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In recent years, environmental problems have been increasing rapidly around the world and affecting a wide range of environments. Many campaigns are carried out to raise awareness about environmental problems. This study aims to determine the ideas of students at different education levels about environmental problems and to compare these ideas with each other according to their fields. The survey model was used as the research method. The study group of the research consists of a total of 298 students: 75 at the 4th grade level of primary school, 90 at the 7th grade level of secondary school, 56 at the 11th grade level of high school, and 68 at the 3rd and 4th grade level of the university. The "Environmental Problems Opinion Survey", consisting of four open-ended questions, for which validity studies were conducted, was applied to the study group. The descriptive analysis method was used to analyze the data. Environmental pollution is seen as the most important environmental problem at all levels of education. While the answer to the most important cause of environmental problems is littering at the primary school level, it is shown that people act unconsciously on environmental issues at other levels of education. While the answer to the question about your most frequent behavior to prevent environmental problems was "I throw away the garbage" at the primary school, high school and university levels, the answer to the question "I throw the garbage away" was encountered at the secondary school level. Finally, it was suggested that awareness-raising activities be held at all education levels regarding the solution of environmental problems. Based on all these results, it has been observed that similar answers are encountered at all levels of education regarding environmental problems. Conducting more studies to increase students' awareness of environmental problems is among the recommendations of this study.

In the current study, an engineering design-based STEM activity was designed and implemented for 5th graders. The current activity is expected to provide guidance and perspective to teachers (practitioners) in designing and implementing an activity based on design-based learning, STEM activity, and engineering design process (EDP). At the same time, during the implementation of the activity, teachers and students experienced a STEM activity based on the EDP. In the fall semester of the 2022-2023 academic year, this STEM activity based on the engineering design process was planned for Friction force and water resistance in the 5th-grade middle school science course. Then, the activity was implemented in a class of 21 students. The activity was implemented in three class hours. This activity, titled "Let's Design a Water Slide Boat," aimed at designing a water slide boat that would be least affected by water resistance and friction force to improve students' engineering and design skills. This activity was based on NGSS and the objectives and outcomes set in the 5th-grade science curriculum of the Turkish Ministry of National Education.

As a result of human beings' activities to dominate nature and transform it for their own benefit as they continue to advance in science and technology, environmental problems such as climate change have become the biggest threat faced by the biosphere in the current century. One of the biggest problems of humanity today is the scarcity of water resources. It is important to reveal the meanings attributed to the concept of water in biology textbooks in order to identify and eliminate the deficiencies or gaps between the concepts related to the subject. The main purpose of this study is to analyze how the concept of water is presented in secondary school biology textbooks. In line with this purpose, answers to the following questions were sought: What biological concepts is water associated with in biology textbooks and how often is it used? Under which categories can the concept of water be classified in biology textbooks? In the study, document analysis was conducted on four biology textbooks published by the Ministry of National Education to be taught in high schools in the 2023-2024 academic year. A qualitative methodology based on inductive logic was used to analyze the data. How water is emphasized in biology textbooks was discussed, and categories were developed to conceptualize explanations about water. These categories were: water as a substance in the structure of organisms, water as a habitat for organisms, water as a substance involved in chemical reactions, water as a human health factor, water as an essential requirement for organisms, water as an environmental problem factor and water as a scarcity factor. According to the results of the textbook content analysis, it was seen that the relationships between water and health concepts in the category of water as a human health factor were well structured. In the study, it was seen that the concept of water was presented in accordance with the target achievements in line with the secondary school biology course curriculum and that the key concepts were given literally. However, it was revealed that the concept of water in textbooks should be structured according to the principles of the systems thinking approach.

Healthy nutrition is essential in preventing possible diseases and treating existing diseases by controlling their course. Based on this importance, adolescence is one of the periods to be considered. Adolescence is a fundamental determinant of healthy life in adulthood and old age. Healthy nutrition awareness gained in this period will raise awareness of the adolescent individual herself/himself and the people around her/him. This research aimed to determine the nutrition awareness of middle school students in early adolescence. According to the phenomenology, the research was conducted with eight volunteer students in the 8th grade in a public middle school in the Central Anatolia region in Turkey. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with each student individually using the "Interview Form about Nutrition Awareness in Adolescence Period" prepared by the researchers. The data were analyzed by using content analysis. As a result of the research, it was determined that the nutrition awareness of middle school students in the early adolescence period was low. In this context, increasing middle school students' nutrition awareness was recommended.

Water is vital for the survival of living things. It is water that sustains all living organisms, all biological life, and all human activity. Water constitutes 3/4 of the world, 60% of the human body. The need for water is increasing day by day due to the rapid increase in the population and the fact that the water resources remain constant. It is important for individuals to be conscious about water consumption, to be aware of how much they consume. In this context, in this research, students' estimates of the amount of water they consume, liquid-volume measurement estimates and their views on water conservation were examined. This study aims to examine the liquid-volume measurement estimation skills of gifted students and to examine their views on water conservation. This study was conducted as per the case study design, which is one of the qualitative research designs. The study group of the study consisted of 24 gifted students studying in the 6th grade in a Science and Art Center in a province located in the southern region of Turkey in the 2022-2023 academic year. As a result of the research, it was observed that the students had moderate liquid-volume estimation skills and the male students had more liquid-volume estimation skills than the female students. In addition, it was concluded that students had a low average score in liquid-volume estimation problems involving real-life situations, and that the most opinions about water conservation were in the theme of limitation and penalty application.

In order to ensure the use, protection and sustainability of water, which is becoming more and more important for life, individuals need to develop their water literacy starting from the pre-school period. In this direction, it was aimed to improve the water literacy of 60-72 month old children who were in preschool education with online education. In the study, action research design, one of the qualitative research methods, was used. The study group was determined by criterion sampling method and consists of 36 children aged 60-72 months. A semi-structured interview form was used as a data collection tool. In the study, Water Literacy Online Training was prepared and implemented in order to improve children's water literacy. Interviews were conducted with the children before and after the training. Content analysis was used in the analysis of the findings. As a result of the study, there had been improvement in the practical, living and social water literacy of the children. The results of the study showed that Water Literacy Online Training is effective in pre-school children's ability to recognize the importance of water, which is among the basic concepts for water literacy, for life, its limitations and the importance of its protection.

