Teacher’s Suggestions for Recycling and Sustainable Environment: Reflections on Diaries

Abstract

There has been great increase in the amount of waste as a result of consumption habits of humankind. Having a sustainable environment is possible by recycling and providing the reuse these wastes. But it is encountered with some conditions which may negatively affect all living creatures because of leaving wastes into the nature without any process. Education of sustainable environment has a key role in reducing these problems. Science is one of the lessons which may give this education in Turkey. In this view science teachers should have a well-informed, conscious and positive attitude about subjects of recycling and sustainable environment. Based on this matter, a project named “look forward and recycle: Recyclist teacher” was performed. This project was actualized in Burdur between 17-23 August 2014 with the support of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜB?TAK) and Mehmet Akif Ersoy University. Totally 23 activities were applied within the project. During this process, teachers who attended this project kept diaries about assigned subjects when they completed their activities. Diary subjects were determined in a way to allow participants for expressing their feelings and thoughts related with the activity content of each day. Throughout five days, suggestions of participants for recycling and sustainable environment in written diaries were analyzed. When diaries are examined it is seemed that suggestions of science teachers are collected under five main categories for recycle and sustainable environment. These are precautions on the basis of state, economic extent, education, written and visual media, and precautions on the basis of nature. Results of research are considered to be a guide for future works.

DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2015.v5n1s1p203