The effects of three different learning approaches on pre-service teachers' environmental knowledge

Abstract

In this study, it was aimed to investigate the effectiveness of jigsaw cooperative learning, project-based learning and teacher-centred instruction on pre-service teachers' knowledge about environmental issues. The sample of this study was 133 pre-service teachers, which were randomly assigned to the experimental-1, experimental-2 and control groups, in an education faculty in Istanbul, Turkey. Environmental education lesson was accomplished via jigsaw cooperative learning in the experimental group-1 and project-based learning in the experimental group-2, and teacher-centred instruction in the control group. Before and after the instruction, 'Environmental Knowledge Test' was used to identify pre-service teachers' environmental knowledge. ANOVA was conducted to compare the pre-test scores and no significant difference was found between groups (F(2-130) = 1.49; p > 0.05). After the instructions, ANOVA results showed that pre-service teacher's mean scores obtained from the Environmental Knowledge Test differed significantly in terms of groups (F(2-130) = 104,68; p < 0.05). Scheffe test indicated that these differences were between all the groups (p < 0.05). These results underlined that pre-service teachers trained by jigsaw cooperative learning instruction had significantly higher scores than pre-service teachers in the project based learning classes, and both of these experimental groups' mean scores were significantly higher than those in the control group.