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This study aims to investigate environmentally responsible and sustainable development of 56 pre-service teachers which relevant to framework of sustainable development goals. The qualitative data were collected and analyzed by summarizing general perspectives. The 9 concepts were found and reported. The ways to sustain environments and education students to reach sustainable development can be done by reduce, reuse, recycle; conserve water; save energy; sustainable transportation; grow trees and keep open areas green; waste management; support eco-friendly products; reduce carbon footprint; and conserve biodiversity. These frameworks and perspectives should be incorporated in education and classroom in action.

This article analyzes how three mathematics preservice teachers (PSTs) reasoned quantitatively and covariationally while making sense of the Earth's energy budget (EB)--a model of energy circulation within the Earth's climate system--and discusses how their quantitative and covariational reasonings influenced their understanding of climate change. The PSTs completed the EB task during an individual, task-based interview; the task explored two concepts that are key to understanding climate change: The Earth's EB and the link between carbon dioxide (CO[subscript 2]) pollution and global warming. The results showed that quantitative and covariational reasoning played an important role in shaping the PSTs' understanding of climate change, extending the usefulness of these theories from the mathematics education domain to the science education domain. More specifically, when these two types of reasoning supported the realizations of an EB with multiple equilibriums and an increase in global temperature as a response to increasing CO[subscript 2] levels, the PSTs could describe and model why CO[subscript 2] pollution causes global warming. Conversely, if their reasoning did not support those two realizations, then they develop misconceptions about the EB and global warming. The results suggest that strengthening quantitative and covariational reasoning in connection to climate change can prepare mathematics and science teachers to teach it.

The purpose of the current study is to qualitatively explore how Thai preservice biology teachers make decisions on, and informally reason about, an agriculture-based socioscientific issue (SSI). The SSI arises mainly as a controversy between two social classes, namely the agricultural and non-agricultural sectors, involving haze pollution. Participants comprised 45 fourth-year preservice biology teachers (11 males and 34 females) almost equally divided between the two sectors. They completed a written questionnaire asking for the level of their concern, their reasons for concern, and their positions regarding a solution to haze pollution -- that is, the banning of agricultural burning. Data were inductively analysed using an iterative process of coding and categorising. The results suggest that, while they shared the main concerns about health and the environment, the participants from different sectors tended to approach the issue differently. While this difference must be confirmed with a larger population, it supports the hypothesis that socio-professional identities play a role in the process of decision-making and reasoning regarding SSIs. It is recommended that the socio-professional identities of those engaging in SSIs should be explicitly considered in the context of SSI-based instruction.

Following the severe impact of capitalist industrialization on the environment, the EU has funded several projects in the context of the European Green Deal to pursue climate neutrality by 2050. Some of these projects attempt to achieve zero emissions through political participation, while others by committing EU citizens to adopt sustainable habits in terms of both practical behavior and economic choices. The GreenSCENT project, funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, aims to develop a Competence Framework compliant with the European Qualifications Framework and the European Green Deal. The present article documents the process of developing such a Competence Framework. Eight distinct research teams independently conducted a similar thorough literature review over an assigned topic (Climate Change; Clean Energy; Circular Economy; Green Building; Smart Mobility; From Farm to Fork; Biodiversity; Zero Pollution). The resulting documental corpora have then elicited to build the competence matrices and the corresponding European Qualification Framework levels. Once the information has been reorganized as a knowledge graph, the researchers discovered a large amount of novel interdomain connections, providing a more engaging way of interacting with the Competence Framework, and potentially apt to avoiding information overload issues while preserving the complexity, in line with the simplexity paradigm. The environmental education tools produced by this research could be useful in mitigating the repercussions of Capitalocene on the environment toward the adoption of more sustainable behaviors.

This study qualitatively explored the process of student environmental identity development (sEID) within the highly social and structured context of elementary school science. Social practice theory was used as the lens to distinguish the dimensions of sEID that were visible during a curriculum-based, in-school program focused on the issue of pollution. Student narratives, collected from small group interviews and reflective journals, were prioritized to capture the process of students in context identifying as "being "for" the environment." Data collected from 35 grade six students were qualitatively coded, a network diagram was used to visualize the relationships in the data, and a research vignette was constructed. Eight dimensions were recognized as contributing to sEID; the opportunity to be an environmental actor with peers, increased awareness of environmental threat, emotional responses, self-recognition for environmental action, perceived agency, changed behavior across social contexts, social recognition for identity actions, and personal meaning. While many of these dimensions have been directly or indirectly discussed in the research on adult environmentalists, shifting the emphasis from group membership to the individual student in context led to the addition of two dimensions--personal meaning and emotional responses. Recognizing the eight dimensions of sEID is an important contribution to the literature as students engaging in environmental action as a requirement of school is distinct from the existing research. Identifying the dimensions of sEID can support the intentional design of learning sequences that foster environmental identities in school and beyond.

