Determination of ecological footprints of pre-service teachers (the case of Kırıkkale University)

The ecological footprint is a noteworthy indicator when it is desired to ensure sustainability and make ecological assessments. The ecological footprint quantitatively reveals the relationship between human activities and the supply and demand for natural resources in the ecosystem. In particular, it is important to determine the behaviours of university students towards reducing their ecological footprint. Today, it is essential to raise awareness through sustainable practices so that university students are on a trend towards reducing their ecological footprint. For this purpose, the awareness levels of students studying in eight different departments in the faculty of education of a state university on ecological footprint were examined. The descriptive survey model was used in the study. The awareness levels of the students about ecological footprint were analysed according to variables such as gender, department, longest residence, economic income level, and parents' education level. The data were obtained with the “Ecological Footprint Awareness Scale” developed by Coşkun and Sarıkaya (2014). Data analysis was done with the SPSS 23 package program. According to the research findings, the awareness levels of the students were the highest in the “Energy” and “Water Consumption” sub-dimensions and the lowest in the “Food” sub-dimension. In addition, students' ecological footprint awareness levels show a significant difference according to gender, economic income level, and mother's education level. On the other hand, it was determined that the awareness levels of the students did not show a significant difference according to the department they studied and the place of residence where they lived for the longest time.