The Mediating Role of Primary School Environmental Education in Promoting Children’s Pro-environmental Behavior: A Game Format Experiment

Abstract

Enhancing children’s pro-environmental behavior (PEB) is crucial for a more sustainable future. To overcome environmental problems, the most effective and direct approach is designing an adequate environmental education system, pinpointing pro-environmental awareness, intention, and behaviors. Many research studies have discussed to raise environmental awareness and knowledge of primary school students, but little research consider the direct impact of the environmental attitude on pro-environmental behavior. The present study aims to apply the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to examine the mediating role of school environmental education in encouraging children’s pro-environmental intention and behavior. Primary school students (n=103) were recruited from a local government-funded primary school in Hong Kong. The present study adapted a game format with set of tools and data was analyzed using SmartPLS3.0. The present study provided empirical support that environmental education in primary school mediates the relationship between pro-environmental attitude and pro-environmental intention. Thus, the importance of the mediator role of school environmental education is important in increasing pro-environmental intention. Theoretically, the results contributed to TPB application by highlighting primary students with pro-environmental attitude were more likely to induce pro-environmental intention with environmental education and vice versa. Practically, primary school teachers should teach more contents about environmental knowledge (e.g., diversity of life, ecology, and habitats) in General Studies. To conclude, school environmental education is crucial in promoting children’s pro-environmental behavior.



Author Information
Peggy Ng, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
Cherry Cheung, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong

Paper Information
Conference: ACEID2022
Stream: Primary & Secondary Education

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Posted by James Alexander Gordon