Chinese Journal of Science Education


Vol. 11 No. 1 , Pages 97 - 119 , 2003

The Effects of an Undergraduate Environmental Education Course on Environmental Action and Associated Environmental Literacy Variables (Article written in chinese)

Shih-Jang HSU

Abstract

The author assessed the effects of a formal environmental education methodology, emphasizing issue investigation-evaluation and action training, on college students’ environmental action and associated environmental literacy variables. The theoretical framework of this study was based on the two responsible environmental behavior models and the environmental literacy framework. A quasiexperimental design was used. The students who participated in the study were predominantly junior- and senior-level tourism majors in the Tourism Department at Providence University. Two classes (64 students in sum) received the experimental environmental education instruction for 16 weeks, while the other two classes (57 students in sum) received the control instruction during the same semester. The results indicated that the environmental education course did improve the students’ environmental action, locus of control, environmental responsibility, intention to act, perceived knowledge of environmental issues, and perceived knowledge of environmental action strategies. These effects were still maintained two months after the end of the course. Thus, a formal instructional approach was available that appeared to foster not only environmental action but also those cognitive and affective environmental literacy variables that are theoretically associated with that action. Based on this study, implications for future environmental education program development and instructional practice in Taiwan were provided.

Keywords: environmental action (responsible environmental behavior); environmental literacy; environmental education; educational intervention; college students

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