Investigating the Relationship Between Children's Environmental Perceptions and Ecological Actions Through Environmental Learning Experiences
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Investigating the Relationship Between Children's Environmental Perceptions and Ecological Actions through Environmental Learning Experiences Item Type text; Electronic Dissertation Authors Manoli, Constantinos C. Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 01/10/2021 01:58:14 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/193939 INVESTIGATING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHILDREN’S ENVIRONMENTAL PERCEPTIONS AND ECOLOGICAL ACTIONS THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL LEARNING EXPERIENCES by Constantinos C. Manoli ________________________ Copyright © Constantinos C. Manoli 2007 A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF TEACHING AND TEACHER EDUCATION In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 2 0 0 7 2 THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA GRADUATE COLLEGE As members of the Dissertation Committee, we certify that we have read the dissertation prepared by Constantinos C. Manoli entitled Investigating the Relationship between Children’s Environmental Perceptions and Ecological Actions through Environmental Learning Experiences and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy ___________________________________________________________ Date: 7/27/07 Dr. Bruce Johnson ___________________________________________________________ Date: 7/27/07 Dr. Alberto Arenas ___________________________________________________________ Date: 7/27/07 Dr. Kevin Vinson Final approval and acceptance of this dissertation is contingent upon the candidate's submission of the final copies of the dissertation to the Graduate College. I hereby certify that I have read this dissertation prepared under my direction and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement. ____________________________________________________________ Date: 8/8/07 Dissertation Director: Dr. Bruce Johnson 3 STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This dissertation has been submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for an advanced degree at the University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this dissertation are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgment of source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the copyright holder. SIGNED: Constantinos C. Manoli 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This study could have not been completed without the information made available by the Earth Education Research and Evaluation Team of the University of Arizona. For this reason, I would like to thank the director, Dr. Bruce Johnson, and its valuable members, Lisa Felix and Baohua Yan, for their help and support. I would like to thank my doctoral dissertation committee, Dr. Bruce Johnson (chair), Dr. Alberto Arenas, and Dr. Kevin Vinson for their support and encouragement throughout this long journey of academic achievement. Also, my minor committee members, Dr. William Shaw and Dr. Randy Gimblett. Special thanks are extended to the three schools and their school districts in Western Pennsylvania for allowing me to interview their students, and the director and staff of the environmental learning center in Pennsylvania for their hospitality and help during my visit. Finally, I would like to thank everyone - professors, graduate students, and staff - in the department of Teaching and Teacher Education in the College of Education for their love and support. 5 DEDICATION I would like to dedicate my work to my advisor, Dr. Bruce Johnson, for helping me fulfill the dream of a lifetime… And my family, that never stop believing in me. 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES …………………………………………………...………………. 8 LIST OF FIGURES …………………………………………...…………...………… 9 ABSTRACT …………………………………………….……………………………. 10 INTRODUCTION …………………………………………………………………… 11 Background …………………..……………………………………………………. 11 The Birth of Earth Education ………………………………………………….... 14 Past Research on Earth Education …………………...………………………… 16 Theoretical Perspective ……………………………………………………………. 17 Purpose and Rationale ………………….………………………..…….…………... 19 Research Questions ………………………………………...…..……………….. 19 Educational Importance ………………………………………………...…………. 20 LITERATURE REVIEW ……………………………………………………………. 21 Environmental Perceptions and Ecological Actions …………………….………… 21 Perceptions (Attitudes) …………………………………...…………………...… 22 Action (Behavior) ………………………..……………………………………… 24 The Relationship Between Perceptions (Attitudes) and Action (Behavior) …….. 