
performing the given tasks on time.” (PST27) 475
Examples of the answers indicating that environmental education contributes to the 476
development of self -confidence of children are as follows: 477
“I closely witness the development of self -confidence of children who voluntarily participate in activities 478
in outdoor app lications and fulfill their responsibilities.” (T15) 479
“Children who properly perform their tasks in outdoor activities are more self -confident.” (PST64) 480
3.1.4 . Problems encountered in environmental education practices 481
Pre-school teachers indicated that the problems encountered in environmental education 482
practices are “crowded classroom”, “the lack of knowledge of the teacher”, “the lack of materials”, 483
“the indifference of the child”, “the indifference of the family”, “inadequacy of in -service training” 484
and “inadequate support of the school administration”; while pre -service pre -school teachers stated 485
“the lack of materials”, “crowded classroom”, “lack of knowledge of the teacher”, “indifference of 486
the family”, “indifference of the child” and “inadequacy of in -service training”. 487
Examples of the answers indicating that one of the problems encountered in environmental 488
education practices is crowded classroom are as follows: 489
“There are 28 children in my class, and I have a lot of difficulty in performing outdoor a ctivities, I even 490
always ask for the support of the mothers who are not employed.” (T27) 491
“When classes are crowded, it becomes quite difficult to control children; therefore, nature activities may 492
not be organized.” (PST17) 493
Examples of the answers indicati ng that one of the problems encountered in environmental 494
education practices is the lack of knowledge of the teacher are as follows: 495
“If the teacher did not receive any training for nature education or he/she is not interested in this subject, 496
different ac tivities about nature are never included in the daily flow.” (T53) 497

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“That the teacher has knowledge about different activities aimed at nature is quite important for 498
environmental education practices.” (PST13) 499
Examples of the answers indicating that one of the problems encountered in environmental 500
education practices is the lack of materials are as follows: 501
“The inadequacy or the lack of materials that can be used in activities within and outside the classroom 502
(magnifying glass, magnet, plant pots) sometimes makes it impossible to perform that activity.” (T9) 503
“Based on my observations, I can say that the inability to find a natural material such as a seed, a shell, 504
can prevent us from performing the activity.” (PST67) 505
Examples of the answers indicating that o ne of the problems encountered in environmental 506
education practices is the indifference of the child are as follows: 507
“Children who are not raised consciously towards nature in the family are so indifferent and unwilling 508
that we cannot draw them to the acti vity no matter what we do as teachers.” (T25) 509
“During practices, some children are quite indifferent towards nature activities and they do not want to 510
participate in activities, including games.” (PST53) 511
Examples of the answers indicating that one of the p roblems encountered in environmental 512
education practices is the indifference of the family are as follows: 513
“We request families to participate in nature education activities, but many parents do not participate in 514
them. When children whose parents do not a ttend the activity see the parents of other children, their motivation 515
drops.” (T49) 516
“Teachers who organize practices sometimes ask children to prepare an activity with their parents. 517
However, very few parents prepare this activity with their children and bring them back to school.” (PST45) 518
Examples of the answers indicating that one of the problems encountered in environmental 519
education practices is the inadequacy of in -service training are as follows: 520
“I can plan different activities as I have received en vironmental education at the university. It is quite 521
important to organize in -service training for teachers who have received this training neither at the university 522
nor after that. However, I have never come across such training.” (T20) 523
“My practice teach er has no knowledge of environmental education. As I have received training, I prepare 524
practice plans and share them with my practice teacher. I think the Ministry of National Education should 525
organize practical environmental education training for teacher s.” (PST31) 526
Examples of the answers indicating that one of the problems encountered in environmental 527
education practices is the inadequate support of the school administration are as follows: 528
“We wanted to create a space where children can grow vegetables and fruits in the school garden with my 529
colleagues and asked for the help of the school administration in this respect. Unfortunately, they answered 530
negatively based on the pretext of the lack of funds.” (T34) 531
3.1.5 . Source of the problems encountered in e nvironmental education practices 532
Pre-school teachers indicated that the source of the problems encountered in environmental 533
education practices is “administration”, “parents”, “teachers” and “children”; while pre -service pre – 534
school teachers indicated that the source of the problems is “teachers”, “parents”, “administration” 535
and “children”. 536
Examples of the answers indicating that the source of the problems encountered in 537
environmental education practices is administration are as follows: 538
“We want to plan nature excursions at my school frequently. But this is almost impossible. There are so 539
many administrative procedures that you decide not to organize any more excursions after the first one.” (T65) 540

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“In fact, the teachers at my practice school are quite wil ling, but the school administration refuses any 541
proposal from the teachers regarding nature education.” (PST33) 542
Examples of the answers indicating that the source of the problems encountered in 543
environmental education practices is parents are as follows: 544
“Most parents never pay the required attention to the family participation activities we organize within 545
