2018 Conference

Individual Paper Presentation

Knowledge is the most commonly measured outcome in the review of environmental education work, followed by attitudes. Limited work, however, has engaged how youth acquire environmental attitudes under a quasi-experimental condition. This study used the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to identify the attitudes that influence K-12 students’ (grades 8-12, across socioeconomic districts) intent to perform environmentally significant behaviors (ESB). This research takes a closer look at the relationship between the role of knowledge and ESB. Students were surveyed before and after an intervention that consisted of education about renewable energy and environment. Students completed a questionnaire early in the school year and toward the end of the year, well after the intervention (n=1,403). In addition to the TPB constructs, the pre-post questionnaire assessed four types of attitudes (energy, ecocentric, anthropocentric, and affective). Examination of the four-attitudinal types revealed that affective, ecocentric, and anthropocentric attitudes were central in predicting behavioral intent in youth. Perceived behavioral control and affective attitudes were the most significant predictors of student intent to engage in ESB. Norms, behavioral beliefs, and control beliefs also contribute to an increase in the likelihood of students engaging in ESB.