Environmental injustice is often an intersection of economic, social, and environmental disparities. Addressing the inequities borne by communities overburdened with such disparities requires local learning opportunities. Exploring how and what participants learn during community education projects can help inform and improve practice, which was the focus of this study. This study reports on a larger community environmental education project involving participatory action research, which involved community residents in Chicago learning to monitor local air quality using low-cost air sensors. The experiences of 14 volunteer air monitors were collected using focus group interviews and analyzed using Braun and Clarke's (2006) approach to thematic analysis. Participant learning focused on new and existing skills related to science/technology, interpersonal communication, and local environment. Volunteers built skills in using low-cost air sensors, taught other community members about air monitoring and local air quality, and devised strategies for improving community air quality and health. This exploration of the experiences of community residents learning to use low-cost air monitors has three applications to community education practice related to addressing inequity: utilizing community members as educators, developing community capacity to engage with science, and normalizing equitable processes. The study's findings mark a contribution by the field of adult and community education to both Critical Science Agency and low-cost air monitoring literature, in addition to the Education for Sustainability literature by addressing the lack of focus on sustainability and equity by highlighting a community-based PAR project focused on developing local capacity of marginalized communities to address air quality issues.

The discovery of frog abnormalities by students on a school field trip in 1995 sparked hundreds of scientific studies in search of the cause of abnormality. This Socio-Scientific Issue has been used as an inquiry-based learning exercise for training in the practice of science, but it is also well-suited to teaching the nature of science. Our goal here is to provide an integrative resource for biology and environmental educators to integrate the nature of science into their course context. We introduce frog abnormalities in the context of a socio-scientific issue for teaching the nature of science, review the frog abnormality phenomenon, suggest appropriate educational methods for this SSI, and offer ideas for non-science educators to connect to the sciences.

Environmental awareness has become an urgent and indispensable necessity to protect the environment from risks and threats. Therefore, this study aimed to reveal the effectiveness of using cartoons in developing awareness of protecting the environment from pollution among students with learning disabilities. The study adopted the true experimental method by taking a simple random sample consisting of 33 students with learning disabilities in the elementary stage in the age group (9-12) years in Najran region in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The researchers prepared an attitude test, consisting of ten multiple-choice questions to measure the study sample's awareness of protecting the environment from pollution. The test was applied before and after the treatment on the control and experimental groups. Also, it was applied as a delayed test on the experimental group only. The results showed statistically significant differences in the post-test of awareness of environmental protection from pollution for the experimental group who studied using cartoons. In addition, there were no statistically significant differences between the post and delayed test of the scores of the experimental group on the environmental protection awareness test from pollution. The study recommended urging teachers of learning disabilities to use cartoons to deepen environmental knowledge among students with learning disabilities. Also, students with learning disabilities should be motivated to contribute and participate individually and collectively in protecting the environment, preserving its resources, and reducing potential environmental risks from environmentally unsound behaviors. Finally, the study suggests conducting more future studies examining the effectiveness of cartoons in developing different environmental education concepts.

Continuous professional development is critical for Extension staff, and many agriculture-focused Extension employees are tasked with outreach related to a wide variety of natural resource topics. The purpose of this study is to help prioritize trainings needed by Kansas Extension agents and specialists based on their current level of knowledge and interest in staying up to date on 18 different natural resource topics. Responses to a statewide survey were analyzed using the Borich model. Results indicate priority professional development needs related to soil health; effects of climate; invasive species, harmful algal blooms; and groundwater, surface water, and air quality.

This project seeks to foster students' critical thinking abilities through the incorporation of Design Thinking with STEAM-PjBL in a chemistry redox process. 41 grade 10 students from a high school in Rangkasbitung, Banten, Indonesia participated in this study. Learning was facilitated by using a variety of online platforms, including Edmodo, Google Jamboard, and Zoom Meetings. Interviews, observations, journal reflection procedures, and researcher notes were used to gather qualitative data. The five steps of Design Thinking: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test, were used to facilitate learning (Plattner, 2010). Critical thinking skills were assessed through the indicators of Framing The Problem, Solution Finding, Self-Regulation, and Reflection, developed by Ucson and Rizona (2018). Based on the categories of Information Search, Creative Interpretation and Reasoning, Reflection, and Self-Regulation, the results demonstrate the development of students' critical thinking abilities to the advanced level. Design Thinking provides a way to more easily and actively create project-based solutions in solving contextual problems related to redox reaction of water pollution in the Ciujung River due to the use of detergent waste. Understanding the relationship of chemical concepts to daily life challenges the application of this approach. To challenge students' learning and help them acquire 21st-century abilities, STEAM-PjBL may be integrated with Design Thinking.

To constitute awareness of climate change, hearing the solutions of students in their words and seeing visual products by creating experiences in schools is vital. This case study was limited to sequential implementations of climate change in the natural sciences teaching process in 5th grade. After an education process on using Pixton, 12 students transformed their learning into digital comics. This research aimed to reveal the problems created by students through digital stories about climate change, solutions they suggested for climate problems, and aesthetic subtleties they applied to express themselves. Digital comics created by students, researcher notes, observations, and students' view forms were used as data collection tools. Finally, vital solutions to problems such as global climate change, pollution, destruction of the natural environment, and extinction of living creatures were created by students during this case. Important solutions consisting of preventing global warming, making peace with nature, vital measures and efforts to protect the soil were suggested. Besides, interesting aesthetic subtleties such as storification, positioning of the characters, place preferences, expression of emotions, and time depiction were applied. Teachers can use comics to see students' tendencies, raise awareness, encourage them, and help them develop solutions for current socioscientific problems.

