Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) Annual International Conference, Maryland, Amerika Birleşik Devletleri, 23 - 26 Mart 2025, ss.1, (Özet Bildiri)
The present study aimed to investigate middle school students’ patterns of environmental moral reasoning on two different SSIs: space exploration (SPE) and nuclear power plants (NPP), referring to extraterrestrial and terrestrial environments, respectively. For this purpose, a survey design was utilized. A total of 465 students from eight public middle schools in five different districts of the capital city of Türkiye participated in the study. Middle school students’ environmental moral reasoning was obtained through open-ended questions, adapted by Chang Rundgren and Rundgren (2010) and Chang and Chiu (2008), addressing their claims and supporting reasons. To analyze, qualitative data obtained by open-ended questions were coded utilizing the framework of Kortenkamp and Moore (2001), including ecocentric, anthropocentric, and non-environmental patterns, with the addition of mixed and no-reasoning patterns as emerging codes. Descriptive findings indicated that middle school students dominantly utilized the anthropocentric pattern over other patterns of environmental moral reasoning regarding both SSIs, which means that they mostly considered the instrumental value of nature regarding both SPE and NPP rather than its intrinsic value. This study might have the potential for science and environmental education programs in consideration of integrating more balanced viewpoints to promote students’ environmental moral reasoning regarding different SSIs.