Determining the relationship between books in EE and pro-environmental behaviors

Climate change, pollution, and conservation are major global environmental and cultural challenges. Environmental educators may emphasize practical solutions as opposed to cultural ones, which use narratives to shape students' perceptions of topics. Research indicates that novels can impact readers by encouraging them to adopt different behaviors. While some EE-focused research has evaluated the relationship between demographic variables and attitude and knowledge of the environment, few have sought to understand the influence that books have on EE efficacy. Existing research has been unable to establish that reading pro-environmental books directly causes pro-environmental behaviors. This study evaluates how applying a graphic novel to environmental education school curriculum impacts students' environmental knowledge and behaviors.

This study was conducted in secondary schools in Scotland. Prior to the authors' research, a third-party organization called Scottish Book Trust (SBT)—which promotes literacy in Scottish education—worked with students aged 11-17 and 9 school staff members to produce a graphic novel titled “John Muir, Earth-Planet-Universe.” The organization chose a graphic novel because previous research suggests that the combination of texts and graphics may garner more behavioral change than text only. Upon completion, 16,000 copies were sent to all 578 secondary schools in Scotland. Schools were encouraged to give the resources to teachers from any subject area who may include the graphic novel in their curricula.

Two weeks after SBT distributed the graphic novels, the authors sent surveys to 100 randomly selected secondary schools in Scotland. Of these, a total of 12 schools participated, representing rural and urban environments, as well as public and private schools. The authors surveyed both teachers and students. The teachers' questionnaire asked respondents to indicate how much they agreed or disagreed with certain statements, and a few free-response questions. Student participants, aged 12-16, completed questionnaires before and after teachers taught the graphic novel in class. The student questionnaires used two measurements of environmental knowledge: 1) The New Environmental Paradigm Scale for Children (NEP-C) and 2) Inclusion of Nature in Self Scale (INS). NEP-C evaluates worldviews related to the environment while INS is a single question scale that determines how students portray their relationship with nature. INS assumes that the more closely a person associates themselves with nature, the more that person values nature. The researchers received 43 survey responses from teachers who had used the book and 282 sets of questionnaires (564 total) from the students. Following data collection, the authors analyzed the data using statistical analysis. For the participant students' results, the researchers tested for a change in NEP-C or INS scores in 15 classes across the 12 schools. The analysis evaluated scores before and after the students worked with the novel.

Overall, results indicated that students' knowledge of the environment increased as well as how much they value the environment. The researchers measured a significant increase in both NEP-C and INS scores across all classes in which the novel was taught. The classes that showed the most significant changes in NEP-C scores were two biology classes and an extra-curricular environmental course. Similarly, the two classes that showed the greatest increase in INS scores were biology courses, one of which was the same class that showed a significant increase in the NEP-C scores. The authors highlight that scientific classes may have students with a strong interest in the environment, indicating that other factors may influence behavioral change.

The authors found that participant teachers used the novel in a variety of subjects such as geography, environmental science, religious education, and English. Almost all of the teachers indicated they would use the book again (N = 40) and that they would recommend it to fellow educators (N = 38). A few teachers highlighted the importance of combining the graphic novel with outdoor activities, because they felt this had a greater impact on the students. For example, one teacher included a trip to the John Muir museum and a nature walk in the curricula. Despite these combinations, results demonstrated that teachers felt that the book improved students' awareness of the environment, but many questioned whether the book altered their environmental behaviors.

Due to the small number of schools that participated and specific age range of students, the findings may not be applicable in other countries or to students outside the ages of 12-16. Additionally, many teachers were unaware that their school received the graphic novel; therefore, third party organizations must ensure the resources are sent to the right individuals. Lastly, some teachers included the novel in one or two classes while others adjusted their curricula to apply the novel throughout the entire school year. Students would likely learn and be impacted differently depending on the teacher's approach.

The results of this study indicate that books and graphic novels can potentially have a strong influence on students, especially when used across disciplines and combined with other EE activities, such as field trips or litter pick-up activity. Consequently, the authors recommend applying books to interdisciplinary teaching and using field trips or other EE projects to complement what students have learned from cultural resources. The authors also emphasize the need for reflection and discussion among students, which can influence students' worldview and thus garner a strong connection between students and their environment.