The objectives of this paper were to 1) study the learning model of the smart crematorium system, 2) create a learning manual on smart cremation management, and 3) promote the development of learning for undertakers to use the smart crematorium. This was mixed method research with qualitative research and action research as parts of the conduct of quantitative research. The samples were from informants that consisted of 10 monks, 5 community leaders, 5 academicians, 17 seminars, 30 participants, a total of 67 people, and content analysis according to the study issues. The research instruments consisted of 1) an interview form, 2) a focus group meeting, 3) an activity participation form, and 4) an activity assessment form. The data collection was as follows: 1) secondary sources, documents, books, journals, and research reports related to concepts, and theories, 2) workshops, 3) in-depth interviews, 4) specific group discussions, and 5) collecting data from measurement reports and analysis of dioxin/furans compounds to categorize the data and analyzed according to the study issues. The findings revealed that 1. A learning model for using a smart crematorium system for the undertakers: 1) filling the fielder with the reaper into the storage tank 2) turning on the air compressor to fill the tank 3) opening the valve to let air into the system 4) checking the wind pressure and 5) checking the air flowing through the system along the main pipes which would pass the Vimutti substances into the crematorium and smoke furnace room continued to for about 30 minutes continuously. 2. Operations of creating a learning manual on smart cremation management that contained details in the book: 1) the problem of pollution from cremation 2) the smart crematorium with new options 3) the benefits of using the smart crematorium. This would introduce the features of a new smart crematorium, how to use and the benefits of using a smart crematorium. 3. To promote and develop knowledge for undertakers to use smart crematoriums and Vimutti substance sprayers by organizing training to educate about dioxins and furans, organized training and demonstrating how to use the smart crematorium and the Vimutti substance sprayers. This was the development of a learning model to enhance the Buddhist way of temples and urban communities as a cremation model.

This study aimed at (i) identifying primary school students' attitudes toward environmental issues based on the perspectives of ecocentrism and anthropocentrism and (ii) inspecting students' attitudes (i.e., ecocentric and anthropocentric) toward environmental issues in relation to gender and grade level. Data were gathered from 40 students through the administration of an interview questionnaire along with pictures concerning questions in the questionnaire. Results demonstrated that most of the participants who held positive attitudes reflected anthropocentric attitudes toward water, paper, and electricity consumption, reusing, and playground preferences whereas ecocentric attitudes toward plants, bugs, and other animals. Besides, half and slightly more than half of the participants with positive attitudes expressed ecocentric attitudes toward residence preferences and environmental pollution, respectively while nearly half of the participants with positive attitudes expressed anthropocentric attitudes toward the mentioned issues. It was also found that with the exception of one environmental issue, participants' attitudes toward environmental issues were not significantly associated with their gender. Additionally, no relation was found between participants' environmental attitudes and their grade level.

Background/purpose: Technology education (TE) offers hands-on activities through a design process to be an environmentally-oriented subject. TE can be used to reduce littering, an environmental problem that also has health implications for modern-day society. This research study sought to explore the challenges that impede TE teachers in delivering lessons to raise students' awareness of littering through the application of the participatory paradigm. Materials/methods: TE teachers of Grade 8 students were selected using purposive sampling in this qualitative participatory action research (PAR) study. The use of PAR was chosen in order to develop relevant action research-based methods of intervention that can be implemented to address gaps in the literature. Chaos theory was used to ground the study. Interviews were used to generate data from the study participants, which were then analyzed using the content/textual analysis method. Results: The study identified issues, challenges, and obstacles that impede TE teachers from delivering lessons that raise students' awareness about littering. Lack of understanding environmental education and subject relevancy were found to be some of the major challenges facing TE teachers in conscientizing students about littering. Conclusion: The author concludes that TE teachers need to be equipped with environmental pedagogies through inservice training in order that they can incorporate littering issues into their lessons.

The perceptions of 20 preschool children about nature and nature pollution were investigated. Data were collected through interviews and by studying the children's drawings. The results show that most children perceived nature together with living things. The children expressed that nature was most polluted with garbage and that all living things would be harmed in case of nature pollution. Children emphasized behaviors toward a sustainable environment to protect and not spoil it. Teachers should provide children with opportunities for environmental education through real-life experiences in nature-friendly settings and include their families in these educational activities.

