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The Relationship between Lower-Secondary School Students' Environmental Identities and Sustainable Environmental Attitudes

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Title: The Relationship between Lower-Secondary School Students' Environmental Identities and Sustainable Environmental Attitudes
Language: English
Authors: Aslı İlhan Şahin (ORCID 0009-0009-0407-4422), Eylem Yalçinkaya-Önder (ORCID 0000-0003-1306-9931)
Source: Journal of Baltic Science Education. 2026 25(1):55-73.
Availability: Scientia Socialis Ltd. 29 K. Donelaicio Street, LT-78115 Siauliai, Republic of Lithuania. e-mail: scientia@scientiasocialis.lt; e-mail: mail.jbse@gmail.com; Web site: http://www.scientiasocialis.lt/jbse/
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 19
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Elementary Education
Grade 5
Intermediate Grades
Middle Schools
Grade 6
Grade 7
Junior High Schools
Grade 8
Descriptors: Self Concept, Conservation (Environment), Ecology, Student Attitudes, Correlation, Gender Differences, Instructional Program Divisions, Grade 5, Grade 6, Grade 7, Grade 8, Social Responsibility, Natural Resources, Foreign Countries, Middle School Students, Sustainability
Geographic Terms: Turkey
ISSN: 1648-3898
2538-7138
Abstract: Understanding how adolescents' connections with nature relate to their sustainable orientations is critical for designing effective environmental education programs. However, empirical evidence on this relationship remains limited in non-Western contexts such as Türkiye. This study, therefore, aimed to examine the relationship between lower-secondary school students' environmental identities and their sustainable environmental attitudes, and to determine whether these constructs differ by gender and grade level. The sample comprised 359 students (5th-8th grades) from public schools in the Marmara Region of Türkiye, selected through convenience sampling from three schools, ensuring a robust and valid assessment. Data were collected using the Environmental Identity Scale and the Sustainable Environmental Attitude Scale. Pearson correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between environmental identity and sustainable environmental attitudes. Independent-samples t-tests showed that female students scored higher on the overall environmental identity scale, particularly in moral responsibility toward nature and seeing nature as part of the self. For sustainable environmental attitudes, females scored higher in perception, behavior, and the overall scale. One-way ANOVA analyses indicated that lower-grade students demonstrated stronger environmental identities and higher perception and behavior scores, whereas higher-grade students exhibited stronger thought scores. No significant grade-level differences were found for overall sustainable environmental attitudes.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1506383
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
CustomLinks:
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  Data: The Relationship between Lower-Secondary School Students' Environmental Identities and Sustainable Environmental Attitudes
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  Data: English
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Aslı+İlhan+Şahin%22">Aslı İlhan Şahin</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0009-0009-0407-4422">0009-0009-0407-4422</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Eylem+Yalçinkaya-Önder%22">Eylem Yalçinkaya-Önder</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1306-9931">0000-0003-1306-9931</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+Baltic+Science+Education%22"><i>Journal of Baltic Science Education</i></searchLink>. 2026 25(1):55-73.
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  Data: Scientia Socialis Ltd. 29 K. Donelaicio Street, LT-78115 Siauliai, Republic of Lithuania. e-mail: scientia@scientiasocialis.lt; e-mail: mail.jbse@gmail.com; Web site: http://www.scientiasocialis.lt/jbse/
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  Label: Peer Reviewed
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  Data: Y
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  Data: 19
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  Label: Publication Date
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Secondary+Education%22">Secondary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Education%22">Elementary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+5%22">Grade 5</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Intermediate+Grades%22">Intermediate Grades</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Middle+Schools%22">Middle Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+6%22">Grade 6</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+7%22">Grade 7</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Junior+High+Schools%22">Junior High Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+8%22">Grade 8</searchLink>
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  Label: Descriptors
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Self+Concept%22">Self Concept</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Conservation+%28Environment%29%22">Conservation (Environment)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ecology%22">Ecology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Attitudes%22">Student Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Correlation%22">Correlation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Gender+Differences%22">Gender Differences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Instructional+Program+Divisions%22">Instructional Program Divisions</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+5%22">Grade 5</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+6%22">Grade 6</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+7%22">Grade 7</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+8%22">Grade 8</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+Responsibility%22">Social Responsibility</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Natural+Resources%22">Natural Resources</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Middle+School+Students%22">Middle School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sustainability%22">Sustainability</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Turkey%22">Turkey</searchLink>
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  Data: 1648-3898<br />2538-7138
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Understanding how adolescents' connections with nature relate to their sustainable orientations is critical for designing effective environmental education programs. However, empirical evidence on this relationship remains limited in non-Western contexts such as Türkiye. This study, therefore, aimed to examine the relationship between lower-secondary school students' environmental identities and their sustainable environmental attitudes, and to determine whether these constructs differ by gender and grade level. The sample comprised 359 students (5th-8th grades) from public schools in the Marmara Region of Türkiye, selected through convenience sampling from three schools, ensuring a robust and valid assessment. Data were collected using the Environmental Identity Scale and the Sustainable Environmental Attitude Scale. Pearson correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between environmental identity and sustainable environmental attitudes. Independent-samples t-tests showed that female students scored higher on the overall environmental identity scale, particularly in moral responsibility toward nature and seeing nature as part of the self. For sustainable environmental attitudes, females scored higher in perception, behavior, and the overall scale. One-way ANOVA analyses indicated that lower-grade students demonstrated stronger environmental identities and higher perception and behavior scores, whereas higher-grade students exhibited stronger thought scores. No significant grade-level differences were found for overall sustainable environmental attitudes.
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: EJ1506383
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 19
        StartPage: 55
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Self Concept
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Conservation (Environment)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Ecology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Correlation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Gender Differences
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Instructional Program Divisions
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grade 5
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grade 6
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grade 7
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grade 8
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Social Responsibility
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Natural Resources
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Middle School Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sustainability
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Turkey
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: The Relationship between Lower-Secondary School Students' Environmental Identities and Sustainable Environmental Attitudes
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          Name:
            NameFull: Aslı İlhan Şahin
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            NameFull: Eylem Yalçinkaya-Önder
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              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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              Value: 2538-7138
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              Value: 25
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              Value: 1
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            – TitleFull: Journal of Baltic Science Education
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