Determining the digital carbon footprint awareness of pre-service teachers

The advances in information and communication technologies have led to the emergence of a new concept reflecting the environmental impacts of individuals’ digital activities in an increasingly digitalized world, which is referred to in the literature as the digital carbon footprint (DCF). This study aimed to determine the DCF awareness levels of pre-service teachers and to analyze the effects of various demographic factors—such as gender, the program in which they are enrolled, their parents’ educational levels, their longest lived settlement—on these awareness levels. For this purpose, a scale was developed to measure DCF awareness and was administered to 896 pre-service teachers. The study employed convenience sampling, one of the non-probability sampling methods, and adopted a correlational survey design. The data obtained were analyzed using descriptive and causal-comparative research methods. Overall, the participants demonstrated a moderate level of DCF awareness, with awareness of electronic device usage found to be higher compared to awareness of data transmission. The findings indicate that pre-service teachers recognize the environmental impacts of their digital habits; however, there are differences among participants in understanding the environmental impacts of specific activities. The results obtained may provide valuable contributions to the planning of future educational programs and environmental awareness initiatives.