Kadir Bilen

A Research on Electronic Waste Awareness and Environmental Attitudes of Primary School Students

Abstract The study aims to examine primary school second level students’ electronic waste awareness and environmental attitudes. A total of 250 students attending primary schools in Kahramanmaras province center in Turkey during 2011-2012 educational year participated in the study. The study that employed survey model utilized “Environmental Attitude Scale” and “Electronic Waste Awareness Survey”. Results of the study presented meaningful relationships between students’ environmental attitudes and the type of school they attend to and parental income level while no meaningful relationships were found between environmental attitudes and variables of gender, grade and mother’s or father’s educational levels. Electronic waste survey results show that students have insufficient information or are misinformed about electronic wastes.

Identification of Critical Thinking Dispositions of Teacher Candidates

Abstract Current study aims to identify critical thinking disposition of teacher candidates and investigate critical thinking disposition in terms of different variables. The study was undertaken with a total of 220 teachers from Classroom Teaching, Science Teaching, Primary School Mathematics Teaching and Computer Education and Instructional Technology (CEIT) Departments of Faculty of Education. “The California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI)” adapted to Turkish was utilized in the study to find out critical thinking dispositions. Frequencies, percentages, arithmetic means, ANOVA and t-tests were used in data analysis. Critical thinking disposition of teacher candidates was found to be positive based on the findings obtained in the study. Differences were observed in critical thinking disposition depending on gender, class levels and departments of teacher candidates. No differences were identified based on father’s occupation, location of family home and the type of high school graduation.