To promote a justice-oriented approach to science education, we formed a research-practice partnership between middle school science teachers, their students, curriculum designers, learning scientists, and experts in social justice to co-design and test an environmental justice unit for middle school instruction. We examine teacher perspectives on the challenges and possibilities of integrating social justice into their standards-aligned science teaching as they participate in co-design and teach the unit. The unit supports students to investigate racially disparate rates of asthma in their community by examining pollution maps and historical redlining maps. We analyze interviews and co-design artifacts from two teachers who participated in the co-design and taught the unit in their classrooms. Our findings point to the benefits of a shared pedagogical framework and an initial unit featuring local historical content to structure co-design. Findings also reveal that teachers can share similar goals for empowering students to use science knowledge for civic action while framing the local socio-political factors contributing to the injustice differently, due in part to different institutional supports and constraints. Student interviews and a pre/postassessment illustrate how the unit facilitated students' progress in connecting socio-political and science ideas to explain the impacts of particulate matter pollution and who is impacted most. Analyses illuminate how teachers' pedagogical choices may influence whether and how students discuss the impact of systemic racism in their explanations. The findings inform refinement of the unit and suggest supports needed for co-design partnerships focused on integrating social justice and science.

Social, political, and cultural complexities observed in environmental justice (EJ) communities require new forms of investigation, science teaching, and communication. Defined broadly, participatory approaches can challenge and change inequity and mistrust in science. Here, we describe Project Harvest and the partnership building and co-generation of knowledge alongside four EJ communities in Arizona. From 2017 to 2021, Project Harvest centered learning around these communities and the participant experience drove the data sharing practice. The framework of sense-making is used to analyze how community scientists (CS) are learning within the context of environmental pollution and (in)justice. The environmental health literacy (EHL) framework is applied to document the acquisition of skills that enable protective decision-making and the capacity of CS to move along the EHL continuum. Using data from surveys, focus groups, and semi-structured interviews, we are asking how did: (1) Personal connections and local relevancy fuel sense-making? (2) Data sharing make pollution visible and connect to historical knowledge to either reinforce or modify their existing mental map around pollution? and (3) The co-creation process build data literacy and a relationship science? Results indicate that due to the program framing, CS personally connected with, and made sense of their data based on use and experience. CS synthesized and connected their pollution history and lived experiences with their data and evaluated contaminant transport. CS saw themselves as part of the process, are taking what they learned and the evidence they helped produce to adopt protective environmental health measures and are applying these skills to new contexts. Here, co-created science nurtured a new/renewed relationship with science. This science culture rooted in co-creation, fosters action, trust, and supports ongoing science engagement. The science learning that stems from co-created efforts can set the pace for social transformation and provide the foundation for structural change.

Universities worldwide have come to embrace the rhetoric of environmental sustainability and a commitment to climate action while simultaneously seeking to internationalize themselves within the context of the global economy. In seeking to internationalize, universities are highly dependent on air travel, for both their academic staff and students. Yet airplane flights are a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions and a driver of anthropogenic climate change. This article examines campaigns and individual efforts -- with particular attention to examples from Australia and New Zealand and the field of anthropology - to reduce flying among academics, including a greater reliance on teleconferencing, and explores strategies for drastically reducing student air travel. In that the internationalization of higher education has been occurring within the parameters of global capitalism, which functions as the overarching driver of climate change, this article proposes an eco-socialist alternative as a strategy for achieving social justice and environmental sustainability.

Oftentimes the increase in industrial development is the cause of environmental problems. Environmental problems can be overcome by the presence of humans who care about the environment or have environmental literacy skills. Environmental literacy skills can be instilled from an early age, for example through practicum learning in schools. However, considering that the Covid-19 pandemic is one of the obstacles in carrying out the practice, virtual laboratory-based online learning is carried out. This study was aimed to improve students' environmental literacy through virtual laboratory-based online learning that has been developed. This research is quasi experiment with pre-test and post-test research design Control Group Design. The total sample of the study was 70 students of class X of state senior high school. The research instrument used was in the form of test questions about environmental changes material and environmental literacy questionnaires. The results showed that the N-gain value of environmental literacy in the experimental class was 29% high, 60% moderate, 11.42% low with the percentage of attitudes 66.62% and 63.43% behavior. Meanwhile, for the control class, the N-gain value was 9% high, 48.57% moderate, 42.85% low and 68% attitude and 67% behavior. This shows that virtual laboratory-based online learning contributes to increasing environmental literacy skills.

The focus of this study was on the associations between air pollution, outdoor activities and symptoms of wheeze and rhinitis for pre-school children over Wuhan and surrounding cities. Air pollutants had downward trends over the study region from 2015 to 2020. Sulfur dioxide (SO[subscript 2]) content decreased significantly. Particulate matter was concentrated on the north side of the study area and nitrogen dioxide (NO[subscript 2]) was concentrated near Wuhan urban, while the distribution of ozone (O[subscript 3]) was relatively uniform. Odds Ratio (OR) showed that an increase in NO[subscript 2] was associated with a high incidence of rhinitis, with an OR of 1.043 (1.025, 1.062 95% confidence interval). Reduction of O[subscript 3] was associated with remissions of rhinitis symptoms in spring and autumn. The living environment is an important factor. Living near lakes was associated with the incidence of wheeze and living near roads was associated with the incidence of wheeze rhinitis, respectively. Additionally, appropriate outdoor activities showed association with a low incidence of wheeze and rhinitis symptoms in this region. This research improved our understanding of air pollution, outdoor activities and pre-school children's respiratory health. It was also a guide on the design of outdoor activities and outdoor courses for pre-school children during the process of urban construction.