The aim of this research is to determine the effect and usability of drama in creating water awareness. The research was carried out with pre-service teachers who are studying in the Science Education Department of a state university in Turkey and who want to participate in the research voluntarily. A total of 17 pre-service science teachers (PSTs), 14 female and 3 male, took part in the research. In the research, a written interview form (WIF) consisting of 3 questions was used to determine the opinions of the PSTs about the usability of drama in raising water awareness. Applications in the study covered 12 weeks. In the applications, a drama application was made for each week about water. After the applications, the qualitative data obtained in the research were evaluated and interpreted. Descriptive and content analysis techniques were used in the analysis of qualitative data. The results of the research show that drama can be an effective method in creating water awareness. As a matter of fact, the opinions of PSTs are in this direction and point out that the usability of drama in creating water awareness is high. In the light of the findings obtained at the end of the research, the results were discussed and some suggestions were given.

This research was carried out to reveal the factors affecting the water literacy of middle and high school students in Turkey. In the study, in which a total of 155 children living in Rize of Turkey participated, the data were collected using the "Water Literacy Scale" developed by Sozcu and Turker (2020a). This measurement tool was implemented as online questionnaire. The scale consisted of three sub-dimensions, namely water saving, water consciousness, and water sensitivity, and a total of thirty items. Data analysis was performed in the SPSS program, using unrelated t and One-Way Anova tests. It was concluded that the water literacy of the children differed according to finding the news about the water crisis realistic, and having a concrete experience in reusing water in some dimensions. There was no difference between the water literacy of middle and high school students. Critical suggestions based on informal learning, including parents, were made to provide water literacy to children.

The purpose of this research is to determine ecological footprint awareness level of pre-service teachers who are majoring in three different programs of Teacher Education Department. The study also investigated whether there is a difference in ecological footprint awareness level based on gender, parents' education, program of study, and longest lived place of residence. "Ecological Footprint Awareness Scale" which was developed by Coskun & Sarikaya (2014) was used as a data collection tool. The scale is a 5 point Likert type instrument which is composed of five dimensions related to food, shelter and mobility, water consumption, energy consumption, and waste management. One hundred and seventy pre-service teachers who are pursuing their third year in a College of Education of a medium size University located at northeast part of Turkey participated in the study. T-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze the data by utilizing SPSS statistical package. Results of the study revealed that the pre-service teachers' awareness on ecological footprint is at a medium level; highest levels of awareness found in energy (X=4.15) and water consumption(X=3.83) dimensions. Least level of awareness detected in food dimension (X=3.04). Results of the study showed that pre-service teachers' awareness level differed based on gender in food dimension of the scale (t=2.116, p<0.05) in favor of females. The results also showed that ecological awareness level of the pre-service teachers changed based on parents' education in water consumption and energy dimensions of the scale. Furthermore differences detected based on place of residence in favor of rural residents in energy and waste dimensions of the ecological footprint awareness. However, no significant difference was found based on the programs of pre-service teachers.

In this research, the teaching of mechanical waves was realized with inquiry-based learning; the aim was to determine the changes in students' conceptual understanding of spring, water, and sound waves. It was designed as action research. The study group comprised 58 upper-secondary school students enrolled in 10th grade at an Anatolian upper-secondary school in Turkey. Data collection tools used in the research were the form for conceptual understanding of mechanical waves, semi-structured interviews, video recordings and photographs, student journals, and hand-made materials. Moreover, researchers designed an action plan that was composed of activities on spring, water, and sound waves. Descriptive and conceptual content analyses were utilized in data analysis. At the end of the research, it was determined that there was a change in students' conceptual understanding of spring, water, and sound waves. Moreover, it was determined that teaching based on inquiry-based learning contributed positively to students' learning. In this respect, it is thought that such applications should become widespread. There should be online training for lecturers which in return would contribute to students' learning.

This is a study conducted on the works in the field of children's literature by Ferda Izbudak Akinci who has achieved important goals and created works in the field of children's literature. It has become necessary to conduct the study due to the fact that the author and her works had not been studied with a comprehensive analysis, and the element of water used frequently and functionally in her works has reached remarkable dimensions. We determined the sample group randomly selected among the works of the author in the field of children's literature, in order to determine with which functions the element of water appeared or did not. In the study, we used document analysis as a qualitative research method. We obtained various codes related to the element of water in the documents analysed. These are; rescue, revival, relief and entertainment. In the traditional sense, we observed that mother figure was created based on the element of water; missing parents were replaced with the nature. However, given that the mother figure is not just any random mother, her attributes reach up to supernal dimensions; we believe that the author intended to create a "mother goddess" from a species existing in the form of "Kybele". Since the works contain not only the good aspects of water, but also the destructive sides, we have concluded that god-like aspect of water is completed by using a punishing structure. Water's having protection and auxiliary elements bonded to it, and accepting the natural formations hosting water as sanctuaries can be listed among grounds of our conclusion. [Paper presented at Children's Literature Association Conference (2018).]

Providing individuals with environmental awareness from a young age is very important for a livable and sustainable world. In this context, this study aims to investigate the impacts of the environmental science project, the Water Explorer Program, on middle school students' water usage behaviors, and attitudes. A quasi-experimental research design was used. The participants were 87 (36 girls and 51 boys) eighth-grade students from four different classes in a public school. Whereas the textbook-based instructional approach was used in the control group, the Water Explorer Program was used in the experimental group. Water usage attitudes and water usage behavior scales were administered to the groups at the beginning and end of the study. In addition to pre-post tests, reflection papers were gathered from students in the experimental group. The findings of the study revealed that students in the experimental group developed significantly better water usage behaviors, and attitudes than their counterparts in the control group. Therefore, environmental projects should be involved in science curricula.

