Document is current

Article History

Received: 9 February 2025

Accepted: 9 March 2026

First Online: 26 March 2026

Competing interests

: The author declares no competing interests.

: The planning, implementation, data collection, and analysis stages of this study were conducted in accordance with the “Directive on Scientific Research and Publication Ethics” of higher education institutions in Turkey. Ethical approval was granted by the Ethics Committee of Bursa Uludağ University on 24 November 2023 (Approval number: 2023-10). The ethics approval covered the study entitled “An Examination of Knowledge, Thoughts, and Attitudes Toward Microplastics in the Context of Science Teacher Education,” conducted at a public university in Turkey.

: Prior to the data collection process, all participants were provided with an information sheet detailing the purpose, scope, and procedures of the study. The voluntary nature of participation, the anonymous handling of data, and the participants’ right to withdraw from the study at any time without penalty were clearly stated. Following this information, participants completed the data collection instrument in written form. The completion and submission of the instrument were considered as evidence that informed consent had been obtained. Data were collected from individuals who voluntarily participated in the study between 16th December 2023 and 20th December 2023. The written responses provided by the participant students were transferred to an electronic format and uploaded to a secure data management system for analysis. In accordance with established ethical research practices, voluntary participation following the provision of the information sheet was accepted as implied informed consent. As the study was non-interventional, posed minimal risk, and did not involve the collection of any personally identifiable information, separate signed or audio-recorded consent was not required.