Strategies to Promote Environmental Protection Awareness and Attitude of Secondary School Students in Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu, India

Indian Journal of Natural Sciences www.tnsroindia.org.in ©IJONS
Vol.15 / Issue 83 / Apr / 2024 International Bimonthly (Print) – Open Access ISSN: 0976 – 0997
71459
Strategies to Promote Environmental Protection Awareness and Attitude
of Secondary School Students in Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu, India
N. Anandakumar1*, M. Deivam2 and A. Thangasamy3
1Assistant Professor-Contractual Faculty, Department of Education, The Gandhigram Rural Institute
(Deemed to be University), Gandhigram, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, India.
2Assistant Professor, Department of Education, HNB Garhwal University, Uttarakhand, India
3Assistant Professor - Contractual Faculty, Department of Education, The Gandhigram Rural Institute
(Deemed to be University), Gandhigram, Dindigul , Tamil Nadu , India .
Received: 08 Dec 2023 Revised: 20 Jan 2024 Accepted: 09 Mar 2024
*Address for Correspondence
N.Anandakumar
Assistant Professor-Contractual Faculty,
Department of Education,
The Gandhigram Rural Institute (Deemed to be University),
Gandhigram, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, India.
E.Mail: drnanandakumar@gmail.com
This is an Open Access Journal / article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License
(CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the
original work is properly cited. All rights reserved.
Environmental protection awareness refers to the understanding of environmental issues and the
importance of preserving the environment. It involves recognizing the impact of our actions on the
environment and the need for sustainable practices. The objective of this study is to investigate the
impact of environmental protection awareness interventions and strategies, considering locality and
media influence, on the environmental attitude of secondary school students. The study adopted a single
group pre and post-test experimental design method. In this study, a purposive sampling method was
used, selecting a focused group of 50 students from St. Joseph’s Matriculation School in Dindigul. This
study utilized various statistical techniques, including mean and standard deviation calculations for
dataset analysis. The t-test was used for comparing pre and post intervention scores, and percentage
analysis was conducted for understanding attitude changes. The study found that the environmental
education intervention positively influenced secondary school students' environmental attitude. After the
intervention, there was an overall increase in environmental attitude scores, indicating voluntary
participation in environmental activities, sharing of environmental knowledge, and preference for
environmentally-friendly products.
Keywords: Environmental Protection, Secondary School Students, Awareness Strategies, Environmental
Education and Student Engagement
ABSTRACT
RESEARCH ARTICLE
RESEARCH ARTICLE

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INTRODUCTION
Each individual holds the responsibility to increase awareness about various aspects of environmental protection [1].
The environmental conservation measures instituted by government entities and businesses have proven
insufficient. Both sectors need to amplify their efforts for more substantial and effective environmental protection
[2].Promoting environmental protection strategies among secondary school students is a pressing issue in today's
global environmental context, particularly considering current concerns around climate change, biodiversity loss,
and resource depletion[3]. Secondary school students stand at the cusp of adulthood, forming personal attitudes,
values, and behaviors they will carry into the future. Thereby, our modern society positions them as significant
contributors towards environmental sustainability [4]. Environmental education centered on sustainability and
promoting understanding of our relationship with the environment plays a crucial role[5]. It cultivates
environmentally informed citizens, fostering improvements on both individual and community levels[6].By
engaging students in active, participative learning about their environment, they gain the required knowledge,
attitudes, skills, and confidence to take meaningful environmental actions[7].People often perceive sustainably-
focused behaviors as burdensome, costly, or overly complicated, creating substantial barriers towards constructive
attitudes about the environment[8].Contextualizing environmental protection within students' lives and providing
them with strategies to manage these challenges is crucial [9]. By doing this, students are more likely to understand
the relevance of these problems to their lives, engendering a tendency to adopt environmentally friendly practices.
Moreover, a comprehensive environmental education program goes beyond merely instilling knowledge[10].
Environmental protection strategies involve multidisciplinary information from sciences such as biology, ecology,
meteorology, and even social sciences like sociology and economics[11]. Combined, they educate students on how
their actions contribute to larger environmental systems, creating a sense of empathy and concern for their local and
global communities [12].Importantly, environmental action is not solely an individual challenge, but a collaborative
effort. Schools can become 'green' models in which students can practice eco-management strategies, motivationally
promoting environmental care in broader social environments [13]. However, the degree to which secondary school
students implement environmentally friendly practices is relatively unexplored. Further, there is a need to monitor
and promote the application of the environmental protection strategies they learn [14].By focusing on this
overlooked demographic, the study will provide valuable insights, contributing beneficially to the community,
environment, and the students themselves. In this study will examine the implementation of environmental
protection strategies among secondary school students, aiming to shed light on their environmental attitude, inspire
further academic inquiry, and influence educational curriculum formation concerning environmental sustainability.
By doing this, we hope to motivate students towards adopting sustainable life practices, raising environmentally
responsible generations.
The research found significant positive effects of environmental education on environmental awareness and attitude,
with an enhanced understanding expected to promote related attitude. This is aligned with the revised
Environmental Protection Law in China [15]. The study found that education level, waste disposal costs, accessibility
to waste collection facilities, and government regulations significantly influence waste classification and
environmental protection practices among rural households. It recommends enhanced awareness programs, stronger
waste disposal funding, and rigid laws to improve waste management and environmental conservation [16].The
investigation unveiled that there exists a notable, yet moderate, positive correlation between the understanding and
mindset concerning the preservation of the environment [17]. The primary discovery indicates that the degree of
consciousness regarding the preservation of ecological assets among B.Ed scholars is of a moderate nature [18]. The
findings reveal that students from urban regions who study in English have a more developed understanding of
environmental issues compared to students from semi-urban rural areas who study in Bengali [19]. [20]Investigated
consumer intentions to use eco-friendly shopping bags, offering practical insights into behavioral strategies for
environmental protection
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Objectives
1. To recognize the effective environmental protection strategies applicable for secondary school students.
2. To assess the effect of an environmental protection awareness of intervention on the attitude of secondary school
students.