As the world population increases, the issue of using freshwater resources efficiently becomes more important. Using water, which is an indispensable resource for life, consciously and sustainably, to be sensitive, in short, to be water literate is a necessity for all citizens of the world. Turkey is a country living water scarcity. Therefore, it is a country where water literacy studies should conduct. As it is the first comprehensive study of water literacy in Turkey, the present study becomes significant in the field. This study aims to determine the water literacy levels of high school students in Turkey. In the present study, Data was gathered through the Water Literacy Questionnaire. The Water Literacy Questionnaire was designed by Sözcü and Türker (2020) and consists of three sections. The questionnaire was applied to 3202 high school students living in different regions. As a result of the study, the water literacy of high school students was at 'Good Level' in general. When the sub-dimensions of water literacy were analyzed, high school students were very good at water-saving and good at water sensitivity, but remain at medium level in terms of water consciousness. In light of the results, some recommendations have been made to increase water literacy.

The purpose of this study is to disclose the units and topics including the concept of water within 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grades' biology textbooks that were chosen by the Ministry of National Education (MoNE) Head Council of Education and Morality (HCEM), and provide an overview of the whole content that mentions the concept of water. This qualitative study employed the document review method. The ratio of the number of units including the concept of water in the reviewed biology textbooks/"total number of units-number of topics"/total number of topics are, respectively 3/3-9/9 for 9th grade, 2/3-8/11 for 10th grade, 3/3-10/12 for 11th grade and 4/4-8/9 for 12th grade. In general, it has been observed that these units/topics address the structure and characteristics of water; its role on nutrition, respiration, circulation, excretory, reproduction, movement, behaviour, energy flow and metabolic events; its significance on living structure, natural resources, energy resources, living spaces, environmental problems and health; and its relationship with osmotic pressure, enzymes, hormones, professional areas and some structures of living beings. Findings revealed that water has a special place in biology education and biology education is an important tool in conveying the significance of water for the living beings. Further studies may focus on the place of water in teaching various disciplines.

Several problems such as the deterioration in water regime, climate's getting harsh, desertification and the decrease in agricultural productivity have been experienced in and around Lake Avlan which was dried in 1970's entirely for the purpose of opening new cultivation areas. Upon the deterioration, the gates of the regulators were closed by the Ministry of Environment upon the written demand from almost 3000 people from the vicinity by the organization of a mayor and 37 village headmen. Lake Avlan is the first wetland on which a decision of restoration has been taken upon the demand from the people in the vicinity, including the villagers who were given a piece of land from the lake. When the things experienced with the case are taken into consideration, it is observed that the perception of education on environment has changed and the importance of education on environment increased. The education for environment is aimed to raise individuals who are aware of local, regional, national and global problems; who approach these problems with concern and sensitivity; who spend effort voluntarily for thesolution of such problems; and those whose ecological culture, environmental moral and environmental consciousness is high (Atasoy&Ertürk, 2008). The aim of this study is to identify the views of the teachers who work in the schools in the vicinity of Lake Avlan on the lake. The participants of the study are 14 teachers as 9 males and 5 females. The study was designed as a case study, which is one of the methods of qualitative research. The data used in the study were collected by giving interviews to the teachers and were analyzed using content analysis technique. The findings revealed that the teachers rendered superficial information on the social and socioeconomic structure of the Lake Avlan; that they bear confusing ideas about the physical form of the lake and that the information they provide is not sufficient. They all share the idea that Lake Avlan has not been preserved and based upon each participant'sexplanations, the study reached the same conclusion.

This study aims to cement the link between systems thinking (ST) and education for sustainability by presenting an example of systems education for young children. A systems education guidebook focused on water and a learning framework based on the guidebook were developed, together with two ST assessment instruments (a shared reading and a concept mapping activity with interview protocols). The learning framework was implemented over the course of four-weeks with 32 children aged 5-6 in a pre-school in Turkey. To measure the outcomes, the children were pre-tested and post-tested with the assessment instruments using a mixed method approach. The results revealed a significant development in the ST skills of the children. Children defined system elements related to water more, came to see invisible elements as parts of the system and established high-quality causal relations between system elements related to water.

This study was prepared to investigate prospective biology teachers' cognitive structures related to "water". As the research design of the study, the case study was applied. The data were collected from 44 prospective biology teachers. The free word-association test, the drawing-writing technique and the semantic differential attitude scale were used as data collection instruments. The data were subject to content analysis and divided into categories through coding. In the analysis, the categories were formed and determined through the results of word-association test and drawing-writing test which were completed by the prospective biology teachers. With the help of these categories, the cognitive structures of prospective biology teachers were explained. These categories were determined as "the place and importance of water in life, the definition and chemical properties of water and water and metabolism". It was determined that prospective biology teachers' semantic attitudes towards water were at a positive level in terms of mean scores of all adjectives considered; However based on each and every adjective, they mostly perceive water as compulsory, valuable and necessary. Moreover, the data collected through three data collection instruments indicated that prospective biology teachers had misconceptions about water considering the categories determined.

The study was conducted to determine problem-solving skills of preschool age children on environment as well as factors affecting this skill. For this purpose, quantitative and qualitative research methods were used together in the study and the research was designed in the screening model. This study is a descriptive type research since it questions the present status. The study group consisted of 168 children studying a preschool in the Province of Malatya. The random-sampling method was used to select the participating children. The Introductory Information Form and the Scale for Problem Solving in Environmental Education (SPSEE) developed by Ulutas and Saglam (2016) were used for research data collection. A semi-structured interview form developed by the researcher was used to perform the interviews with parents. As a result of the SPSEE analysis, 15 children with the lowest scores among the participating children were identified and interviews were performed with their parents in order to obtain in-depth information in this regard. Content analysis was used to analyze qualitative data, and one-way ANOVA was used for quantitative data analysis. As a result of the study, the results of both analyses were found to overlap.

