Software based in Behavior Change Theory Helps Students Reduce Carbon Footprints

Given that carbon dioxide emissions contribute significantly to global climate change, many environmental education programs encourage students to reduce their personal carbon footprint (CF). Although software that can evaluate a person's CF exists, the authors of this article argue that no previous software has been developed specifically with environmental behavior change theory in mind. Therefore, the authors designed CF management software based on established theories and previous research, and evaluated the software's influence on users' CF-related behaviors. This effort is a step toward improving the efficacy of climate change education, and reducing peoples' carbon dioxide emissions in daily life.

Previous research suggests that changing individuals' lifestyle choices on a large scale is a crucial step in slowing climate change. Relevant lifestyle choices include modes of travel, home energy use, and water use, all of which contribute to the emission of carbon dioxide gas into the atmosphere. Together, these elements make up a person's CF. CFs can be useful teaching tools that help students understand how their actions relate to the global climate change.

To facilitate the use of CFs as teaching tools, developers have created CF software, which asks users to answer questions about their lifestyle, and then provides an estimate of their CF. Behavior change theory, though, tells us that providing information alone is unlikely to cause people to change their behaviors in the long term. To develop a software that would be more likely to change behavior, the authors drew upon two established theories: the theory of reasoned action (TRA) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB). The TRA and TPB incorporate factors shown to influence behavior, such as subjective social norms, attitudes, intentions to behave a certain way, and perceived control over one's behavior. The researchers developed CF management software based on these factors, allowing students to monitor their own behaviors over time, as well as observe and learn from other users' behavior. The software also provided customized behavioral suggestions, presented in persuasive language and including suggestions on the appropriate time to perform different behaviors. Researchers iteratively tested the software with high school students to improve its design. The final software included graphics, comparisons, and suggestions tailored to each users' reported behaviors.

Researchers evaluated the software in Taiwan, where they worked with a high school that volunteered to participate. The researchers studied 8th grade classes, whose curriculum already included scientific topics related to climate change. They randomly selected 2 of the 12 8th grade classrooms, and randomly assigned one class to be the experimental group, with the other class being a control group. Thirty-three students in the experimental group were asked to use the theory-based CF software, and 33 students in the control group used a more basic CF software. The researchers distributed a questionnaire to all students before introducing the software, and again after roughly 2 months of weekly software use. This questionnaire evaluated CF attitudes, awareness, perceived behavioral control, and perception of social norms. The researchers compared students' responses to the questionnaire before and after using the software, and also evaluated the amount that students' reported CF changed.

Overall, the students who used the theory-based software reported greater reductions in their CF than students using the basic software. Students also reported significantly higher perceived behavioral control, stronger pro-environmental norm perceptions, and higher CF awareness after using the theory-based software. Statistical analysis indicates that students with higher perceived behavioral control, CF awareness, and CF attitudes were more likely to report reductions in CFs. Perceived behavioral control was the most significant predictor of CF reductions, suggesting that the reason for the software's success was that it allowed students to see that they had the power to change their behavior, and to witness the outcomes of those changes.

These results do have some limitations. This study relied on students' reports of their own CF-related behaviors, rather than directly measuring those behaviors. This presents the possibility that students reported their behaviors incorrectly, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Additionally, only 66 students in a single school participated, which means that more research is needed to determine how well these results apply to students in other schools and contexts. Educators should use care when applying these results to their own classrooms, as cultural or educational differences between Taiwan and North America may affect outcomes from this type of software.

The results suggest that educators should develop climate change lessons that reinforce students' perceived behavioral control, making them feel empowered to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions. The authors also recommend that educators focus on improving attitudes towards carbon footprints, as attitudes were another significant predictor of CF reductions. These results corroborate research suggesting that improving knowledge alone is not sufficient to change people's behavior. The authors suggest that future research examine the effects of this type of software in a longer-term context, over the course of several years.