the scope of environmental education.” (T36) 546
“What attracted my attention most during the practices was that the teachers definitely gave information 547
to parents before performing the activity outdoors. Some parents even refused to allow their children to 548
participate in outdoor activities on the grounds that they would become ill.” (PST3) 549
Examples of the answers indicating that the source of the problems e ncountered in 550
environmental education practices is teachers are as follows: 551
“Some of my colleagues have no knowledge about nature education at all. Actually, this is not what I find 552
strange, it is that they do not do anything to develop themselves.” (T22) 553
“None of the teachers at the school that I perform practices make any practice for environmental education. 554
The garden is used only for the purposes of playing in the park.” (PST61) 555
Examples of the answers indicating that the source of the problems encount ered in 556
environmental education practices is children are as follows: 557
“Some children do not want to participate in outdoor activities as they are afraid of insects in nature, even 558
flies.” (T3) 559
“During the practices, there were children who did not want to participate in nature activities at all and 560
whom the teachers could not convince.” (PST10) 561
3.1.6 . Suggestions for environmental education practices 562
With regard to environmental education practices, pre -school teachers made the suggestions of 563
“being a role model”, “arranging field trips”, “gamification of environmental issues”, “reading books 564
about the environment”, “organizing in -service training for teachers” and “giving art training about 565
nature”, while pre -service pre -school teachers made suggestions on “being a role model”, 566
“gamification of environmental issues”, “arranging field trips”, “reading books about the 567
environment”, “giving art training about nature” and “organizing in -service training for teachers”. 568
Examples of the suggestions regarding being a role model for environmental education practices 569
are as follows: 570
“In order to introduce the love, interest, and curiosity of nature to children, the teacher must first possess 571
these characteristics.” (T30) 572
“In order to raise the awareness of the environm ent among children, first, teachers must show that they 573
have the sense of the environment themselves.” (PST26) 574
Examples of the suggestions regarding arranging field trips for environmental education 575
practices are as follows: 576
“Children should be accompanied in field trips and enabled to make observations.” (T55) 577
“Field trips are perfect opportunities to instill a love for nature in children and give them information 578
about nature.” (PST58) 579
Examples of the suggestions regarding the gamification of environmenta l issues for 580
environmental education practices are as follows: 581
“Games should be frequently included in the reinforcement of nature and environmental issues, and 582
children should be encouraged to play them.” (T13) 583

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“Games are the most significant way that fac ilitates children’s learning by doing -experiencing in nature; 584
therefore, the information should be transferred to children through games.” (PST22) 585
Examples of the suggestions regarding reading books about nature and the environment for 586
environmental educat ion practices are as follows: 587
“Children should be made to discover their environment by arousing curiosity among children regarding 588
nature by reading books about the environment.” (T62) 589
“It should be ensured that children are interested and sensitive towar ds their nature and willing to 590
discover it by reading books on science and nature to them.” (PST9) 591
Examples of the suggestions regarding organizing in -service training for environmental 592
education practices are as follows: 593
“I believe that practical training should be organized for teachers who do not have sufficient knowledge 594
about environmental education.” (T19) 595
“In my practice school, I have observed that some teachers do not perform nature activities because they 596
do not have knowledge about environmental education. I believe that the Ministry should give nature education 597
during the seminar period for teachers.” (PST32) 598
Examples of the suggestions regarding giving art training about nature for environmental 599
education practices are as follows: 600
“Especially, n ow that waste materials and recycled materials are used as painting materials increases the 601
sensitivity towards nature.” (T31) 602
“Performing arts activities with the natural materials collected in nature trips increases the love and 603
interest of children for nature.” (PST30) 604
Table 3. Issues to be considered in environmental education practices in the pre -school period according to pre – 605
school teachers and pre -service teachers 606
Theme Sub-Theme Code f(1)* f(2)* Issues to be considered in environmental education practices in the pre -school
period Subjects to include within the
scope of environmental
education Environmental pollution 48 41
Recycling 36 52
Energy -saving 17 11
Creatures living in nature 14 5
Ways to protect nature 10 44
Activities that should be
performed within the scope of
environmental education Planting trees 56 26
Examining plants and animals 49 18
Organizing nature trips 42 68
Collecting garbage 33 57
Carrying out scientific experiments 28 45
Examining recyclable materials 16 3
Watching documentaries on the environment 7 9
Methods that should be used in
environmental education Experiment/Observation 52 41
Trips 49 51
Drama 36 59
Games 32 62
Story -telling 21 23
Music 19 27
Art 9 2
Materials that should be used in
environmental education Science materials 45 22
Natural materials 32 47
Books 27 30

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Technology -supported materials 19 33
The frequency at which
environmental education should
be applied Once a week 34 37
Twice a week 19 26
Once a month 11 9
Once every term 4 0
The time required for
environmental education 2 hours and more 31 39
Between 1 and 2 hours 21 33
Up to 1 hour 16 0
* 1=Teachers 2= Pre -service teachers 607
3.2. Issues to B e Considered in Environmental Education Practices in the Pre -School Period 608
Six sub -themes were created as a result of the interviews conducted with pre -school teachers 609