The purpose of the current study is to determine the effect of talking drawings on Turkish preschool children's mental models of the water cycle. The study was conducted in the city of Kastamonu, located in the north-west of Turkey. A total of 40 five-year-old preschool children participated in the study in the spring term of the 2015-2016 school year. Within the context of the study, prior to the initiation of the experimental process, the children were asked to illustrate their opinions about the water cycle through drawings. At the end of the experimental process, they were asked once more to draw pictures to depict the water cycle, after which the code differences between the drawings were determined. At the end of the study it was found that, before the initiation of the experimental process, the codes used by the children most frequently within the framework of the water cycle could be presented in rank order as follows: rain (f = 42, 95.4%), cloud (f = 36, 81.8%) and human (f = 24, 54.5%); after the completion of the experimental process, the same rank order was found: rain (f = 39, 88.6%), cloud (f = 39, 88.6%) and human (f = 28, 63.6%). On the basis of the post-test results, the Mann-Whitney U Test was conducted and revealed a significant difference in the children's drawings in favor of the experimental group (U = 28, z = -5.531, p = 0.000, r = 0.8). Thus, it was concluded that the technique of talking drawings had a positive effect on the children's mental models of the water cycle. In light of this finding, it can be stressed that the technique of talking drawings built on both student-student and teacher-student dialogues, and we recommend that a great emphasis be placed on group work in early childhood science education.

Weight loss in human body accompanies physical and psychological differences. In this study, it was aimed to see whether acute weight loss (dehydration) affected self-esteem and appearance esteem in the elite wrestlers before competitions. 38 professional wrestlers who had international competition experiences and were required to be in a lower weight class because of having more than the competition weight, participated in the research voluntarily. 1st measurement 1 week before the competition, 2nd measurement during the competition morning when class determination was done in accordance with body weight were performed in the participant wrestlers prior to acute weight loss. In addition to the athletes' body weight, body mass index (BMI), "the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale" for the determination of their self-esteem levels and "the Appearance Esteem Scale" for the determination of self-esteem associated with appearance were used. The participant wrestlers were professional, they often lost weight before competitions and reached their goal, that's why they had positive feelings, which gave rise to increases in self-esteem and appearance esteem values after weight loss. In conclusion, significant differences were found in body weight, BMI, self-esteem and appearance esteem values before and after weight loss (dehydration) of the wrestlers. A positive uprising was determined in the self-esteem and appearance esteem values after the wrestlers' weight loss. The participant wrestlers were professional, often experienced weight loss before competitions and had targeted weights, that's why they had positively emotional situations, which led to increases in their self-esteem and appearance esteem values.

The aim of this research is to investigate student science teachers' opinions about the causes of degradation of ecosystems and the effects of such degradations on the environment. This research focuses on the following questions: What kind of descriptions do student science teachers ascribe to the reasons of degradation in ecosystems? What are the effects of ecosystem degradations on the environment? What are the misconceptions in relation to degradations in ecosystems? A total of 130 participating students, who were studying to become science teachers at Faculty of Education of Necmettin Erbakan University in Turkey, participated in this study. To reveal the participating students' opinions about the reasons for degradations in ecosystems and their effects on the environment, they were asked to answer two open questions: (1) What are the reasons for degradations in ecosystems? (2) What are the effects of degradations in ecosystems on the environment? The participants were asked to answer these two questions. Data obtained from the questions were analyzed and the frequencies of the answers were classified in different categories. Moreover, these included some misconceptions such as "the greenhouse effect can lead to skin cancer" and "ozone layer depletion leads to global warming". The findings are compared with related literature and suggestions are presented.

The purpose of this mixed method study is to investigate middle school students' attitudes and awareness of water use. The quantitative data were collected through the administration of "Water Usage Questionnaire (WUQ)". The qualitative data were collected through semi structured interviews. In the study the stratified sampling method was employed. The participants of the study were 1050 secondary school students (6th, 7th and 8th grades) in Afyonkarahisar during the 2015-2016 school years. The qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 18 students who had low (n = 6), moderate (n = 6) and high level socio economic status (n = 6). The quantitative data were analysed using SPSS statistical package software while the qualitative data were content analyzed. It was found out that students mostly agreed with careful use of water. Female students had significantly higher levels of awareness of water use than male ones. In addition, students whose parents were university graduates had high significantly levels of awareness of water use. The qualitative findings also support the quantitative results.

The purpose of this study is to research the effects of traditional and web-assisted conceptual change texts for the subject of water chemistry on the success, conceptual errors and permanent learning of students. A total of 37 8th graders in a secondary school of Samsun participated in this study which had a random experimental design with pre-test and post-test groups. With the three-stage conceptual success test developed by the researchers, a pilot scheme was conducted with 103 participants (9th graders). As a result of this scheme, the test's validity and reliability was completed and traditional conceptual change texts based on the determinated conceptual errors were prepared. In addition, this test was applied to students as pre-test at the beginning of the study. Classical conceptual change texts that were prepared were taught with traditional methods in control group's lessons. On the other hand, traditional conceptual change texts were prepared web-assisted and the experimental group was taught by using web-assisted conceptual change texts. At the end of the study, three-stage conceptual success test was conducted on the sample again as post-test. The data collected was analyzed by using SPSS and Microsoft Office Excel 2007 package program. As a result of the study, it was found that conceptual change texts caused a decrease in the conceptual errors of students on the subject of water chemistry. This improvement was 65% for the experimental group and 14% for the control group. In addition, even after three months, this rate was 61% for the experimental group and 3,8 % for the control group. Web-assisted conceptual change texts were found to be more effective in the permanence of what is learned.

The objective of this research is to investigate students' mental models of the hailstone formation and explore factors that may affect their mental models. The sample chosen for the study was composed of a total of 84 students. The students attended the 1st to 4 th grade classes of the Social Studies Teaching Programme at Giresun University in Turkey. The data in relation to the students' mental models of hailstone formation were collected from the administration of a structured interview consisting of open-ended questions. The students' responses were scrutinised and categorised to gather similar mental models into a group. The choice of categories was based on the students' responses. Four groups mental models have been determined, one is scientifically acceptable and the others scientifically unacceptable. The prevalence of scientifically unacceptable mental models was attributed to the students' lack of pre-knowledge of hailstone formation. Considering the results of the study, recommendations for the teaching of hailstone formation have been made to teachers, textbook authors and programme developers. (Contains 4 tables.)