Drawing, constructing, and explaining a model of a given abstract phenomenon is a challenging task. In this study, students were engaged in the "Project-Based Inquiry Science (PBIS)-Air Quality" learning unit, as part of their chemistry curriculum. The study aim is to determine how well students understand chemistry conceptually after completing the PBIS Air-Quality learning unit. Using their pre- and post-closed-ended questions as well as their post-drawing assignment, we developed a rubric to examine students' conceptual understanding as manifested in their drawings and examined if there is a correlation between their drawings and their pre- and post-questionnaire results. Research participants were 436 eighth-grade middle school students. The results suggest that state of matter and distance between molecules were conceptually understood better after learning the PBIS unit. We analyzed students' explanations and drawings based on the rubric and found a moderate positive correlation between students' post-scores in the questionnaires and their answer complexity level in the post drawing assignment. The research shows that students' conceptual understanding should be assessed through different assessment methods to gain a better evaluation of students' conceptual understanding. Even students who succeeded in the close-ended questions in the post-questionnaire had difficulties expressing their conceptual understanding through the drawing assignment. The rubric can help teachers and educators assess their students' conceptual models and can be used as an assessment tool to evaluate the progression of their chemistry understanding. Teaching with rubrics will improve the quality of assessment and facilitate teachers' development.

Metaphors are expressions that are frequently used in people's minds to explain concepts with other unrelated concepts and have a personal emphasis on learning. The purpose of this study is to determine and interpret the metaphorical perceptions of primary school pre-service teachers towards environmental pollution. The "phenomenology" research design was used in this study. The study group of this research consists of a total of 372 primary pre-service teachers. Data were collected using semi-structured forms to determine the metaphorical perceptions of primary school pre-service teachers. The pre-service teachers were asked to complete the sentence, "Environmental pollution is like... because....". At the conclusion of multiple comparisons, by the relation degree between environmental pollution and its metaphors, it was determined that significant difference was in favour of the 2nd year between the 2nd and 4th years and in favour of the 3rd year between the 3rd and 4th years. As a result of the research, it was discovered that the majority of the metaphors produced by the pre-service teachers were in the "human" and "harmful/dangerous/uncomfortable situations" categories. Furthermore, the study discovered that as the year level increased, the number of related metaphors about environmental pollution decreased.

Resuming in-person teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic implies that schools must deploy strategies to enforce adherence to the safety protocols to help contain and reduce the spread of the corona virus disease among school children. Thus, the current qualitative study adopted a case study design to explore strategies that were deployed to enforce adherence to the COVID-19 safety protocols among elementary school students. A semi-structured interview guide was used to gather data from 30 teachers enrolled in a one-year master's degree in Educational Leadership and Management program at a public university in Ghana. The study showed that strict and compulsory handwashing before entering the school was deployed to ensure adherence to handwashing safety protocol, provision of veronica buckets contributed to adherence to handwashing. Also, interventions that were deployed to enforce social distancing were spacing of desk, having mealtime in class, eating meals in turns, suspension of assembly and other social gatherings, split class for shift system. Additionally, schools ensured students wore nose masks by providing nose masks to students who could not afford.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of the analytical chemistry laboratory (ACL) course, designed, and conducted according to the flipped learning approach (FL) on prospective science teachers' (PSTs) meaningful understanding and interpretation of knowledge in the context of the environment. Seventy-three second grade PSTs participated in this action research, and the interventions lasted for 13 weeks. The ACL course was reorganized by replacing the traditional laboratory approach with the FL approach that established the context with the environment. The data were obtained through a conceptual understanding test (CUT) which was developed by the researchers, which consisted of five open-ended questions. The CUT was used as a pre-test and post-test along with an interview form. Results showed that the reorganization of the traditional laboratory course in accordance with the nature of action research and its integration with the FL approach had a positive effect on the prospective teachers' learning and opinions about the course. Furthermore, it was determined that PSTs' interpretation ability related to environmental problems in the chemical dimension improved significantly. However, despite this increase, it was concluded that they could not reach a sufficient level in terms of producing solutions to environmental problems. Considering that the effectiveness of FL practices both teaching subjects and environmental problems in ACL course, it is thought to be beneficial to use this approach in another laboratory course.

Citizen science has gained importance in recent years and revealed great potential, especially regarding science learning and environmental education. However, little is known about ways of supporting individual learning processes within citizen science. With this in mind, a home experiment set, the Nitrogen Box, was developed within a chemistry citizen science project on nitrogen pollution of water bodies. The aim of the box was primarily to deepen the subject matter and to sensitize the citizens to the topic. To gain deeper insights into the usability and added value of home experiments in a citizen science context, semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten citizens. Analysis of these interviews revealed that the nitrogen box contributed to a consolidation and deepening of knowledge of the nitrogen problem in Northwest Germany. Home experiment sets like Nitrogen Box can motivate and enable citizens to engage more deeply with the scientific topic in the future, to reflect on it and discuss it. We discuss how heterogeneity of the target group presents challenges for designing citizen science projects and provide recommendations for the future projects.

