Evaluation of Eco-School Programs from the Perspective of School Principals: The Case of Bursa Province

Sedanur Ay; Emin Atasoy; Selma Güleç

Article Details

Evaluation of Eco-School Programs from the Perspective of School Principals: The Case of Bursa Province

Authors:

Sedanur Ay | Emin Atasoy | Selma Güleç

Publisher:

Anadolu University

Main Topics:

Eğitim Programları ve Öğretim (Diğer) | Çevre Eğitimi ve Programlarının Geliştirilmesi | Eğitim Üzerine Çalışmalar (Diğer)

Journal:

Anadolu Journal of Educational Sciences International Vol.15 Issue 2, pp.655-678

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

6/2025

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

2001352010

pISSN:

2146-4014

Keywords:

Abstract:

 Education and Sustainable Development ESD has become a central focus for education policymakers globally, leading to the establishment of various types of schools such as ESD, sustainable, nature, environmental, forest, eco, and green schools. This study specifically uses the term Eco-School for consistency, reflecting its common usage in Turkey. The study aims to assess the knowledge level of Eco-School principals regarding the Eco-School program and their perspectives on its implementation. Eco-Schools prioritize environmental awareness and sustainability. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the school principals of the programs content, objectives, methods, and impacts, as well as their opinions on its effectiveness and sustainability, in order to evaluate the educational policies and practices. This study intends to offer a comprehensive evaluation of the Eco-School program from the school principals opinions. The study sample includes 21 school principals from private and public Eco-Schools affiliated with the Nilüfer, Osmangazi, and Yıldırım District Directorates of National Education in Bursa province during the 2022-2023 academic year. In the study, the researchers collected data through semi-structured interviews and analyzed them through the content analysis method. Study findings revealed that school principals believe Eco-School effectively promotes sustainability, integrating environmental awareness into education, thereby enhancing ecological knowledge. They recognize the significant potential of Eco-School programs in environmental education and express general satisfaction with their implementation. However, they also identify some challenges, such as time limits and coordination issues that need to be addressed to enhance the programs effectiveness. Overall, the study highlights the importance of Eco-School programs in fostering environmental consciousness and the need for strategic improvements to optimize their impact.

 Education and Sustainable Development ESD has become a central focus for education policymakers globally, leading to the establishment of various types of schools such as ESD, sustainable, nature, environmental, forest, eco, and green schools. This study specifically uses the term Eco-School for consistency, reflecting its common usage in Turkey. The study aims to assess the knowledge level of Eco-School principals regarding the Eco-School program and their perspectives on its implementation. Eco-Schools prioritize environmental awareness and sustainability. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the school principals of the programs content, objectives, methods, and impacts, as well as their opinions on its effectiveness and sustainability, in order to evaluate the educational policies and practices. This study intends to offer a comprehensive evaluation of the Eco-School program from the school principals opinions. The study sample includes 21 school principals from private and public Eco-Schools affiliated with the Nilüfer, Osmangazi, and Yıldırım District Directorates of National Education in Bursa province during the 2022-2023 academic year. In the study, the researchers collected data through semi-structured interviews and analyzed them through the content analysis method. Study findings revealed that school principals believe Eco-School effectively promotes sustainability, integrating environmental awareness into education, thereby enhancing ecological knowledge. They recognize the significant potential of Eco-School programs in environmental education and express general satisfaction with their implementation. However, they also identify some challenges, such as time limits and coordination issues that need to be addressed to enhance the programs effectiveness. Overall, the study highlights the importance of Eco-School programs in fostering environmental consciousness and the need for strategic improvements to optimize their impact.

 Education and Sustainable Development ESD has become a central focus for education policymakers globally, leading to the establishment of various types of schools such as ESD, sustainable, nature, environmental, forest, eco, and green schools. This study specifically uses the term Eco-School for consistency, reflecting its common usage in Turkey. The study aims to assess the knowledge level of Eco-School principals regarding the Eco-School program and their perspectives on its implementation. Eco-Schools prioritize environmental awareness and sustainability. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the school principals of the programs content, objectives, methods, and impacts, as well as their opinions on its effectiveness and sustainability, in order to evaluate the educational policies and practices. This study intends to offer a comprehensive evaluation of the Eco-School program from the school principals opinions. The study sample includes 21 school principals from private and public Eco-Schools affiliated with the Nilüfer, Osmangazi, and Yıldırım District Directorates of National Education in Bursa province during the 2022-2023 academic year. In the study, the researchers collected data through semi-structured interviews and analyzed them through the content analysis method. Study findings revealed that school principals believe Eco-School effectively promotes sustainability, integrating environmental awareness into education, thereby enhancing ecological knowledge. They recognize the significant potential of Eco-School programs in environmental education and express general satisfaction with their implementation. However, they also identify some challenges, such as time limits and coordination issues that need to be addressed to enhance the programs effectiveness. Overall, the study highlights the importance of Eco-School programs in fostering environmental consciousness and the need for strategic improvements to optimize their impact.