The aim of this study was to investigate the perceptions of prospective primary school teachers on the physical state of water during the processes of boiling and freezing. There were three stages in the investigation: First, open-ended questions concerning the boiling and freezing of water were given to two groups of prospective primary school teachers (Group-A had science background; Group-B had non-science background). Second, the participants' answers were examined and analyzed. Finally, those participants who had misunderstandings were given semi-structured interviews to have a deeper insight into their perceptions. The results showed that the participants in Group-B held more misunderstandings about boiling and freezing than Group-A. A further examination of the participants' perceptions showed that the misunderstandings were based on participants' daily life experiences related to an inadequate knowledge of science. This paper discusses the answers received to the questions and interviews and makes, implications for equipping primary school teachers with scientific knowledge. (Contains 3 tables.)

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of nature-based education on the attitudes of 7th grade students towards the environment and living organisms as well as to assess the affective tendency of this education on the students. The study was carried out with 30 7th grade students at an elementary school. For this purpose, scales for "Attitudes towards Living Organisms", "Environmentally Oriented Affective Trends", and "Environmental Attitude" were used. In the study, an experimental research design using one group with pre- and post-testing was employed. The analysis of the data was conducted using the SPSS statistical software program. The study was conducted over 11 days in a natural setting. The participants completed 18 activities dealing with the natural environment, water and water pollution, pollution in general, natural habitats, recycling and biodiversity. At the end of the program, it was found that student' attitudes towards the environment and living organisms, and the affective tendency on the 7th grade students were shown to be more highly developed than before the program. These results demonstrated that nature-based education had improved the students' attitudes towards the environment and living organisms, as well as their affective tendency on the students.

The role of teachers in the formation of environmentally sensitive behaviors in students is quite high. Thus, the water awareness of teachers, who represent role models for students, is rather important. The main purpose of this study is to identify the reliability and validity study outcomes of the Water Awareness Scale, which was developed to determine the water awareness of pre-service science teachers. The study sample consists of 246 undergraduate senior class pre-service science teachers, who are educated as science teachers in different universities. Expert opinions were obtained for the content validity of the scale. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to ensure the construct validity. As a result of the factor analysis, it has been demonstrated that the scale is centered around 11 items and 3 factors. The variance explained by the total scale is 59.023%, and Cronbach's alpha is 0.81. As a result, the scale has a valid and reliable structure.

Water is a vital resource for sustainable development. The aim of this research was to develop and evaluate pre-service science teachers' awareness of sustainable water usage. This research was based on a mixed method. The qualitative part of the research was based on a single group pretest-posttest experimental design, and the qualitative data were collected by open-ended questions. The quantitative data were obtained through the "Water Knowledge Test", "Water Consumption Behavior Scale" and "Water Attitude Scale", which were developed by the researcher. The study group consisted of 3rd year pre-service science teachers who were studying during the 2011-2012 academic year at Eskisehir Osmangazi University. Water education for the study group was provided by the researcher for 5 weeks. Quantitative data were analyzed using a t-test for dependent groups, and qualitative data were examined by descriptive analysis. Following the water awareness education, a significant difference was found in the pre-service science teachers' water knowledge, water consumption behavior and attitudes toward water (p < 0.05). The results of the qualitative data showed that the majority of pre-service science teachers had increased concerns about adequate water supply. Most of them experienced increased awareness and to use water more carefully. In addition, 24 of the 33 pre-service science teachers believed that future generations will experience water related problems in 20 or 30 years. The results showed that water education is effective in developing a level of water knowledge, and influencing pre-service science teachers' water consumption behavior and attitudes toward water.

The aim of this study was to explore pre-service primary teachers' understandings of the effect of temperature and pressure on the solid-liquid phase transition of water. In the study a survey approach was used, and the sample consisted of one-hundred and three, third year pre-service primary science teachers. As a tool for data collection, a test composed of five open-ended questions was used. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with four purposefully selected students. All interview records were transcribed and analyzed with respect to the students' misunderstandings. The results show that there were common misunderstandings in the students' written responses. The statistical analysis indicated that the chi square statistic calculated is significant at a level of 0.05, suggesting that the observed frequency differences among categories are not due to chance. It is believed that the results of the study carry valuable knowledge for researchers and teacher educators. (Contains 3 tables.)

Environmental problems grow gradually and their effects are felt in various ways such as shortage of potable water. Among the various solutions offered to solve these problems, there is one standing which has the potential of encapsulating all the solutions in, that is "water education". Therefore, the aim of this study is to present the results of a project conducted through a Water School Workshop Study related to students. The 30 students from 6th, 7th and 8th grade levels who were given water education for 25 lecture hours in totally 5 days by using originally developed instructional materials participated in the study. The data were gathered through qualitative and quantitative instruments before and just after the Water School. The results showed that the Water School is generally effective on the students' conception about water, attitudes toward water usage, awareness of environment and general opinions related to the water. Moreover, the students' answers for quantitative data collection tools were determined to be significantly permanent compared with the answers to the qualitative data collection tools even 3 months after the Water School. (Contains 9 tables.)

This study aimed at identifying prospective chemistry teachers' misconceptions of colligative properties. In order to fulfill this aim, a diagnostic test composed of four open-ended questions was used. The test was administered to seventy-eight prospective chemistry teachers just before qualifying to teaching in secondary schools. Nine different misconceptions were identified and qualitatively discussed. The results have implications for teaching colligative properties and in general tertiary level teaching, suggesting that a substantial review of teaching strategies is needed. (Contains 1 table.)

