Paper presented at World Conference on Educational Sciences (WCES) at Bahcesehir University, Istanbul, Turkey February 2010

1. 1
ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS LEVEL
IN THE CONCEPT OF
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
AMONGST SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS
Dr. Arba’at Hassan
Faculty of Education
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
arbaat@yahoo.com
WCES 2010 BAHCESEHIR
UNIVERSITY, ISTANBUL

2. 2
Framework
• Introduction
• EE Objectives (UNESCO 1989)
• Research Method
• Data and Findings
• Discussion
• Conclusion
WCES 2010 BAHCESEHIR
UNIVERSITY, ISTANBUL

3. 3
Introduction
• 1960: environmental knowledge taught only to
students in Biology classes (concepts of
ecology).
• 1970: EE taught as a subject by itself (as
technology started to effect environment).
• Series of conferences, seminars, etc.....Bulgaria,
Tbilisi, Rio de Janerio, Langkawi (Malaysia), etc.
• Langkawi Declaration on Envt (1989)
recommended for economic growth and
sustainable development (eradicate poverty,
meet basic needs, thus enhance the quality of
people’s life).
WCES 2010 BAHCESEHIR
UNIVERSITY, ISTANBUL

4. 4
• Science Seminar Towards Educational
Reformation (1993) ...curriculum must include
contents and strategies. The three contents
related to environmental education (EE) were;
(i) courses (increase environmental awareness)
(ii) laws and policy (increase awareness
towards conservation and relation to
industrialization), and
(iii) environmental noble values (increase
appreciation towards environment) (Yusof &
Khalijah 1993).
WCES 2010 BAHCESEHIR
UNIVERSITY, ISTANBUL

5. 5
• Environmental awareness (EA) concept on
sustainable development (SD) should be achieved
through education.
• These four objectives (UNESCO 1989)
recommended:
(i) Knowledge,
(ii) Awareness,
(iii) Skills, and
(iv) Participation (Hungerford & Volk 1992;
Arbaat 1992; 2006; 2009).
• Focus must be well planned for students/courses to
integrate activities, fieldworks, projects,
investigations, evaluations, ...analyses.
WCES 2010 BAHCESEHIR
UNIVERSITY, ISTANBUL

6. 6
Method
• n=340; secondary school students
(science and art streams)
• Quantitative:
(questionnaire=descriptive; measure EA
level and concept for SD).
• Questionnaire: Likert (5 rating).
• The Cronbach α-coefficient: 0.81
• Qualitative (literature review=status on
the concept of SD).WCES 2010 BAHCESEHIR
UNIVERSITY, ISTANBUL

7. 7
Fig 1: Levels of EA and sustainability practices
and attitudes in the concept of SD
• EA analysis of mean amongst secondary school
students was “high” ( =3.80).ẍ
• The practices, attitudes, and noble values of
sustainability was at “medium” ( =3.54;ẍ
sd=0.53) (Fig 1).
WCES 2010 BAHCESEHIR
UNIVERSITY, ISTANBUL

8. 8
Data Findings
3.80
3.54
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
Environmental
Awareness
Sustainability
Practices
Fig1: level for EA, sustainability practices and attitudesẍ
WCES 2010 BAHCESEHIR
UNIVERSITY, ISTANBUL

9. 9
Pearson Corr Analysis (PCA)
PCA was “weak” but +ve corr bween two variables
[r= 0.31, n=340, p=0.000], (level of practices,
attitudes and noble values of sustainability and level
of EA concept of SD amongst the secondary school
students).
Variables Practices, attitudes and noble
values of sustainability
Level of EA in
the concept of
SD
Corr coefficient, r 0.31
Sig. p (2-tail) 0.000
n 340
WCES 2010 BAHCESEHIR
UNIVERSITY, ISTANBUL

10. 10
4.2 EA level on the Concept of SD (Gender)
• 37.1% (n=126) respondents were males, 62.9%
(n=214) were females.
• T-test indicated a significant difference between
males ( =3.72, sd = .48) as compared to females ( =ẍ ẍ
3.84, sd = .44).
• Female students have higher EA level in the concept
of SD.
Respondents n ẍ sd Df t Sig. p
Male
Female
126
214
3.72
3.84
0.48
0.44
338 -2.30 .022
WCES 2010 BAHCESEHIR
UNIVERSITY, ISTANBUL

11. 11
4.3 EA Level in the Concept of SD (by Subject Streaming)
Respondent n ẍ sd Df t Sig. p
Science stream
Art stream
196
144
3.86
3.71
0.49
0.40
338 2.92 .004
• 57.6% (n=196) respondents = science stream
42.4% (n=144) respondents = art stream students
► T-test : significant difference
science stream = 3.86ẍ
art stream students = 3.71ẍ
• Science stream students have higher level of EA
concept of SD
WCES 2010 BAHCESEHIR
UNIVERSITY, ISTANBUL

12. 12
4.4 EA level Based on School Location
Respondent n ẍ sd Df t Sig. p
Urban area
Suburban area
189
151
3.88
3.69
0.44
0.46
338 3.92 .000
• 55.6% (n=189) = urban; 44.4% (n=151) = suburban
• T-test shows: significant difference
urban ( = 3.88);ẍ
suburban ( = 3.69) (Table 4).ẍ
• Result: urban school students have “higher” level of EA
on the concept of SD
WCES 2010 BAHCESEHIR
UNIVERSITY, ISTANBUL

