The Role of In-service Training in Promoting Environmental Knowledge of Elementary School Teachers in Tehran

Abstract: Life in today's restless and complicated situation requires specific knowledge, skills and attitudes. Hence, children and adolescents need specific training for encountering such variable and rapid transformations in order to develop in physical, mental and emotional aspects and identify their responsibilities for effective cooperation at the local, national, and universal levels. The only ways which can change the effects of human activity on the environment and develop lifestyle is developing new perspectives toward life and try to change life in a way that has some more coordination with our natural environment. One of the paths to this end is promoting environment education and appropriate environmental behavior. Countries, governments, schools and teachers should prioritize this goal and focus on environmental ethics in the educational practices. Public educational system and the role of the teacher in education process can be used as the sources for changing knowledge, attitudes and skills which could equip the future generations for encountering with environmental crisis and issues. The present study aimed to investigate the environmental related behaviors of the primary schools teachers from knowledge, attitudes, and skills aspects and the role of in-service training for improving these aspects. This study was conducted within a descriptive-applied approach through questionnaires. 360 primary school teachers answered the questionnaires and the results revealed that more than 59 percent of showed average appropriate environmental behaviors and they have average knowledge about environmental behaviors.