and pre -service pre -school teachers whose opinions were asked regarding the issues to be c onsidered 610
in pre -school period environmental education practices. These sub -themes are “the subjects to 611
include within the scope of environmental education”, “activities that should be performed within 612
the scope of environmental education”, “methods that s hould be used in environmental education”, 613
“materials that should be used in environmental education”, “the frequency at which environmental 614
education should be applied”, and “the time required for environmental education”. 615
3.2.1 . Subjects to include within the scope of environmental education 616
Pre-school teachers ranked the subjects to be included within the scope of environmental 617
practices as “environmental pollution”, “recycling”, “energy -saving”, “creatures living in nature”, 618
and “ways to protect na ture”, while pre -service pre -school teachers ranked them as “recycling”, 619
“ways to protect nature”, “environmental pollution”, “energy -saving” and “creatures living in 620
nature”. 621
Examples of the answers indicating that the subject of environmental pollution s hould be 622
included within the scope of environmental education are as follows: 623
“Pollution is the most important problem in the world. In this sense, we should give detailed information 624
to children about air pollution, water pollution and soil pollution that threaten our world.” (T16) 625
“Children must be definitely informed within the scope of environmental education as environmental 626
pollution causes harm to all living things directly or indirectly by damaging nature.” (PST52) 627
Examples of the answers indicating that the subject of recycling should be included within the 628
scope of environmental education are as follows: 629
“In order to prevent the unnecessary use of our resources, children should be taught the importance of 630
recycling from an early age.” (T66) 631
“Reducing the amount of waste by means of recycling can only be achieved by teaching children the 632
importance of recycling in the pre -school period.” (PST23) 633
Examples of the answers indicating that the subject of energy -saving should be included within 634
the scope of environmental education are as follows: 635
“We should teach children how we can use our energy resources efficiently without wasting them.” (T26) 636
“Energy consumption is increasing with each passing day, which poses a threat to future generations. 637
Therefore, we must teach children how to use energy in an efficient way.” (PST50) 638
Examples of the answers indicating that the subject of creatures living in nature should be 639
included within the scope of environmental education are as follows: 640
“We should make children understand that plants are alive just like animals and that all living things are 641
worthy of protection.” (T51) 642

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“We should inform children about endangered life forms and explain the importance of protecting our 643
environment and the living things ar ound us.” (PST35) 644
Examples of the answers indicating that the subject of the ways of protecting the environment 645
should be included within the scope of environmental education are as follows: 646
“We should explain children in detail what we should and should n ot do to protect nature both at home 647
and education institutions as of a young age.” (T46) 648
“We, adults, must be a role model for children with regard to what they can do to protect the environment.” 649
(PST65) 650
3.2.2 . Activities that should be performed within the scope of environmental education 651
Pre-school teachers indicated the activities that should be performed within the scope of 652
environmental education as “planting trees”, “examining plants and animals”, “organizing nature 653
trips”, “collecting garbage”, “ma king scientific experiments”, “examining recyclable materials” and 654
“watching documentaries on the environment”; while pre -service pre -school teachers expressed 655
those activities as “organizing nature trips”, “collecting garbage”, “carrying out scientific 656
experiments”, “planting trees”, “examining plants and animals”, “watching documentaries on the 657
environment”, and “examining recyclable materials”. 658
Examples of the answers indicating the activity of planting trees within the scope of 659
environmental education a re as follows: 660
“In the pre -school period, we must definitely have children plant a sapling and give them the responsibility 661
to look after saplings.” (T23) 662
“Children should be encouraged to plant trees with their families at home, and with their teachers an d 663
friends at school within the scope of nature activities.” (PST43) 664
Examples of the answers indicating that plants and animals should be examined within the 665
scope of environmental education are as follows: 666
“Children should be especially kept outdoors in ed ucation activities, and they should be encouraged to ask 667
questions by having them examine the plants around them.” (T4) 668
“We should give children the opportunity to examine the leaves and insects that they probably encounter 669
for the first time in nature.” ( PST48) 670
Examples of the answers indicating that nature trips should be organized within the scope of 671
environmental education are as follows: 672
“We should take children to zoos, nature centers, botanical gardens, parks. We should allow children to 673
observe plan ts and animals in this way.” (T32) 674
“We should plan trips that will allow children to visit the natural environments of living beings.” (PST51) 675
Examples of the answers indicating that garbage should be collected within the scope of 676
environmental education a re as follows: 677
“We should try to increase the awareness of children by organizing a garbage collection activity with them 678
at school, in the garden or a place visited in the outdoor trip.” (T28) 679
“Garbage collection activities can be organized frequently to attract the attention of children regarding 680
cleaning the environment.” (PST46) 681
Examples of the answers indicating that scientific experiments should be carried out within the 682
scope of environmental education are as follows: 683
“We should teach children to exa mine nature closely, carry out experiments and think about the 684
experiment results.” (T1) 685