13. 13
4.5 Categories of the Sustainability Awareness
Item Statement ẍ sd Total (%) VA+A
1 I read about environmental issues in the mass media 3.72 0.94 67.0
2 I concern about environmental problems at my place 3.82 0.86 70.3
3 I always discuss about environmental problems with my friends 2.98 1.03 28.5
4 I feel dissapointed with air pollution 4.36 0.81 86.7
5 I feel dissapointed with river pollution 4.42 0.78 88.9
6 I appreciate biodiversity 3.93 0.89 69.1
7 I concern about smoke that is omitted by vehichels 3.88 0.97 68.2
8 I try to reduce amount of waste at home by collecting materials
that can be recycled
3.37 1.08 46.2
9 I composting the food residue to become fertilizer 2.68 1.06 19.1
10 I do not use plastic bag to wrap things 2.51 1.12 18.3
11 I conserve the use of electric energy at home 3.76 1.03 65.9
12 I conserve the use of water supply 3.66 1.07 62.7
13 I deliver informations on environment to my family members 2.98 1.04 27.6
14 I involve in the environmental awareness activities in school 3.06 1.07 33.2
15 I aware my responsibility towards environment 4.04 0.99 75.8
Overall (Level of sustainability practices, attitudes and noble values) 3.54 0.53
* Level indicator: 1.00-2.33 low, 2.34-3.66 medium, 3.67-5.00 high
WCES 2010 BAHCESEHIR
UNIVERSITY, ISTANBUL

14. 14
Fig 2: Means of items on sustainability practices, attitudes and noble
value
4.5 Categories of the Sustainability Awareness
3.72
3.82
2.98
4.36
4.42
3.93
3.88
3.37
2.68
2.51
3.76
3.66
2.98
3.06
4.04
3.54
0
1
2
3
4
5
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Level
Item
Mean
WCES 2010 BAHCESEHIR
UNIVERSITY, ISTANBUL

15. 15
4.5 Categories of the SD (%)
Fig 3: Percentage of response VA and A for each items arranged
increasingly
18.3
19.1
27.6
28.5
33.2
46.2
62.7
65.9
67.0
68.2
69.1
70.3
75.8
86.7
88.9
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
A10 A09 A13 A03 A14 B08 B12 B11 B01 B07 B06 C02 C15 C04 C05
Item
PercentageResponse(%)
WCES 2010 BAHCESEHIR
UNIVERSITY, ISTANBUL

16. 16
Discussion: Categories of SD
SD Category Item Percentage response (%)
A. Sustainability
practice
awareness
3, 9, 10, 13, 14 0 – 39.9 (Practices that
seldom or dislike to be
done)
B. Behavioral and
attitude
awareness
1, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12 40.0–69.9 (Practices that are
done/ happened
moderate/medium)
C. Emotional
awareness
2, 4, 5, 15 70.0–100 (Practices/feelings
that are most likely
one/happened)
Analysis of the items based on the percentage responses identified
three categories of sustainability awareness. This means that three
levels of practices students carry out in their daily lifes; the most did;
medium did and seldom did.
WCES 2010 BAHCESEHIR
UNIVERSITY, ISTANBUL

17. 17
• Emotional awareness: They were very aware about
their responsibility and environmental problems around
them. They felt “very dissapointed” about air and river
pollution (item 4 & 5).
• Behavioral and attitude awareness: They mostly did
but need to do somthing (reading, appreciating,
recycling materials, saving energy and water ). Between
40–70% said that they did most.
• Sustainability practice awareness: This category
indicated respondents seldom did. Less than 40% said
they practiced (discuss, deliver information about
environmental problems, compost food residues, use
less plastic bags, involve in environmental awareness
activities, etc.).
Discussion…
WCES 2010 BAHCESEHIR
UNIVERSITY, ISTANBUL

18. 18
• Even though they had “high” level of environmental
awareness, they felt so difficult to act and practice some
attitudes to improve their surrounding problems.
• Students were the least practised discussion and
delivered information about environment to their family
members (27.6%) and friends (28.5%).
• Instead, involvement in environmental awareness
activities in school also among the least (33.2%).
• At home, practised to compost the left-over food (19.1%)
and to reduce the use of the non-biodegradable plastic
bags (18.3%) were the most difficult sustainability
practices to be done.
Conclusion
WCES 2010 BAHCESEHIR
UNIVERSITY, ISTANBUL

19. 19
• Comparison on the level of environmental awareness for
concept of sustainable development between two
groups:
• (i) Science stream (SS) vs art stream (AS) students.
SS students showed higher level of awareness
compared to AS students. (They learned more
environmental and ecological concepts in Biology; more
interest in environmental activities in school and joined
the commitee.
• (ii) Urban school (US) vs suburban school (SS)
students. US students had “higher” level of awareness
compared to SS students (Families are educated and
wealthy residents; EE lesson and awareness from home
and neighbourhood; and carried out some practices at
home.
Conclusion
WCES 2010 BAHCESEHIR
UNIVERSITY, ISTANBUL

20. THANK YOU
WCES 2010 BAHCESEHIR
UNIVERSITY, ISTANBUL
20