 Eğitim ve Sürdürülebilir Kalkınma ESD, küresel olarak eğitim politika yapıcıları için merkezi bir odak noktası haline gelmiş ve ESD, sürdürülebilir, doğa, çevre, orman, eko ve yeşil okullar gibi çeşitli okul türlerinin kurulmasına yol açmıştır. Bu çalışmada, tutarlılık açısından Türkiyedeki yaygın kullanımını yansıtan Eko-Okul terimi özellikle kullanılmıştır. Çalışma, Eko-Okul müdürlerinin Eko-Okul programına ilişkin bilgi düzeylerini ve programın uygulanmasına ilişkin bakış açılarını değerlendirmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Eko-Okullar çevre bilinci ve sürdürülebilirliğe öncelik vermektedir. Bu nedenle, okul müdürlerinin programın içeriği, amaçları, yöntemleri ve etkileri hakkındaki bilgilerini ve programın etkililiği ve sürdürülebilirliği hakkındaki görüşlerini anlamak, eğitim politikalarını ve uygulamalarını değerlendirmek için çok önemlidir. Bu çalışma, okul müdürlerinin görüşlerinden hareketle Eko-Okul programının kapsamlı bir değerlendirmesini sunmayı amaçlamaktadır. Araştırmanın örneklemini, 2022-2023 eğitim-öğretim yılında Bursa ilinde Nilüfer, Osmangazi ve Yıldırım İlçe Milli Eğitim Müdürlüklerine bağlı özel ve resmi Eko-Okullarda görev yapan 21 okul müdürü oluşturmaktadır. Araştırmada veriler yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeler yoluyla toplanmış ve içerik analizi yöntemiyle analiz edilmiştir. Çalışma bulguları, okul müdürlerinin Eko-Okulun sürdürülebilirliği etkili bir şekilde teşvik ettiğine, çevre bilincini eğitime entegre ettiğine ve böylece ekolojik bilgiyi geliştirdiğine inandıklarını ortaya koymuştur. Müdürler, Eko-Okul programlarının çevre eğitiminde önemli bir potansiyele sahip olduğunu kabul etmekte ve bu programların uygulanmasından genel olarak memnun olduklarını ifade etmektedirler. Bununla birlikte, programın etkinliğini artırmak için ele alınması gereken zaman kısıtlamaları ve koordinasyon sorunları gibi bazı zorlukları da tespit etmektedirler. Genel olarak çalışma, Eko-Okul programlarının çevre bilincini geliştirmedeki önemini ve etkilerini optimize etmek için stratejik iyileştirmelere duyulan ihtiyacı vurgulamaktadır.

Article Details

Evaluation of Eco-School Programs from the Perspective of School Principals: The Case of Bursa Province

Authors:

Sedanur Ay | Emin Atasoy | Selma Güleç

Publisher:

Anadolu University

Main Topics:

Eğitim Programları ve Öğretim (Diğer) | Çevre Eğitimi ve Programlarının Geliştirilmesi | Eğitim Üzerine Çalışmalar (Diğer)

Journal:

Anadolu Journal of Educational Sciences International Vol.15 Issue 2, pp.655-678

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

6/2025

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

2001352010

pISSN:

2146-4014

Eco-School

environmental education

nature school

school principals’ opinionsEko-Okul

çevre eğitimi

doğa okulu

okul müdürlerinin görüşleri

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Sedanur Ay | Emin Atasoy | Selma Güleç

Publisher: Anadolu University

Main Topics: Eğitim Programları ve Öğretim (Diğer) | Çevre Eğitimi ve Programlarının Geliştirilmesi | Eğitim Üzerine Çalışmalar (Diğer)

Journal: Anadolu Journal of Educational Sciences International Vol.15 Issue 2, pp.655-678

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 6/2025

Document Language: English

Document ID (Org No.): 2001352010

pISSN: 2146-4014

Issues

Authors:

Sedanur Ay | Emin Atasoy | Selma Güleç

Publisher:

Anadolu University

Main Topics:

Eğitim Programları ve Öğretim (Diğer) | Çevre Eğitimi ve Programlarının Geliştirilmesi | Eğitim Üzerine Çalışmalar (Diğer)

Journal:

Anadolu Journal of Educational Sciences International Vol.15 Issue 2, pp.655-678

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

6/2025

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

2001352010

pISSN:

2146-4014