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“We should help curious children, who search and question, access the information through interpreting 686
it as a result of experiments, and not through memorization.” (P ST14) 687
Examples of the answers indicating that recyclable materials should be examined within the 688
scope of environmental education are as follows: 689
“To protect our world, we need to raise children’s awareness of recycling. In this context, it is very 690
important that children learn about recyclable materials.” (T44) 691
“Children should know recyclable materials in order to stay away from disposable products.” (PST70) 692
Examples of the answers indicating that documentaries on the environment should be watched 693
within the scope of environmental education are as follows: 694
“Children should be made to watch documentaries on the natural life cycle and the subject should be 695
discussed by talking about it.” (T8) 696
“One of the most effective ways of raising environmental a wareness in the classroom is to make children 697
watch documentaries on the environment and nature.” (PST7) 698
3.2.3 . Methods that should be used in environmental education 699
Pre-school teachers indicated that the methods to be used within the scope of environment al 700
education should be “experiment/observation”, “trips”, “drama”, “games”, “storytelling”, “music” 701
and “art”; while pre -service pre -school teachers indicated them as “games”, “drama”, “trips”, 702
“experiment/observation”, “music”, “storytelling” and “art”. 703
Examples of the answers indicating that experiment/observation should be used as a method 704
within the scope of environmental education are as follows: 705
“It is effective that many situations such as the growth of a flower, germination of a germ, nutrition of 706
animals are taught through observation.” (T33) 707
“Children learn environmental activities through experiment in the best way.” (PST72) 708
Examples of the answers indicating that trips should be used as a method within the scope of 709
environmental education are as follows: 710
“Trips are the most effective method used in environmental education as they enable the child to integrate 711
with nature and know the environment he/she lives in better.” (T40) 712
“Trips are a method that enables children to learn by doing as they are in the form of practice.” (PST66) 713
Examples of the answers indicating that drama should be used as a method within the scope of 714
environmental education are as follows: 715
“Children can understand natural events in an organized environment better with the drama method.” 716
(T6) 717
“Children internalize the concepts of nature by making animations and learn more easily.” (PST19) 718
Examples of the answers indicating that games should be used as a method within the scope of 719
environmental education are as follows: 720
“I observe that children’s exploration of nature through games gives them extraordinarily effective 721
experiences.” (T42) 722
“If games are the way children experience life, they are undoubtedly the way to explore nature.” (PST63) 723
Examples of the answers indicating that s torytelling should be used as a method within the 724
scope of environmental education are as follows: 725
“The stories I read about animals, plants, environmental problems we have had affect children in a positive 726
way, and they do not forget what I have told, eve n a long time passes.” (T11) 727

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“Children love stories about nature; I observe that talking flowers and animals really excite them.” 728
(PST55) 729
Examples of the answers indicating that music should be used as a method within the scope of 730
environmental education are as follows: 731
“Performing nature activities with songs enables children to participate in activities with much more 732
pleasure.” (T48) 733
“Children are the happiest in outdoor nature activities when they dance freely with the music.” (PST57) 734
Examples of the a nswers indicating that art should be used as a method within the scope of 735
environmental education are as follows: 736
“Using natural materials found in nature in art activities creates a nice bond between children and the 737
environment.” (T14) 738
“Children look rea lly happy when they make paintings of nature on the grass.” (PST44) 739
3.2.4 . Materials that should be used in environmental education 740
Pre-school teachers ranked the materials that should be used within the scope of environmental 741
education as “science materials”, “natural materials”, “books” and “technology -supported 742
materials”, while pre -service pre -school teachers ranked them as “natural materials”, “technology – 743
supported materials”, “books” and “science materials”. 744
Examples of the answers indicating t hat science materials should be used as materials within the 745
scope of environmental education are as follows: 746
“Children should use materials such as binoculars, magnifiers, magnets, and microscopes when 747
examining nature.” (T54) 748
“It is much more convenient for children to use special materials such as magnifying glass to better explore 749
living things while exploring nature.” (PST68) 750
Examples of the answers indicating that natural materials should be used as materials within 751
the scope of environmental educatio n are as follows: 752
“Children should be left alone with nature to examine materials such as water, stones, leaves closely.” 753
(T37) 754
“We should definitely include natural materials that we can easily see and touch in nature in the 755
activities.” (PST20) 756
Examples of the answers indicating that books should be used as materials within the scope of 757
environmental education are as follows: 758
“I am of the opinion that colorful books with large pictures should be used in the pre -school period for 759
nature education as they a ttract the attention of children.” (T52) 760
“I think that books that are explained with pictures for nature education are quite beneficial and effective 761
for children.” (PST2) 762
Examples of the answers indicating that technology -supported materials should be use d as 763
materials within the scope of environmental education are as follows: 764
“Children enjoy computer animations about nature or animations that we watch on a smart board very 765
much, so we need to include these practices in classrooms.” (T39) 766