The aim of this study was to elicit students' conceptions about big bubbles in boiling liquids (water, ethanol and aqueous CuSO[subscript 4] solution). The study is based on twenty-four students at different ages and grades. The clinical interviews technique was conducted to solicit students' conceptions and the interviews were analyzed to discover students' views. The interview findings established that students had difficulties with comprehending big bubbles in boiling liquids, especially in liquids other than water. Moreover, a few unexplored misconceptions about using different liquids were identified. The misconceptions may possibly stem from teachers and textbook authors, who have used water as an example in teaching about boiling. This suggests that we should use a range of liquids--not only water--when explaining boiling in curricular materials and during teaching. (Contains 5 tables and 1 figure.)

The aim of this study was to investigate effectiveness of PDEODE (Predict-Discuss-Explain-Observe-Discuss-Explain) teaching strategy in helping students make sense of everyday situations. For this, condensation concept was chosen among many science concepts since it is related to many everyday-life events. Forty-eight eleventh graders students were involved in this study. In order to assess students application of their knowledge to problem solving in everyday situations, a test including two everyday problems were presented to them as pre- and post-test. As an intervention phase, two PDEODE tasks were utilized to teach condensation. The test scores were analyzed both qualitative and quantitative methods. Statistical analysis using paired t-test of student test scores point to statistically significant differences in tests and total scores (p less than 0.05) suggesting that the PDEODE teaching strategy either facilitates students to help students make sense of everyday situations or helps students to achieve better conceptual understanding for the concept of condensation. (Contains 5 tables and 2 figures.)