25 Discrepancies Between Perceptions (Attitudes) and Action (Behavior) ………... 31 Research on Earthkeepers …………………………………………………………. 32 The Perceptions (Feelings) Component ………..……………………………….. 33 The Action (Behavior) Component ……………………………………………... 39 The Need for More Sound Research ……………………….…...………………. 40 METHODS …………………………………………………………………………... 42 Participants ………….………………………………………………...…………… 43 Recruitment ………….…………………………………………………..……… 44 Part One: Quantitative Analysis ……………………………………..………. 44 Part Two: Student Interviews …………………..…………………………..… 46 Earthkeepers: Four Keys for Helping Young People Live in Harmony with the Earth ………………………………………………………..…………….. 48 Instruments ………………………………..……………………………..………… 55 The Environment Questionnaire (TEQ) ……………………………..………….. 55 The Environmental Perception (ENV) Scale …….………………………....... 55 Validation of the Environmental Perception (ENV) scale in the US ……… 59 The NEP Scale ………………………….……………………………………. 62 The NEP scale for Children …………….…………………………………. 64 The Construction of the Environment Questionnaire (TEQ) ………………… 65 Program Follow-Through Survey (PFTS) ……………………………………… 66 Interview Questionnaire ……………………………………………………..…….. 67 Interview Questions ……………………………………………..….…………… 69 Procedures ……………………………………...........……………..……………… 73 Part One: Quantitative Analysis ………….…………………..………………… 73 Program Follow-Through Survey (PFTS) …..……………..………………… 74 Teacher Y Key verification ……………………………..……………..…… 74 7 TABLE OF CONTENTS - Continued The Environment Questionnaire (TEQ) …..……………..…………………. 75 Part Two: Interviews …………………………………………..…...…………. 76 Data Analysis …………………………………………………...…..…………… 78 Part One ………………………………………………………...…..………… 78 Program Follow-Through Survey (PFTS) …………………...………..…… 78 Teacher Y Key verification ………………………………...……..……… 79 The Environment Questionnaire (TEQ) …………………...………..……… 79 Part Two ………………………………………………...……………..……… 80 Student Interviews ……………………………………...…………..….…… 80 RESULTS ……………………………………………..…………………………… 82 Part One: Quantitative Analysis ………………………...………..……………… 82 Program Follow-Through Survey (PFTS) ………………...………………….. 82 Teacher Y Key Verification ………………………...…………….………… 82 The Environment Questionnaire (TEQ) ……………...…..…………………… 83 Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) Between Completers and Non-Completers ………….………………………...………………..……… 84 Within Group Paired Sample t-test Analysis …………………………..…… 86 Extended Sample Analysis of the TEQ Scores ……………………………… 89 Part Two: Interviews ……………………………………………...……...……… 90 Interviewee Group Representation ……………………..…………..………… 91 Interview Questionnaire ………………………………...…………..………… 92 DISCUSSION ………………………………………………...……………………. 103 Conclusions …………………………………………...………….……………… 103 Limitations …………………………………………….….……………………… 107 Recommendations …………………..……………...……………….…………… 108 APPENDIX A - EARTH EDUCATION …………………………………...…...… 110 APPENDIX B - EARTH EDUCATION RESEARCH AND EVALUATION TEAM (EERET) …..................................................................................................... 117 APPENDIX C - EARTHKEEPERS RESIDENT ACTIVITY SCHEDULE ……... 119 APPENDIX D - THE ENVIRONMENT QUESTIONNAIRE (TEQ)…………...... 120 APPENDIX E - PROGRAM FOLLOW-THROUGH SURVEY (PFTS) …….…... 121 APPENDIX F - HUMAN SUBJECTS APPROVAL ………………...………….... 123 APPENDIX G - LETTER TO THE DISTRICTS/PRINCIPALS ………….……… 124 APPENDIX H - PARENTAL CONSENT AND MINOR’S ASSENT FORMS …. 125 APPENDIX I - INTERVIEW SUMMARIES …………….………….....………... 129 REFERENCES ……………………………………………...……………....……… 167 8 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Categories of Activities in Earthkeepers ……………………..…............ 54 Table 2. The Revised Environmental Perception (ENV) Scale ………..……...… 61 Table 3. The NEP Scale for Children……………………………….……....….... 65 Table 4. Analyses of Variance of All Participants’ Mean Pre-Test Scores .…...... 85 Table 5. Analyses of Variance of All Participants’ Mean Post-Test Scores …..… 86 Table 6. Mean Pre- and Post-Test Comparison of Environmental Perceptions for Completers ………………………………..…………… 87 Table 7. Mean Pre- and Post-Test Comparison of Environmental Perceptions for Non-Completers …………………...………..…….…… 88 Table 8. Mean TEQ Score Comparison Between the Original (N=604) and New Sample (N=743) ………………………………….….……….. 90 Table 9. Group and Interviewee Mean Post-TEQ Scores ………….….……...…. 92 Table 10. Interviewee Mean Environmental Perceptions Scores a Year After the Program ………………………...…….…...….………. 102 9 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Attitude-Behavior Relations ………………………………..…...………... 26 Figure 2. Rokeach’s Two Attitude Theory of Behavior …………………..……….. 27 Figure 3. Determinants of Environmentally Responsible Behavior ………..……… 28 Figure