“Children like l earning with technological devices, so I believe this should be turned into an advantage for 767
them. Both smart boards and materials such as the computer and projection should be used frequently in the 768
classroom.” (PST16) 769

Sustainability 2019 , 11, x FOR PEER REVIEW 21 of 33
3.2.5 . The frequency at which enviro nmental education should be applied 770
Pre-school teachers indicated that the frequency of environmental education should be “once a 771
week”, “twice a week”, “once a month” and “once every term”; while pre -service pre -school teachers 772
indicated that it should be “once a week”, “twice a week” or “once a month”. 773
Examples of the answers suggesting that environmental education should be implemented once 774
a week are as follows: 775
“I believe that it is definitely necessary to plan a nature activity with children every wee k.” (T35) 776
“We should reunite children with nature at least once a week in order to instill a love for nature in them.” 777
(PST39) 778
Examples of the answers suggesting that environmental education should be implemented twice 779
a week are as follows: 780
“If we would l ike to instill a love for nature in children, we should especially plan outdoor activities once 781
in fifteen days.” (T67) 782
“Nature trips can be planned with children twice a week as parents are not very happy with their child’s 783
being outdoor with the worry th at he/she becomes ill.” (PST54) 784
Examples of the answers suggesting that environmental education should be implemented once 785
a month are as follows: 786
“I believe that environmental activities held outdoors or in the classroom once a month would be 787
sufficient.” (T59) 788
“Regular environmental activities held once a month are both enjoyable for children and they do not get 789
bored.” (PST37) 790
Examples of the answers suggesting that environmental education should be implemented once 791
every term are as follows: 792
“I believe that it is sufficient to plan one nature trip each term as the process of getting a permit for nature 793
trips is very frustrating.” (T46) 794
3.2.6 . The time required for environmental education 795
Pre-school teachers emphasized that the time required for environmental education should be 796
“2 hours and more”, “1 -2 hours” and “up to 1 hour”; while pre -service pre -school teachers pointed 797
out that it should be “2 hours and more” and “1 -2 hours”. 798
Examples of the answers suggesting that the time required for envi ronmental education is 2 799
hours and more are as follows: 800
“An activity that will have an impact on children should last for at least 2 hours.” (T60) 801
“In practices, I observed that long -term environmental activities make children happier; therefore, 802
activities should not be shorter than 2 hours.” (PST36) 803
Examples of the answers suggesting that the time required for environmental education is 1 -2 804
hours are as follows: 805
“Activity durations should be neither too long nor too short. The duration of the activity may vary between 806
1 and 2 hours depending on the subject of education.” (T56) 807
“I believe that 1 -2 hours is suitable as the duration of the activity for pre -school children.” (PST62) 808
Examples of the answers suggesting that the time required for environmental ed ucation is up to 809
1 hour are as follows: 810

Sustainability 2019 , 11, x FOR PEER REVIEW 22 of 33
“The duration of nature activities should not exceed 1 hour as the attention span of children is quite short.” 811
(T58) 812
“Based on my observations, I can say that 1 hour is the ideal duration for environmental education 813
practices.” (PST40) 814
4. Discussion 815
Answers given by teachers and pre -service teachers to the questions within the scope of this 816
study conducted to determine the opinions of preschool teachers and pre -service teachers on 817
environmental education and environme ntal awareness for sustainable development were presented 818
separately and discussed in the light of the literature. 819
Environmental education is a key to developing environmental literacy that can help empower 820
students in ensuring that they take pro -environme ntal decisions and take actions that will help to 821
ensure a sustainable future [59]. Especially in the preschool period, environmental education 822
positively affects children’s attitudes towards nature and increases children’s level of awareness [60– 823
63]. As a result of the interviews on environmental education in the preschool period, both preschool 824
teachers and pre -service teachers emphasized that environmental education is very useful and 825
necessary training for children. In their study, Beringer et al. [64] concluded that schools and 826
universities that play the role of educating the members of the society should take part in the 827
movement of sustainability more actively. Than [65] stated that teachers play a very important role 828
in det ermining the quality of education, especially in primary schools because children, who are 829
sensitive towards the environment and have positive attitudes, can only be educated by teachers with 830
these characteristics [66–68]. Therefore, providing environmental education at all education levels 831
starting from preschool education institutions and at universities where tea cher training is given is 832
important and necessary to improve the society’s view of nature. During the interviews, teachers and 833
pre-service teachers talked about various factors affecting environmental education, problems 834
encountered before or during educat ion, and made various recommendations for environmental 835
education. 836
Teachers and pre -service teachers stated that environmental education is necessary “to gain 837
environmental protection awareness,” “to teach environmental rules,” “to gain sensitivity and 838
responsibility towards the environment,” and “to be environmentally friendly.” Teachers and pre – 839
service teachers, who think that environmental education is necessary, believe that children who are 840
close to nature at a young age, who gain nature awareness and who participate in nature education 841
will also become young people who love, protect and have responsibility for everything in their 842
future lives. For this reason, it is very important to create a comfortable and convertible education 843
