Water literacy status of primary school 4th grade students

The purpose of the study is to determine the water literacy status of 10-year-old students in the Western Black Sea Region of Turkey. Water literacy is acquired in the 4th grade of primary school, where critical thinking skills begin to develop. For this reason, a study group was created with the voluntary participation of 358 students and the cognitive, affective and behavioral dimensions of water literacy of 10-year-old students. “Attitude scale towards water” and “verbal and visual expression form” were used to collect data. The data obtained from the scale were analyzed with Independent Sample T Test, One-Way ANOVA test via IBM SPSS Statistics 22. The data obtained from the form were organized as categories and concepts/visuals. Direct quotes and pictures were included to show the verbal and visual expressions of the students in detail. The research results show that students' attitudes towards water are affected by factors such as where they live, their drinking water usage, number of siblings, and their parents' education levels. When the verbal and visual expressions of the students who justify the categories are examined, the majority of the students express the concepts related to water literacy correctly verbally and visually. It is expected that the research results will contribute to the development of positive attitudes towards water by young students.