Determining the perceptions of pre-service science teachers regarding environmental problems through word association

In this study, Word Association Test (WAT) was administered to 123 people in order to determine the perceptions of pre-service science teachers regarding environmental problems. “Environmental Problems” was given as a key word to the pre-service teachers, and they were asked to write what came to their minds on WAT and make one sentence about this concept. The responses concerning the key word were examined under six themes: “causes”, “effects”, “types”, “measures”, “worry/pessimism”, and “other”. The pre-service teachers were seen to have stronger cognitive structures about the causes of environmental problems in comparison to other themes. Most participants confused the concepts of environmental problem and environmental pollution. They mostly focused on the effects of environmental problems on human beings and had worry and pessimism. Emphases laid by the pre-service teachers on environmental awareness, consciousness, and love in regard to the measures that can be taken against environmental problems demonstrate that they think education is important for the solution of environmental problems. The research results reveal that perceptions regarding environmental problems are not adequate among the pre-service science teachers. This lack of perception among the pre-service science teachers, who are to play an important part in raising environmental awareness, can be eliminated only through an effective environmental education.   Keywords: Perception of Environmental Problems, Environmental Education, Science, Word Association, Pre-Service Teachers