environment that will arouse curiosity in preschool children whose attention is difficult to attract, 844
where children can do research [69,70] . Teachers and pre -service teachers also stated that this 845
education would benefit to children with regard to the “love for nature,” “social skills development,” 846
“motor skills development,” “permanent learning,” “development of the sense of responsibility,” 847
and “development of self -confidence”. In their study, Bell and Dyment [71], Dyment [72], Zsóka et 848
al. [27] stated that outdoor learning improves the intellectual, physical, moral, and soci al aspects of 849
students more than indoor learning, increases students’ participation and creativity and also 850
contributes to their knowledge, skills, and attitudes towards the environment. Despite all the 851
difficulties encountered, there are studies that requ ire teachers to incorporate nature and 852
environmental studies into their curricula. In these studies, it was determined that the time spent in 853
nature improves the stress levels and creative skills of children [73,74] , positively affects their interest 854
in science both at the moment and in the future [75–78], contributes to the welfare and development 855
of children [79], increases environment al awareness [80,81] , supports motor development [82], 856
ensures gaining and maintaining abstract reasoning [83,84] , contributes to scientific knowledge, 857
scientific thinking process , and word development [82,85–88]. In their study, Hine, Pretty and Barton 858
[89] determined that the level of stress decreases, the mood improves, psychological wellbeing 859
increases, attention and concentration rise to hi gher levels as a result of the contact with nature. In 860
the study conducted, Jordan [90] revealed that being in natural environments makes emotional and 861

Sustainability 2019 , 11, x FOR PEER REVIEW 23 of 33
mental health components more effective. It is obvious that the healing power of nature provides 862
progress and development in many areas. 863
Teachers and pre -service teachers listed the factors affecting environmental education as “the 864
teacher’s knowledge,” “child’s interest,” “teacher’s interest,” “teaching materials,” “number of 865
students,” “curriculum,” “family support,” “the physical structure of the school/classroom,” 866
“financing,” “administrative workload,” and “climate”. The scarcity or abundance, adequacy or 867
insufficiency, effectiveness or ineffectiveness of these factors according to where they are applicable 868
affect environmental education positively or negatively. Especially the lack of knowledge of the 869
teacher and pre -service teacher regarding environmental education causes problems in 870
environmental education practices [91–93]. Therefore, comprehensive training focusing on education 871
for sustainable development needs to be included i n the teacher training program [94]. In their study, 872
Ayvacı, Devecioğlu, and Yiğit [95], Garbett [96] and Özbey [97] revealed that pre -service teachers do 873
not fee l self -sufficient in general both in terms of the level of knowledge in science and nature 874
activities and the level of planning and implementation. In contrast with these findings, Tuncer et al. 875
[50] found in their study that pre -service teachers with low environmental knowledge levels have 876
positive attitudes towards the environment and are highly concerned with environmental problems. 877
Again, in the same study, it was stated that teachers, who are knowledgeable about the environment, 878
will also raise students who are environmentally literate, have positive attitudes towards the 879
environment and who are worried about environmental problems. “Crowded classroom,” “lac k of 880
knowledge of the teacher,” “lack of materials,” “indifference of the child,” “indifference of the 881
family,” “inadequacy of in -service training,” and “inadequate support from the school 882
administration” are the most common problems faced by teachers and pre-service teachers in 883
environmental education practices. Teachers and pre -service teachers think that these problems are 884
caused by “administration,” “parents,” “teachers,” and “children.” Teachers and pre -service teachers 885
emphasized that the child and pa rent-related problems can be solved more easily, but administration 886
and teacher -based problems are relatively more resistant and difficult to overcome. The study 887
conducted by Sylva et al. [98] shows that the early home learning environment, i.e. parents and 888
families, significantly contributes to the sustainable development understanding of children. In his 889
study, Yusoff [99] explained the reason for the problem related to t he development of environmental 890
awareness as the lack of knowledge of the public regarding environmental problems and inadequate 891
education. The results of the study, such as inadequacy of in -service training on the subject of 892
environmental education, insuf ficient knowledge of the teacher, and the negative effects of the 893
family’s insensitivity towards the environment on the child, are consistent with the findings of this 894
study. Furthermore, in the study by Özbek [100] , the majority of the teachers stated that the number 895
of children in the classroom should be between 10 and 15 in order for science and nature activities to 896
achieve their purpose. In the studies carried out by Aslan, Zor and Cicim [101] , Çınar [102] , Kandır, 897
Özbey and İnal [103] , Kıldan and Pektaș [88], Özsırkıntı, Akay and Yılmaz -Bolat [104] , they 898
concluded that teachers face problems such as the lack of materials and equipment, insufficien t 899
knowledge, crowded classrooms, and negative attitudes and behaviors of parents and 900
administration. These results also support the findings of this study. 901
With regard to effective environmental education, teachers and pre -service teachers suggested 902
“being a role model,” “arranging environmental trips,” “gamification of environmental issues,” 903
“reading books about the environment,” “organizing in -service training for teachers,” and “giving 904
art training about nature.” Knowledge becomes much more permanent for children when they are 905
involved in environmental education, especially in entertaining ways. Children’s awareness of 906
ecological knowledge and environmental issues can be developed, making them more concerned 907