The Council of the European Union recalls that higher education plays a fundamental role in shaping the future of Europe. Therefore, curricula are required to take into account the competences demanded by the job market so that future workers can effectively undertake their professional activities and form part of an active, responsible, ecological, sustainable, and resilient society. Ocean i3 is a cross-border project with the aim of achieving sustainability in the oceans by training students to become environmentally concerned and responsible professionals. This study explores the perception of students and teachers regarding their participation in Ocean i3 and their understanding of employability. A qualitative methodological approach has been used, based on a case study in which semi-structured interviews have been carried out and the Elevator Pitch presentation technique has been applied. Nine students and four teachers from the University of the Basque Country and the University of Bordeaux have been interviewed. The results highlight the importance of the participants' first contact with the project, the need to be explicit regarding competences that favour employability during the development of the experience, and the need to increase and reinforce internships at social entities located in the territory. It is concluded that the project should focus more explicitly on the concept of employability to raise students' awareness of the impact that their current participation in Ocean i3 can have on their professional future and insertion in the workplace.

Social studies learning is expected to integrate environmental education, in accordance with the objectives of social studies learning to improve students' thinking skills, social problem solving skills and care for the environment In fact, social studies teachers were found to have not utilized the physical or social environment as a source of learning, despite various environmental pollutions have often occurred in Indonesia and resulted in global warming as an indication of climate change. This research was intended to 1) identify materials of environmental pollution around students as a source of social studies learning; 2) integrate environmental pollution materials in social studies learning to anticipate climate change; 3) determine the effectiveness of learning activities on the integration of environmental pollution materials to anticipate climate change. This research was classified as quantitative and qualitative research (Mix Method). Data were collected by means of interviews, observations, documentations and questionnaires. The results of the research showed that 1) materials of environmental pollution around students as a source of social studies learning consisted of water and air pollution that have an impact on global warming, thus resulting in climate change; 2) environmental pollution materials were integrated into social studies learning by reviewing core competencies and basic competencies as outlined in the lesson plan (RPP) and student worksheets (LKS) with a score of 83% (valid); 3) Learning activities on environmental pollution materials had been running more effectively, because of the integration of pollution cases in the surrounding environment to anticipate climate change. This was indicated by the significant difference in the results of the pretest and posttest tests of 0.025.

This study is a case study that investigates the perceptions of preschool children about the causes, consequences, and solutions to environmental problems. A total of 41 children participated in the study. The data were obtained by using the draw and explain the technique, which included 3 different drawings and telling the children about the causes, consequences, and solutions of environmental problems. In the analysis of the data, the content analysis method was used. As a result of the research, it was found that the preschool children's perceptions were limited; however, as the age group grows, it has been determined that the icons used in the pictures related to the causes, consequences, and solutions of the environmental problems vary. It was revealed that the children associate the causes and consequences of environmental problems with pollution and the ways of solving environmental problems with the prevention/elimination of this pollution. It has been observed that the number of children related to the destruction of nature and irresponsible consumption of natural resources with environmental problems is very limited. In order to improve children's perceptions of environmental problems, it is suggested that teachers and parents should give more space to activities and games related to the environment in daily flow.

The students' explaining skill is interrelated with their conceptual understanding. This study aimed to determine the effect of the implementation of the student facilitator and explaining model assisted by the media game on the students' explaining skills related to environmental pollution. This quasi-experimental research was using a pre-test post-test control group design. The population was 120 seventh graders of state junior high schools in West Java, Indonesia. The simple random sampling technique has resulted in two groups (control and experiment) samples, consisting of 32 students for each group. The data were analyzed using the paired sample t-test. This study found that the student facilitator and explaining model assisted by the media game can significantly improve students' explaining skills (p-value 0.001 < 0.05). The students in the experimental group had a better understanding of the concept of environmental pollution. This study concludes that the student facilitator and explaining model assisted by the media games can improve students' explaining skills and understanding of environmental pollution

This research aims to determine the environmental risk perceptions of preservice science teachers (PSTs) and compare their risk scores in relation to different variables. The research participant group consisted of PSTs (N = 205) from the Faculty of Education in the Department of Science Education at Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University in Turkey. The environmental risk perception scale (ERPS) was used as a data collection tool and the environmental risk perception interview form (ERPIF) was used during the interviews. A survey model was used in the research. An enriched design in which quantitative and qualitative analyses were used together was included. Quantitative results from the research show "radiation," "factory waste," and "hazardous (chemical) waste," as environmental problems that PSTs consider the riskiest. The least risky environmental problems were "overgrazing of animals in meadows and pastures," "commercial fishing," and "open mining." According to the qualitative interview results, "air pollution" and "factory waste" were seen as the riskiest environmental problems, while "environmental waste" was considered the least risky environmental problem. In addition, while the females had a higher environmental risk perception than the males, there was a significant difference between the 3rd and 4th levels with 4th level PSTs favoring a higher environmental risk perception. There was no significant difference between the environmental risk perception scores of the PSTs depending on whether they took an environmental course or not; neither was there any significant difference issuing from the educational status of PSTs' parents.

