Applying environmental attitudes of pre-service preschool teachers scale and its subscales to investigate the environmental attitudes of pre-service preschool teachers using the Rasch psychometric approach

This study aimed to investigate the environmental attitudes of pre-service preschool teachers in Hong Kong (hereafter, pre-service teachers). The study also examined methods for improving environmental education through appropriate pedagogies that integrate environmental knowledge into different subjects in teacher education. (i) What are pre-service teachers' attitudes toward the environment? (ii) What attributes characterize pre-service teachers' environmental attitudes? (iii) How can pre-service teachers’ environmental attitudes inform the development of teacher training programs to enhance environmental education? The Rasch psychometric approach was applied to determine the factors that influenced the pre-service teachers' environmental attitudes. The Environmental Attitudes of Pre-service Preschool Teachers Scale and its subscales (i.e., Education, Alternative Experiences, Beliefs, Social Interactions, and Action Potential) were used to evaluate the pre-service teachers’ environmental attitudes. Quantitative data were interpreted using descriptive statistics and Rasch diagnostic procedures. The study's findings indicated that most of the pre-service teachers had positive attitudes toward the environment; however, the incentive for them to implement pro-environmental actions and acquire environmental knowledge was low. The results also provided evidence that outdoor nature activities enhanced the pre-service teachers' environmental education both formally and informally. The study's findings showed that experiential nature-based learning, accompanied by reflection activities and using an interdisciplinary approach, enhanced the pre-service teachers' environmental knowledge, attitudes, and pedagogical techniques. Based on the findings, guidelines for implementing environmental education into a sustainable development curriculum for pre-service teachers were proposed. Finally, the findings provide valuable insights into how social stakeholders can promote environmental education in Hong Kong.