about the environment, so that they are easily motivated to engage in pro -environmental behaviors 908
[105,106] . Research shows that children play more in green areas, they give place to more creative 909
and non -structured games [71], therefore, they become individuals who are healthier, happier and 910
who get on better with others, have more knowledge and exp erience on plants and animals [107] . 911
Since it is determined that children who have frequently spent the time outdoors during childhood 912
have more positive attitudes towards environmental problems [81], it is important to create education 913

Sustainability 2019 , 11, x FOR PEER REVIEW 24 of 33
environments enriched by applied training enabling children to spend more time in nature [108,109] . 914
At this point, the importance of teachers’ having knowledge regarding activities for environmental 915
education comes to the forefront. In their study, Karaer and Kösterlioğlu [70] emphasized that the 916
knowledge of teachers is limi ted to their pre -service training, and therefore, they need in -service 917
training. 918
According to preschool teachers and pre -service teachers, in environmental education practices, 919
attention should be paid to the subjects to be included, the activities to be p erformed, the methods 920
and materials to be used, the frequency of application and the time to be allocated, because 921
environmental education is a whole that consists of these components. 922
According to teachers and pre -service teachers, children should have kn owledge about 923
“environmental pollution,” “recycling,” “energy -saving,” “creatures living in nature,” and “ways to 924
protect the environment” as a subject within the scope of environmental education because if future 925
generations do not have sufficient knowled ge and awareness regarding these issues and do what is 926
necessary, human beings will not be able to find a place to live for themselves soon. Wals [110] 927
explained the necessity of environmental education, which is a must for protecting nature, and stated 928
that subjects such as environmental degradation, environmental health, environmental pollution, 929
and espe cially the subjects of nature, biological diversity, and ecology, should be included in 930
education. According to teachers and pre -service teachers, entertaining and engaging activities such 931
as “planting trees,” “examining plants and animals,” “organizing na ture trips,” “collecting garbage” 932
and “carrying out scientific experiments,” “examining recyclable materials,” and “watching 933
documentaries on the environment” should be definitely included in education because, for adults, 934
childhood nature experiences form the basis of their interest and curiosity about learning more about 935
nature [111] . According to Robertson [112] , it is very important to provide children with place s to 936
play outside, such as a park, farm, or beach in shaping children’s environmental attitudes. 937
According to preschool teachers and pre -service teachers, the methods to be used within the 938
scope of environmental education are “experiment/observation,” “tri ps,” “drama,” “games”, “story – 939
telling,” “music,” and “art”, while the materials to be used are “science materials,” “natural 940
materials,” “books,” and “technology -supported materials.” While teachers preferred more 941
traditional methods and materials such as “experiment/observation” and “science materials” in terms 942
of the methods and materials to be used, pre -service teachers preferred to use methods such as 943
“games” and “drama,” and “natural materials” that motivate children more easily. In the study 944
conducted , Avcı [113] revealed that science activities are not given sufficient importance in preschool 945
education institutions, and pre school teachers do not have sufficient knowledge and skills regarding 946
the objectives of science education and the methods and techniques used. In the studies carried out 947
by Alabay [114], Karaer and Kösterlioğlu [70], Kıldan and Pektaș [88], Özbek [100] , and Sansar [115] , 948
it was determined that preschool teachers frequently used experimental and observation methods in 949
science and nature teaching, but they rarely included entertaining and enjoyable methods and 950
techniques such as field trips, drama, and games. According to the results of the study conducted by 951
Karaer and Kösterelioğlu [70], most of the teachers stated that they used common science teaching 952
materials, while some of them stated that they used animals, plants, and natural materials. Teachers 953
also identified themselves as inadequate in material development. The results of this research also 954
support the findings of the study in general. 955
In their study, Boca and Saraçlı [116] showed that stu dents who have received academic 956
education on the environment take part in activities related to the protection of the environment 957
(volunteer, warning, participation, recycling of materials), and they are more environmentally 958
friendly individuals. For this reason, using environmental education frequently within education 959
programs through practices will increase children’s love for and awareness of nature. The frequency 960
of applying environmental education varies as “once a week,” “twice a week,” or “once a m onth” 961
according to teachers and pre -service teachers. There are also teachers who replied as “once every 962
term.” The time that should be allocated to environmental education is “2 hours and more” or 963
“between 1 and 2 hours” according to teachers and pre -service teachers. Nevertheless, some teachers 964
think that “up to 1 hour” is sufficient. The fact that all of the teachers who responded as “once every 965

Sustainability 2019 , 11, x FOR PEER REVIEW 25 of 33
term” and “up to 1 hour” consist of the teachers with seniority of 16 years and above shows that 966
teachers who have more professional seniority need more positive motivation. In the study by Özbek 967
[100] , most of the teachers org anize science and nature activities for a duration of 0 -30 minutes at 968
least once a week. Teachers and pre -service teachers stated that children have higher environmental 969
awareness and have more positive views and attitudes towards the environment in classe s where 970
environmental education practices are used frequently and for longer periods. In addition, some 971