The objective of this study is to develop a scale to measure science and biology teacher candidates' awareness of micro-plastic pollution. The sample group consists of 586 participants from 4 universities who are currently enrolled in science and biology teaching programmes. "Microplastic Pollution Awareness Scale (MPAS)" used as data collection tool developed by the researcher. EFA was applied to the data obtained from the application, it was determined that the scale had a 3-factor structure, and that the factors made up 49.57% of the total variance in general. DFA was applied to verify the obtained factor structure. According to the DFA results; X[superscript 2]/df is perfect harmony; RMSEA, SRMR, CFI, GFI and NNFI are good/perfect harmony; AGFI and NFI are acceptable harmony. The overall reliability coefficient of the scale was determined as 81, the value of which is considered to be of high level reliability. MKFÖ, which is a likert scale, consists of a total of 14 items, including 5 negative and 9 positive items. The maximum score that can be obtained from the scale is determined as 28, and the score obtained from the scale is in direct proportion with the level of awareness of the individual about microplastic pollution.

Teaching geography creates an opportunity for the transfer of knowledge about environmental problems and ways of solving them. Teachers from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Turkey, and the United Kingdom indicated strengths and weaknesses of physical geography as well as the selected geographical concepts of: Maps/Cartography, Astronomy/The Earth in the Universe, Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, Endogenic processes, Exogenic processes, and Soils and biosphere. There was a variety in how confident students were around these topic areas. The main types of difficulties identified by the study were: too little time for implementation, difficult terminology, and lack of tools for the proper transfer of knowledge. Moreover, the attractiveness of individual issues for students also varies. The research clearly shows that students lack an awareness of problems related to the environment. There are considerable differences between the level of students' knowledge about climate change or air and water pollution (relatively high awareness of global warming) and issues related to soil and vegetation cover (low awareness of soil depletion, soil pollution, changing the boundaries of the occurrence of plant zones, etc.). To make people aware of the importance of environment, we should take care of education in relation to global challenge and sustainable development.

Scientific literacy is the ability to explain phenomena and solve problems using scientific knowledge. Despite being an important factor in the scientific and technological advancement of society, students worldwide struggle to attain the skills necessary to demonstrate competency in scientific literacy. This study examines the capacity for a cognitive style-based learning strategy (CSBLS) to improving students' environmental knowledge and scientific literacy. 55 students from two Indonesian state junior high schools (SMPN) participated in the research; 30 students from SMPN 6, Banjarmasin and 25 students from SMPN 21, Banjarmasin. The CSBLS was applied during six classroom meetings over a three week period using a group pre-test and post-test on the topic of environmental pollution. The study concluded that the CSBLS was able to improve students' environmental knowledge and scientific literacy. In addition, the learning strategy supported students different cognitive styles (Field Independent/FI and Field Dependent/FD, although scaffolding was still needed for tasks that required more complex thinking such as scientific literacy, particularly for FD. This research indicates that a CSBLS has the potential to improve students' environmental knowledge and scientific literacy throughout the learning process.

This study aimed to determine the effect of the activity-based environmental education course on the attitudes and behavior levels of the students of the child development program concerning environmental problems. The study was prepared by using the explanatory sequential design, one of the mixed method patterns in which qualitative and quantitative data are used together. While one-group pretest-posttest experimental design was used in the quantitative dimension of the study, phenomenology was employed in its qualitative dimension. The sample group of the study was composed of 60 first-year students attending Kayseri University Hüseyin Sahin Vocational High School Child Development Program in the 2019-2020 academic year (spring semester). Within the scope of the environmental education course, activity-based practices were performed with the students for 6 weeks. The students were divided into groups and one group applied the related activities they prepared with their friends in the classroom each week. Before and after the application, 'The Environmental Problems Attitude Scale' developed by Güven (2013) and 'The Environmental Problems Behavior Scale' developed by Güven and Aydogdu (2012) were applied for the students. After collecting the quantitative data, 10 students were interviewed via a semi-structured interview form and their opinions on the activities were collected. Kolmogorov-Smirnov test for normality, t-test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used to analyze the qualitative data of the study. The qualitative data of the study were analyzed based on descriptive analysis. As a result of the study, it was determined that after the activity-based practices performed in the environmental education course, the scores of the attitude and behavior of the students concerning environmental problems increased. As a result of the interviews made with the students, it was found that the students had both positive and negative opinions on the activities conducted in the course. By these activities, the students emphasized that they had cognitive and affective acquisitions in the environmental education course. Finally, the students stated that they acquired awareness, consciousness, and responsibility about the environmental problems along with these activities.