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between Med-Diet adherence with sustainable nutrition and environmental footprints in academicians. Methods: The study involved 153 academicians aged 23-64 working in a university in Turkey. Data were collected through a questionnaire including socio-demographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements, Mediterranean Diet Adherence Scale (MEDAS) and Sustainable and Healthy Eating Behaviours Scale (SHEBS). Carbon and water footprints were calculated. Results: All sub-scales of SHEBS were higher in individuals who adhered to Med-Diet than those who did not (p<0.05). The carbon and water footprints of individuals with high adherence to the Med-Diet were lower than those of no adherence (p<0.05). Each 1-point increase in MEDAS score was associated with a 1-point increase in SHEBS score, a 0.15 CO2 eq/kg and a 0.001 m3/year decrease in the amount of carbon and water footprint of food. Conclusion: Higher adherence to the Med-Diet was associated with higher sustainable nutrition behaviours, and lower environmental footprints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Purpose: This study was carried out to determine the presence of Entamoeba histolytica in water sources of Niğde province in Turkey, between June and November 2021. Methods: A total of 90 water samples were taken from 15 different water sources (drinking water, well water, spring water, wastewater and dam water) every month and the presence of E. histolytica antigens in the samples was examined by ELISA. Results: The positivity for E. histolytica was determined in 7 (7.7%) of 90 samples. While no antigens were found in any of the samples in June and September, E. histolytica was positive for three samples (20%) in July, one sample (6.6%) in August and October and two samples in November (13.3%). One of 24 dam samples (4.1%), 1 of 12 wastewater samples (8.3%), 1 of 12 well samples (8.3%), and 4 of 24 fountain samples (16.6%) that examined by ELISA were found positive. On the other hand, none of the examined 18 spring samples were positive. In addition, 4 (8.8%) of 45 samples that examined in summer and 3 (6.6%) of 45 samples that examined in autumn were detected positive by using ELISA. Entamoeba histolytica positivity in samples was statistically insignificant in terms of months, water resources and seasons (P > 0.05). Conclusion: As a result, the presence of E. histolytica, which is an important public health problem in water sources, was determined for the first time in Niğde province of Türkiye with this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The COVID-19 pandemic has changed hand-washing habits. Exposure to water more frequently and time than normal causes dryness, dermatitis, and damage to the skin barrier. We aimed to investigate the relationship between the frequency and duration of exposure to water on the hands, obsession with hand washing, and warts on the hands. Material and Method: A questionnaire was administered to hand warts group (n=94), plantar warts group (n=46), and healthy volunteers (n=30) questioning the factors that predispose to wart formation, hygiene behaviors, hand moisturizing habits, and hand washing obsession. The presence of warts, localization, number, and clinical type, presence of xerosis, and hand dermatitis were recorded. Data from the hand warts group were compared with control groups of healthy volunteers with plantar warts. Results: The total exposure time of the hands to water per day was significantly higher in hand warts group than in the plantar warts group and healthy ones (<0.001, both). While xerosis was observed in 51.1% of the hand warts group, further clinical evaluation was recommended with the suspicion of handwashing obsession in 26.6%. The suspicion of handwashing obsession was reinforced by bilateral warts, hand dorsum involvement, more than one anatomical region involvement, and a high number of warts (p=0.039, p=0.048, p=0.027, p=0.018; respectively). Conclusion: Water exposure might be a novel unrecognized risk factor for hand warts. Patients with hand warts should be evaluated regarding OCD and the need for moisturizer by questioning the frequency of handwashing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water scarcity is an important threat to food security in the Euphrates–Tigris river. Water scarcity is a huge worldwide problem that results from the rapid increase in water demand, which exceeds the amount of available water. The most significant problems currently affecting countries are food insecurity water scarcity. The Euphrates–Tigris river countries suffer from different political issues, such as the Syrian war and internal civil conflicts in Iraq. In addition, this area consists of only three countries: Iraq, Syria, and Turkey, but it affects the entire Middle East. Turkey has established many irrigation projects compared to Iraq, which still suffers from the previous American invasion. Therefore, this study examines the Euphrates–Tigris river (using two countries) to examine the relationship between water scarcity and food security from 1992 to 2020. This study will be conducted using a fixed and random regression approach over 18 years. The results show a negative relationship between water scarcity and food security in the short run, at a 10% significance level, and a long-term positive relationship of 1%. Thus, the use of research and development and the encouragement of investments will help policymakers to develop a nexus between water scarcity and food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to determine water and beverage consumption status and related factors in daily nutrition of adults living in Turkey. This study was conducted with 6332 adults aged 18–65 years across Turkey. Demographics and anthropometric data of subjects, their daily water and beverage consumption habits were explored using the retrospective 24-hour recall method. Water and black tea were the most consumed beverages (1801.38 ± 11.06 mL/day, 455 ± 6.10 mL/day, respectively). Increased BMI was associated with a significantly decreased rate of insufficient fluid intake among the participants. Underweight individuals were found to be consuming less (by 0.558 times) fluid compared to those with normal BMI, while obese individuals appeared to have greater energy intake from daily fluid consumption (by 1.111 times). This study showed a relationship between water and beverage intake and anthropometric measurements, suggesting that further research on personalized water intake strategies is beneficial in weight management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the antiproliferative and apoptotic effects of Inula viscosa L. water extract (IVE) on HCT 116 has been examined, and the change in the expression of miRNAs. Phenolic compounds of IVE were determined as µg/g extract using by HPLC‐DAD. Quantitative determination of apoptosis, cell viability, IC50 values and miRNAs of the cells were determined during 24, and 48 hours. IVE contain coumarin, rosmarinic acid and chlorogenic acid. According to the findings of our study, the expression of miR-21 and miR-135a1 was upregulated, and miR-145 was downregulated in HCT 116 cells (Control). Additionally, IVE was found to have significant potential in regulating miRNAs, downregulating miR-21, miR-31 and miR-135a1, and upregulating miR-145 in HCT-116 cells. All these results show that the anticancer effect of IVE via regulating miRNAs' expression has been demonstrated for the first time, and may be candidate biomarkers in colorectal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Friendship dams" are an explicit, yet underexplored, materialization of hydropolitics that illustrate the potential role of water in international cooperation. Via a case study analysis of the Syria‐Turkey Friendship Dam project proposed for the Asi/Orontes river, we trace the process of cooperation that led to the use of this notion of "friendship" in transboundary cooperation. Using a transversal analysis of different phases of cooperation and non‐cooperation, we consider broad, big‐picture political and diplomatic factors related to water and beyond. Our analysis shows that two key variables shaped how water was used as an instrument of cooperation in this case: (1) security and (2) the dynamics of international cooperation undertaken by the riparians, namely Turkey. The friendship dam label can be considered a manifestation of strategic international friendship that the two riparian countries invoked to achieve security and bilateral cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Late Antiquity, aristocrats and city administrators continued the tradition of using impressive architectural and decorative elements in their urban residences, reminiscent of the practices in the Roman Empire. During this period, especially the most accessible and visible parts of houses were adorned in a remarkable manner to showcase the sophisticated tastes, social status, and wealth of the homeowners to their visitors. For this purpose, a particular architectural design and ornamentation was preferred because this urban elite group, in addition to hosting people under their patronage in extravagant residences, also took advantage of the domestic environment to strengthen relationships with peers of similar status. The courtyard, an indispensable feature of these residences, served particularly as one of the primary areas for welcoming visitors, thus leading to its meticulous design. This space, which was vital for shaping the initial impression of both the house and its owner, could feature fountains with decorative elements in its most visible area. Similar to the bathrooms and toilets within the house, these fountains were elements that elevated the overall standard of residences. Closely connected to channels and clean waterways, these fountains not only served practical functions but were also used to display the homeowner's high status by enhancing the quality and value of the houses. This article primarily focuses on examining the reflections of social changes in residential structures, especially residential fountains, due to the evolving structure of Late Antiquity. It discusses the fundamental characteristics of "fountains positioned in courtyards" as a type of fountain through a group of luxury residences from Late Antiquity in the regions of Asia Minor and the Mediterranean. Examining a sample of urban houses from Sardis, Aphrodisias, Xanthus, Arycanda, Side, Perge, Sagalassos, and Laodicea, and cities outside Asia Minor, this article emphasises the architectural features, functions, and significance for homeowners of the fountains dating from