Encyclopedia
This study aims to investigate the role of environmental system knowledge in promoting pro-environmental behaviors. Relationships between environmental knowledge and environmental attitudes as well as environmental knowledge and pro-environmental behaviors were analyzed. Environmental system knowledge includes knowledge of political ecology, sustainable development, environment and ecology, and environmental situations. This study included 128 students enrolling in the elective course entitled “Environment and Development” provided by the King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi in Bangkok city of Thailand and 150 students who were not participating in this course. The results revealed that environmental attitudes of students participating in the course was significantly higher than that of students not attending the course. Only knowledge of the environment and ecology highly correlated with environmental attitudes; on the other hand, diverse environmental knowledge significantly correlated with pro-environmental behaviors. The result also demonstrated that indirect impact environmental behaviors reported by both groups were statistically different, but there was no significant difference in direct impact environmental behaviors. This study suggested that environmental knowledge provided through a formal education could promote environmental attitudes, but it may not contribute to students’ engagement in direct impact environmental behaviors.
- environmental knowledge
- pro-environmental behaviors
- environmental attitudes
- political ecology
- sustainable development
Introduction
Many higher education institutes have tried to promote students’ pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs). Students are expected to participate in both direct and indirect impact PEBs. Direct impact PEBs include the acts that directly contribute to environmental improvements such as reuse and recycling behaviors and energy-saving behaviors; however, indirect impact PEBs refer to the acts that have no direct effects on better environmental change, but potentially shape the way how the environment is manage[1]. Indirect impact PEBs are include supporting environmental policy and preference to work with environmentally responsible organizations. Students could take an important role in bringing sustainability to the society by participating in both types of PEBs. Formal environmental education, such as providing environmental courses, has been used as one of important channels to educate students with environmental values and significance of environmental conservation and protection in order to promote environmental citizenship among university students[2][3].
References
- Paul C. Stern; New Environmental Theories: Toward a Coherent Theory of Environmentally Significant Behavior. Journal of Social Issues 1999, 56, 407-424, 10.1111/0022-4537.00175.
- Jari Kukkonen; Sirpa Kärkkäinen; Tuula Keinonen; Examining the Relationships between Factors Influencing Environmental Behaviour among University Students. Sustainability 2018, 10, 4294, 10.3390/su10114294.
- Sara Arnon; Nir Orion; Nurit Carmi; Environmental literacy components and their promotion by institutions of higher education: an Israeli case study. Environmental Education Research 2014, 21, 1-27, 10.1080/13504622.2014.966656.
