SELF-EFFICACY PERCEPTIONS OF 4TH GRADE PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION: A SCALE DEVELOPMENT STUDY

Abstract

Sustainable environmental education aims to foster awareness and sustainable behaviors, where individuals' self-efficacy perceptions are a crucial determining factor. In this process, individuals' self-efficacy perceptions regarding sustainable environmental education are considered a determining factor in the emergence of environmental behaviors. Accordingly, this study aimed to develop the Sustainable Environmental Education Self-Efficacy Scale (SEESES) for fourth-grade students and examine its psychometric properties. The study involved 651 fourth-grade students attending public primary schools affiliated with the Turkish Ministry of National Education in a provincial center of the Aegean Region during the 2024–2025 academic year. Participants were selected through a convenience sampling strategy. The scale refinement process yielded a four-dimensional instrument comprising 28 items. The four dimensions were identified as Sensitivity, Responsibility, Supporting Waste Management, and Protecting Natural Resources and Protecting Natural Resources. Findings from the exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses consistently supported the four-dimensional organization of SEESES, providing strong evidence for the construct validity of the instrument. In addition, the internal consistency coefficients obtained for the total scale and its subscales indicated a high level of reliability. Overall, the findings demonstrate that the SEESES is a psychometrically sound instrument that can be employed in future studies and educational practices related to sustainable environmental education.