the 4th to 6th centuries AD located in the peristyles and open courtyards of these houses. The brief descriptions provided in the relevant section about the sampled fountains offer a contextual and spatial understanding of the fountains under consideration. Additionally, the objective is to elucidate how these fountains turned into an essential element of the luxurious homes of the elite through their architectural styles and decorative designs, and how homeowners used these fountains as instruments to display their social statuses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the personal water footprint individuals, and was conducted with 3431 individuals İbetween 18–95 years. A questionnaire form included questions about demographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements, and food consumption was applied. The "Extended Water Footprint Calculator" was used to evaluate the personal water footprint, and various questions were asked to determine the components of food consumption, domestic water, and industrial water use. The average age of the participants was 34.6 ± 13.93 years. The total water footprint of the male was significantly higher than the female. The total water footprint of individuals between the ages of 41–64 was higher than other age groups, and also obese individuals had the highest total water footprint (p < 0.05). Meat and meat products contributed the most to the total water footprint. Having a normal body weight and adopting more sustainable dietary patterns should be emphasized because of their impacts on the environment and health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer is one of the most predominant types of cancer. Although assorted treatment options are available to cope with breast cancer (e.g. chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, hormone therapy, targeted therapy), chemotherapy regimens still hold vital importance. Studies on the discovery of drug-candidate molecules that can create an alternative in the treatment of breast cancer continue at full speed. At this point, nature has a substantial place offering great diversity. Natural products may exhibit anticancer properties directly through molecular targets such as genes or indirectly through metabolic pathways. Moreover, they may be adjuvant agents and contribute to conventional therapy, and thus, they can enhance the efficacy of chemotherapeutics or even ease their side effects. Green tea, a critical dietary source of polyphenols and flavonoids, is obtained from the minimally fermented or unfermented leaves of the Camellia sinensis L. plant and is used in traditional Chinese medicine for many important conditions, including cancer. The phytochemical content of green tea is extremely rich, including (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC); (-)-epicatechin-3-gallate (ECG) and (-)-epicatechin (EC) as the main catechins in the composition of green tea. Within the scope of our study, we proposed the cytotoxicity and toxicity comparison of the water and 80% ethanolic extract of the green tea extracts as well as of (-)-epicatechin (EC) and (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC) in terms of their cytotoxicity and toxicity based on the structure-activity relationship on breast cancer. Therefore, we tested aqueous and 80% ethanolic extracts of green tea and EGC and EC on MDA-MB-231, MDA-BMB-468, MCF-7 and SK-BR-3 breast cancer cells. Their toxicity on healthy rat myoblastoma H9c2 cells was further examined. Resazurin reduction assay was used to detect cytotoxicity and toxicity. Both water and 80% ethanolic extract of green tea exhibited remarkable cytotoxicity on MCF-7 cancer cells deserving further investigation, including phytochemical characterization of the extract. Epigallocatechin was also cytotoxic on MCF-7 cells with an IC50 value of 20.07 µM. The possible therapeutic potentials of green tea extracts and their substantial catechin derivatives were assessed for breast cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, particularly since 2002, relations between Iran and Turkey have been on the rise and generally expanding. The aim of this paper is to analyse and clarify the reasons for the sustainability of the two countries' relations while undergoing intermittent eruptions of disputes over the years. In other words, the main question is: why have Iran and Turkey, with their political frictions, routinely embraced rapprochement and collaboration in recent decades? Accordingly, the hypothesis proposed is that a key reason for the ongoing cooperation between Tehran and Ankara in different fields, is the rationale of geopolitical complementarity engendering their security needs in broad meaning, particularly energy security and natural gas. Whilst the logic also applies to water security, both states attach greater importance to border security and energy. In short, their common geopolitical destiny over-rides individual state preferences. To examine this hypothesis, Barry Buzan's theory based on a broad definition of security as well as regional security complex has been deployed through descriptive analytics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a Gram-negative microaerophilic bacterium that is associated with diseases such as peptic ulcer, chronic gastritis, gastric MALT lymphoma, and gastric cancer. H. pylori infection is more common in developing countries. The high socioeconomic conditions and elimination of bacterial carriage by antimicrobial treatment reduce the prevalence of H. pylori in developed countries. The fecal H. pylori antigen test has been widely used recently. This test with high sensitivity and specificity constitutes a significant diagnostic method alternative due to its cost-effectiveness and rapid results. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed the presence of H. pylori antigen in the stool samples of patients with gastroduodenal complaints from laboratory records. Methods: Test results of patients who underwent H. pylori antigen rapid cassette test from fresh fecal samples between January 2018 and May 2022 in the Medical Microbiology Laboratory were included in the study. Fresh fecal samples from patients were analyzed using H. pylori Antigen Rapid Test Cassette (Acro Biotech Inc, USA) kits. The statistical analysis of the research was made with IBM-SPSS 25.0 (IBM Co., USA). The chi-square test was used to evaluate the research data. P<0.05 value was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 5,718 patients, 3,285 (57.5%) women with gastroduodenal complaints, were included in the study. Fecal H. pylori antigen test positivity was determined in 1,429 (25%) of these patients. The antigen positivity rate was found to be higher in women (26.6%) compared to men (22.9%) (p<0.05). In addition, this rate was higher in adult patients (27.4%) than in pediatric patients (10.1%). In addition, this rate was higher in adult patients (27.4%) compared with pediatric patients (10.1%) (p<0.01). Conclusion: The regional prevalence data are informative about the development levels of countries in socioeconomic issues such as urbanization, infrastructure services, and access to clean water. In addition, these data may provide insight into the future prevalence of H. pylori-related diseases. We think that this study, in which the data of our region is shared, contributes to the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastics (MPs), which arise from the deterioration of larger plastics that are frequently used in daily life and are smaller than 5 mm in size, are found in many environments and can pose a serious threat to human health. Humans ingest these microplastics unintendedly through drinking water. Although plastic pollution has been extensively investigated in a variety of water sources, research on MP contamination in bottled waters is scarce. Hence, in this study, the presence and distribution of MPs were investigated in 150 samples of bottled natural and mineral water brands in Türkiye. Using FTIR stereoscopy and stereomicroscope analysis, MPs were detected in 43 out of the 50 (86%) of these brands. Among the four types of polymers detected, the most abundant type was polyethylene (33%), polypropylene (31%), polyethylene terephthalate (25%), and polyamid (11%). In comparison to natural waters, mineral waters had larger average-sized particles (63.98 ± 4.06 vs. 104.83 ± 14.28 µm) and higher MP concentrations (4.6 ± 0.5 vs. 12.6 ± 1.6 particles/L). Although the most dominant shape was found as fiber in natural waters, fragments were more prevalent in mineral waters. The estimated daily intakes (EDI) for adults and children were expected to be 0.019 and 0.42 MP/kg/bw/day, respectively, in natural waters while EDI were 0.009 and 0.04 MP/kg/bw/day, respectively, in mineral waters. The results of the study suggest that the EDI and annual intake (EAI) are negligible when compared to other studies. The baseline data on MP contamination of bottled water provided in the present study may be significant and useful for researchers to have a better understanding of microplastic contamination exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This special issue of Analytical Letters is devoted to selected articles based on contributions from the Third International Congress of Environmental Chemistry (EnviroChem 2021). The authors have expanded their conference papers and included their latest experimental results in this special edition of Analytical Letters. EnviroChem 2021 has aimed- to promote and disseminate knowledge on various topics and technologies related to Environmental Chemistry. All articles have gone through the standard review process. The EnviroChem 2021 Conference, where chemists, environmental engineers/scientists and researchers from many countries came together, was held in Antalya Kemer, hosted by Erciyes University (ERU), Karadeniz Technical University (KTU), Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University (MSKU), and the Chemists Society (of Turkey). EnviroChem 2011 combined invited lectures, oral sessions, and poster presentations with a total of 9 invited lectures, 46 contributed oral presentations, and 41 posters. The Conference Organizers would like to thank all committee members, invited speakers, and presenters, authors and reviewers of EnviroChem 2021 who generously shared their expertise with us by presenting/reviewing their valuable contributions to this special issue. Finally, we extend our thanks to Professor David Butcher as the Editor-in-Chief of Analytical Letters and the staff of Taylor & Francis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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