An Assessment Of The Environmental Literacy Of Pre-Service Teachers In Colleges Of Education In Ghana

Abstract

Ghana has lost about 93 percent of its forest reserves in 68 years and its rich biodiversity is gradually being depleted due to poaching, habitat loss, pollution of water bodies and deforestation (Buamah, Petrusevski and Schippers, 2008; Tamakloe, 2010; Tom-Dery, Dagben and Cobbina, 2012). The cost of environmental degradation to Ghana’s economy is estimated to be within the range of 1-10% of the country’s annual GDP ($12 billion GDP) (GNA, 2007; UNEP, 2013).

Environmental science education in the basic school curriculum is aimed at educating Ghanaians on the environment. Tuncer et al. (2009) argue that teachers will produce students who are environmentally literate when they themselves are environmentally knowledgeable, have positive attitudes towards the environment and show concern for environmental problems. This study assesses the environmental literacy of pre- service teachers in colleges of education in Ghana and their preparedness to teach environmental science at the basic school level.