In 2005, the United Nations pledged to promote environmental education through the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD). This, combined with perceived benefits of environmental education, led many governments across Canada to establish new EE programs. For example, Manitoba developed a Sustainable Schools program and Nova Scotia created the SENSE project, designed to upgrade schools by implementing community projects. Following in the footsteps of other Canadian provinces, Ontario has revised its EE programming to encourage interdisciplinary approaches through Environmental Studies Programs (ESPs). Due to the recent development of these programs, little is known about the efficacy of the curriculum and how it influences students. In this study, the researchers conducted two case studies to explore how ESP participation influenced students' pro-environmental behaviors and attitudes.
ESPs branch from the Integrated Curriculum Program (ICP), which applies what students learn in the classroom with real world experiences to influence pro-environmental behavior and responsibility. ICPs can incorporate a wide range of subjects and generally consist of 20 to 25 students who spend a term with one or two professors. They often implement practical experiences into the curriculum and include field trips such as hiking or camping that trigger students' emotions. Previous research suggests emotions can influence a student's willingness to engage in pro-environmental behaviors.
This research is part of a larger study that conducted focus groups with students, teachers, and administrators from secondary schools across Canada. Secondary schools, or high schools, generally include students aged 15 to 18. For this report, the researchers analyzed the results from two rural schools in Ontario: the Hart School and the Grant School (the authors used aliases). The Hart School had 600 students enrolled and implemented curriculum that uses an environmental approach to focus on English, Cooperative Education, and Geography. The Grant School—which had 950 students enrolled—includes curriculum with Outdoor Physical Education and Environmental Science. At the Grant School, students spent the majority of their time outdoors learning through on-the-ground experiences. The researchers collected data during the 2010-2011 academic year before and after students participated in their respective programs. The Grant School had 13 participants (8 male/5 female) while the Hart School had 20 participants (9 male/11 female). This study included data from the post-program, one-hour focus group sessions held with the participant students. The sessions included questions that asked students to reflect on what they learned and how it influenced their environmental behaviors and attitudes. The researchers analyzed the data to identify common themes.
Overall, students seemed willing to adopt pro-environmental behaviors that were convenient to them and required minimum personal effort. The researchers referred to these behaviors as domestic behaviors, such as turning off the lights. The authors highlighted that students who felt passionately about an environmental issue felt more inclined to act; however, some adopted pro-environmental behaviors while others cited feeling too discouraged to act.
The researchers identified two primary, yet contrasting, themes among the participant responses: 1) students felt they could influence environmental change, and 2) students questioned their ability to influence change due to real world challenges. The results did not show differences in responses between males and females or between demographic groups (Caucasian, Native American, or Indigenous). Students from the Grant School were hesitant to adopt pro-environmental behaviors while students from the Hart School were more positive about adopting behaviors and influencing environmental change.
Most of the students from the Hart School credited lessons they learned in classes as motivation to adopt pro-environmental behaviors, such as reducing water and electricity use. The students indicated that the ESP program provided them with enough knowledge to educate others about best practices. Although many specified that they had previous environmental knowledge, they credited the program for expanding their knowledge and inspiring them to impact others.
By contrast, students from the Grant School—which focused on outdoor environmental education more than the Hart School—were less willing to adopt pro-environmental behaviors. While this finding may indicate the outdoor EE program was less successful, the authors highlighted that students at this school had less knowledge of environmental habits prior to starting education. Therefore, the students may need more background education and motivation. In addition, many students expressed doubt when asked if they thought environmental change was possible and claimed to be frustrated with others' lack of willingness to change. This perception may be due to the class field trips. One student cited her distrust with how recycled materials are processed after visiting a landfill, stating that the experience caused her to question the environmental practice.
Due to the small sample size of this study, a similar study undertaken in another location may have different results. Both schools were based in rural communities in Canada, indicating that students from other backgrounds may have different environmental attitudes and behaviors. In addition, researchers held focus groups with multiple students at a time, which may have led to students providing answers they thought others preferred to hear rather than stating their own opinion.
The researchers recommend that EE programs review their curricula and how educators are delivering the information to ensure that students feel motivated to adopt pro-environmental behaviors and influence change. By targeting students' emotions and beliefs through the use of field trips and real-world examples, practitioners can instill a sense of passion and responsibility that encourages students to adopt pro-environmental attitudes.
The Bottom Line
<p>This study explored the impact of two Environmental Studies Programs (ESPs) in Ontario, Canada, by conducting focus groups with students to determine whether and how participation in the program had influenced their environmental behaviors and attitudes. Results demonstrated that students from one school felt the program impacted their habits and provided them with the knowledge to influence others, while students from the other school expressed doubt in their ability to encourage environmental change. The authors concluded that students were willing to adopt pro-environmental behaviors only when they were convenient to them and required minimum effort. The researchers recommend that EE programs instill a sense of environmental passion and responsibility by implementing field trips that allows students to witness change occurring. By developing an emotional response in students and creating hope, they will be motivated to adopt pro-environmental habits.</p>
Research Partner