Ecological Literacy Education Needs of Pre-Service Teachers: A Qualitative Needs Analysis

This study aimed to identify the ecological literacy education needs of pre-service teachers in Türkiye. A qualitative approach was adopted. Data were collected from 23 pre-service teachers, selected through convenience sampling, using an open-ended questionnaire developed by the researchers. The data were analyzed through inductive content analysis. Findings revealed that participants primarily conceptualized ecological literacy in terms of environmental knowledge and environmental protection while placing limited emphasis on systems thinking, human–nature relationships, and action-oriented competencies. Although the participants demonstrated general awareness of the causes of ecological problems, they also exhibited misconceptions regarding fundamental ecological concepts. They predominantly prioritized global environmental issues, with little or no reference to political–economic dimensions of ecological crises or local environmental problems. The participants identified teacher education programs as an important source of ecological literacy development and emphasized the value of nature-based, practice-oriented learning experiences. By empirically documenting these needs within the Turkish context, this study extends the theoretical distinction between environmental and ecological literacy and offers novel insight into an underexplored context. Practically, findings inform teacher education curricula, suggesting that ecological literacy education should move beyond a knowledge-focused approach toward one integrating systems thinking, critical thinking, local contexts, political–economic dimensions, and collective action competencies.