The aim of this study is to determine the views of candidate science teachers about environmental problems and solutions to these problems. One of the qualitative research designs, phenomenology, was used in the research. Data were collected with a semi-structured interview form developed by the researcher. In the analysis of the research, a descriptive analysis technique was used. The study was carried out with 19 science teacher candidates. When definitions of the environment are examined, it is as "the environment in which living and non-living beings interact, the area where living things live, the artificial environment-natural environment." Candidate teachers identified air pollution as the most important environmental problem. They stated that environmental problems occur due to production, consumption, both production and consumption and natural reasons. Candidate teachers discussed solution proposals of environmental problems individually, professionally, socially, and administratively. In individual solution proposals, it is recommended to use public transport, to encourage afforestation, to consume resources economically, to reduce the use of perfume-deodorants and fossil fuels, and to raise awareness with experiments, activities, visual and practical solutions under professional solution suggestions. When social solution suggestions are examined, it is stated that to raise awareness; it is necessary to produce visual and artistic activities, meetings, training, and projects, to be engaged in conscious agriculture in managerial solution offers, to use renewable energy sources, to recycle, to build industrial establishments outside of residential areas, to establish treatment facilities, and to install and inspect filters in factory chimneys. [This study was presented as an oral presentation at the conference "VIIIth International Eurasian Educational Research Congress."]

The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between self-, peer- and teacher- assessment to evaluate preservice science teachers' classroom teaching activities. A mixed method was employed. The sample consisted of 55 senior students (29 women, 26 men) from the science teaching program of a public university in Turkey. Quantitative data were collected using a classroom observation form, which was the Reformed Teaching Observation Practice (RTOP), while qualitative data were collected using observation notes. The study was conducted within the scope of the course "applied teaching" for three weeks under the scope of three topics; global warming (GW), acid rain (AR), and ozone depletion (OD). Each participant attended nine assessment processes with two peers for the three topics. Quantitative results did not show a correlation between self- and teacher-assessment on the three topics. There was no correlation between GW self-assessment and GW peer-assessment and between AR peer-assessment and OD peer-assessment. However, there was a correlation between OD and AR self- and peer-assessment. There was a correlation between peer-assessment and teacher-assessment on neither of the three topics. Qualitative results showed that participants with high RTOP scores in peer-assessment were more likely to make quite superficial qualitative assessments, and briefly describe the teaching process and positively assess it. In self-assessment, participants not only gave themselves high scores but also positively described the teaching process. In teacher-assessment, quantitative and qualitative assessment was consistent.

Current environmental learning amid the COVID-19 new normal situation requires an innovation. This is due to students needing various skills to solve environmental pollution issues using Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) and is implemented in the form of Pro-Environmental Behavior (PEB). The innovation is aimed at supporting e-learning utilization. This study aims to delineate university students' HOTS and PEB and examine the e-learning utilization. Method used in the study is descriptive method using survey technique. Samples involved in the research are 265 university students. The study results indicate that the students' HOTS score is, overall, in a very low category (31.37). The students' PEB score, however, is already in a very high position (89.88) as a form to prevent COVID-19 in their surrounding environment. The result of e-learning description suggests that there are still some obstacles in terms of e-learning implementation. The research concludes that the HOTS score is relatively low, whereas the PEB score must be maintained. Suggestions proposed from this study is that to develop teaching materials or learning media, in this context book or supplementary book can be develop, related to environmental pollution as a disaster mitigation effort amid the COVID-19 new normal situation.

Although evidence of heritability for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is strong, studies of twin pairs suggest that at least some portion of the etiology is attributable to environmental factors, either directly or through interaction with genes. Given the multitude of environmental and psychosocial exposures that have been reported to increase atypical neurodevelopment in offspring, in this article, we summarize what prenatal air pollutant, chemical, and occupational exposures and psychosocial stressors have been reportedly associated with ASD and co-occurring neurodevelopmental disorders. We highlight the consistencies in reported associations and recommend areas for research to close gaps in our understanding of environmental risk for ASD. Because this issue is of particular importance in historically marginalized communities and low- and middle-income countries, we also discuss the importance of environmental justice issues and exposure disparities in research, and we advocate for prioritizing policies to reduce disparities and improve service provision in vulnerable populations.

The student's scientific literacy is vital in improving students' awareness of several issues. This study was intended to describe the effect of the SETS learning approach combined with Vee Diagram on students' scientific literacy especially on Environmental Pollution Material. This study used a nonequivalent pretest-posttest control group design. The survey involved 60 students who were selected using cluster random sampling technique. The quantitative data, in terms of pretest, posttest, and N-gain scores were analyzed using Independent-sample t-test at the 5% significance level. The results showed that, based in the N-gain scores, the experiment class was classified in moderate category and the control class belonged to low category. This means that the SETS learning approach combined with Vee Diagram influence student's scientific literacy on Environmental Pollution Material. Therefore, this combination is recommended to be implemented in class to enhance students' scientific literacy skills.

Changes in physical activity levels and increases in screen time across different cohorts may affect young children's motor skill development (MSD). This study examined cohort differences in MSD in China. Four-year-olds living in Shanghai and in Guizhou province were assessed, in individual sessions, in 2013 (n = 230) and in 2017 (n = 446). Controlling for age, parental education, gender, height, weight, and overall development, children's MSD scores were significantly lower in 2017 than in 2013 in both Shanghai and Guizhou. Parental education moderated these differences. Declines in MSD scores may be due to increased screen time, higher levels of air pollution, and decreased access to safe, outdoor spaces. The overall decline in motor skills across both regions suggests that appropriate and timely interventions are needed to support young Chinese children's MSD.