Environmental literacy in practice: education on tropical rainforests and climate change

Kerstin Bissinger () and Franz X. Bogner ()
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Kerstin Bissinger: University of Bayreuth
Franz X. Bogner: University of Bayreuth

Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, 2018, vol. 20, issue 5, No 9, 2079-2094

Abstract: Abstract Environmental literacy is a key concept to promote individual behavioral changes toward a more sustainable lifestyle to consciously react to environmental challenges such as climate change. Promoting knowledge, attitudes and behaviors provides a reasonable basis to prepare adolescents for their future. A recently proposed environmental literacy model comprises three-dimensional knowledge, environmental attitudes and pro-environmental behavior. The present study applies this model by implementing an intervention focusing on tropical rainforests and climate change in a botanical garden, combining student-centered activities with self-dependent learning. Data from 283 10th graders quantify individual knowledge, attitudes and behavior scores. Knowledge acquisition, a positive development of the Inclusion of Nature in One's Self concept and increasing pro-environmental behavior intentions were found by comparing an intervention group with a test–retest group. In conclusion, our botanical garden’s intervention evidently furthered appreciative tendencies and even encouraged environmental literacy.

Keywords: Three-dimensional knowledge; Knowledge acquisition; Linear mixed effects models; Inclusion of Nature in One’s Self (INS); Self-reported ecological behavior (GEB) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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DOI: 10.1007/s10668-017-9978-9

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