teachers and pre -service teachers stated that this situation is true for them. So it is necessary to 972
increase the educational studies aimed at gaining t he philosophy of lifelong learning in the society 973
[117] 974
5. Conclusions and Suggestions 975
5.1. Conclusions 976
The majority of preschool teachers who believe in the necessity of environmental education aim 977
“to raise awareness of environmental protection” am ong children, while pre -service preschool 978
teachers aim to “raise awareness and responsibility towards the environment” among children. 979
According to the majority of the teachers, environmental education benefits in that it instills the “love 980
for nature” to children, while according to the majority of pre -service teachers, in that it “brings the 981
sense of responsibility.” The main factor affecting environmental education is the “teacher’s 982
knowledge” according to the majority of teachers, while it is “the child ’s interest” according to the 983
majority of pre -service teachers. The most important problem encountered in environmental 984
education practices is “crowded classrooms” according to the majority of preschool teachers, while 985
it is “the lack of materials” accordi ng to pre -service teachers. Furthermore, most of the teachers said 986
that the source of problems is “administration,” while the majority of the pre -service teachers said 987
that they result from “teachers.” The majority of the teachers and pre -service teachers made 988
suggestions for “being a role model” for children in environmental education practices. 989
The most important subject that must be emphasized within the scope of environmental 990
education is “environmental pollution” according to the majority of teachers, and “recycling” 991
according to the majority of pre -service teachers; the indispensable, most important activity is 992
“planting trees” according to the majority of teachers”, and “organizing nature trips” according to 993
the majority of pre -service teachers. The m ethod to be used in environmental education practices is 994
“experiment/observation” according to the majority of teachers, and “games” according to the 995
majority of pre -service teachers; the materials to be used are “science materials” according to the 996
majority of teachers, and “natural materials” according to the majority of pre -service teachers. 997
According to the majority of preschool teachers and pre -service teachers, environmental education 998
practices should be organized “once a week” and the time to be allo cated for environmental 999
education is “2 hours and more”. 1000
In general, it can be said that pre -service teachers have more theoretical knowledge than 1001
teachers, and teachers have more practical knowledge than pre -service teachers. This can be 1002
explained by the fact that the knowledge that pre -service teachers gain in the “Environmental 1003
Education” course at the university is quite fresh and they spend much more limited time with 1004
children within the scope of applied courses, and that teachers communicate much more with 1005
children every day and they are more distant to theoretical knowledge. It can also be said that both 1006
teachers and pre -service teachers are sensitive towards environmental problems, interested in 1007
environmental education, willing and open to developmen t. Moreover, these results indicate that 1008
more efforts are needed to prepare pre -service teachers for their roles in environmental education. 1009
5.2. Suggestion s 1010
In order for the environmental education given in schools to achieve the determined goals and 1011
objectives, this education must be planned nationally. To this end, it can be suggested that a 1012
comprehensive and interdisciplinary curriculum should be prepared for environmental education as 1013

Sustainability 2019 , 11, x FOR PEER REVIEW 26 of 33
an independent activity and a course by the Ministry of National Education, from preschool to the 1014
end of high school, in a way that they complement each other. 1015
The subjects of environmental education implemented at school can be integrated with different 1016
subject areas in a creative and functional manner. At this point, teachers need to be informed about 1017
planning and implementation strategies. For this purpose, it may be suggested that teachers working 1018
in this field should be supported through in -service training. 1019
Partnerships can be developed between ministries, univers ities, and non -governmental 1020
organizations. Under the leadership of these institutions and organizations, national workshops and 1021
symposiums can be organized for educators to understand and internalize the process better. 1022
Information networks and web sites c an be established to facilitate information sharing on 1023
environmental education. 1024
More visual and written training materials can be prepared, and material support can be 1025
provided to inform and educate all segments of the society on environmental education. T hus, it can 1026
be ensured that training activities reach a wider audience. 1027
Collaborations can be developed within the framework of information sharing and project 1028
studies in local, regional, and international areas. 1029
In order for pre -service teachers to become more qualified educators on environmental 1030
education, new arrangements can be made by integrating environmental education programs for 1031
different education levels at universities in teacher training programs. 1032
Since theoretical courses are not sufficient to improve the attitudes of pre -service teachers 1033
towards the environment, pre -service teachers should be given more environmental education 1034
courses in undergraduate education. 1035
Environmental education given to teachers and pre -service teachers should be provided within 1036
a more interdisciplinary framework. 1037
Funding: This research received no external funding . 1038
Acknowledgments: The author wa nts to thank to Assist. Prof. Derya Çınar for her kind help . A part of this study 1039
was presented as a verbal presentation at the 5th International Conference on Lifelong Education and Leadership 1040
for All -ICLEL 2019 held in Baku, Azerbaijan on July 9 -11, 2019. 1041
Conflicts of Interest: The author declare s no conflict of interest . 1042
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