Survey of Elementary School Teachers' Perceptions about Environmental Education

환경교육에 관한 초등학교 교사의 인식 조사

The purpose of this study was to investigate the environmental awareness and attitude of elementary school teachers. For this study, 100 elementary school teachers from H graduate school of education were sampled. The results of this study were summarized as follows. First, the biggest concern of environmental problems were water-pollution and garbage problems by the lack of understanding about the environment and injudicious development. Second, most teachers recognized the need for environmental education and they answered that they were doing best to teach students with the main purpose of helping them develop values of environmental preservation. Third, most environmental education was carried out during class using current events and the emphasis on garbage separation and recycling. They also showed the lack of teaching materials and field trips for environmental education. Fourth, it appeared to come from media-oriented environmental education. Most teachers mainly used newspapers and visual materials. 1'hey were obtaining knowledge and information related to environmental education through the media. Since in-service teachers' conceptions could directly effect present education, it is necessary to establish a more systematic educational system for environmental education, for in-service elementary school teachers.