3. To assess the effect of strategies to enhance environmental protection awareness on secondary school students
with respect to locality and media influence.
Hypotheses
Ho1: There is no significant effect of strategies to enhance environmental protection awareness on secondary school
students, regardless of locality and media influence.
Ho2: There is no significant difference in the environmental attitude of secondary school students before and after
the intervention.
METHODOLOGY
The study adopts a single group pre and post experimental design. Firstly, a pre-test is conducted to assess the
participants' initial levels of awareness regarding environmental protection. Following this, an intervention or
treatment is implemented aimed at enhancing participants' environmental protective attitude. This intervention is
the transitional phase between the pre-test and the post-test. After the intervention, a post-test is conducted to
measure the enhanced understanding and awareness of participants about environmental protection. This approach
helps in closely tracking the changes in awareness levels and quantifying the effectiveness of the intervention used in
the study.
Sample
The study employs purposive sampling, a type of non-probability sampling technique, to select its participants. In
this method, the researcher's knowledge about the population is used to choose the sample. For this particular study,
a sample of 50 students is deliberately chosen from St. Joseph’s Matriculation School, Dindigul. The selection is based
on the premise that these students can provide valuable, relevant, and diverse insights into the research topic. The
chosen sample from this particular school may reflect a specific demographic, regional, academic, or socio-cultural
perspective that the study aims to analyze and understand.
Instrument
The study employs an achievement test as a primary tool, consisting only of a post-test designed for English-medium
students. The test has been developed based on expert guidance and is scored out of a total of 50 marks. The question
pattern of the post-test involves various types of questions: 'Choose the correct answer' with 20 questions for 20
marks, 'Fill in the blanks' with 10 questions for 10 marks, 'Match the following' with 10 questions for 10 marks, and
'True or False' with 10 questions for 10 marks. This totals to 50 questions for the full score.
Implementation of Strategies
In this research, we employed various engaging strategies to foster environmental awareness. These strategies,
aimed at different environmental topics, included 'Save trees!' via role-play; 'No Plastic Bags!' through mime; 'Air
Pollution' tackled in a skit; 'Water Pollution' presented through a puppet show; 'Climate Change' explored in a video
show; the issue of 'Refrigerant Poisoning' discussed in a debate; and 'Newspaper Carbon' addressed through a
monoact. Post implementation of these strategies, an experimental test was conducted to evaluate their effectiveness.
Among these strategies, the mime performance - focused on discouraging the use of plastic bags - was identified as
the most effective learning tool for the students. This approach helped the students grasp the topic more efficiently,
indicating the value of interactive and creative educational methods in enhancing learning outcomes.
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RESULTS
The table 1 shows that, the results of a Shapiro-Wilk test, conducted to assess the normality of data distribution. In
both pre-test and post-test, the sample size (N) is 50, with standard deviations of 2.05 and 1.96 respectively. The
Shapiro-Wilk W value is a measurement ranging from 0 to 1. Values close to 1 indicate that the distribution of data is
close to normal. In this case, the W values for both pre-test and post-test are quite close to 1 (0.967 and 0.966
respectively), suggesting the data follows a relatively normal distribution. The Shapiro-Wilk p-values help us
determine whether to reject the null hypothesis that the data is from a normal distribution. A p-value greater than
0.05 usually means we fail to reject the null hypothesis, indicating the data has a normal distribution. Here, the p-
values for both the pre-test and post-test (0.173 and 0.158) are greater than 0.05, allowing us to assume that both
datasets are normally distributed.
Ho1: There is no significant effect of strategies to enhance environmental protection awareness on secondary school
students, regardless of locality and media influence.
The comparison between the pre-test and post-test scores for environmental protection awareness among 50
secondary school students is presented in Table 2. The pre-test score had a mean of 24.56 with a standard deviation
of 2.05. In contrast, the post-test exhibited an increase in awareness, with a mean of 33.76 and a slightly reduced
standard deviation of 1.96. By conducting a paired t-test with 49 degrees of freedom, a t-value of 25.22 was obtained.
The remarkably high t-value, in conjunction with a p-value of less than 0.000, indicates a statistically significant
enhancement in environmental protection awareness between the pre-test and post-test. Consequently, the null
hypothesis is rejected, and the alternative hypothesis is accepted.
The table 3 shows that, a comparison between the post-test scores on environmental protection awareness of two
groups of secondary school students, sorted by locality. The group of 24 students from a rural locality had a mean
score of 32.29 with a standard deviation of 1.16, whereas the group of 26 students from an urban locality had a higher
mean score of 35.12 with a larger standard deviation of 1.52. The t-test, run with 48 degrees of freedom, gave a t-
value of 7.30. The corresponding p-value of .000 suggests that the difference in post-test scores between the rural and
urban students is statistically significant, with urban students scoring higher on average. The table 4 shows a
comparison of post-test scores for environmental protection awareness among secondary school students influenced
by different media: social media and TV. The assemblage employing social media is composed of 30 scholars and
possesses an average score of 34.50 with a standard deviation of 2.14. Conversely, the assemblage utilizing television
encompasses 20 scholars and manifests a lower average score of 32.65 alongside a diminished standard deviation of
0.87. Employing 48 degrees of freedom, a t-test produced a t-value of 3.64. With a p-value of .001, the data implies a
statistically significant distinction in environmental preservation consciousness amidst the two assemblages, wherein
social media users demonstrate heightened levels of awareness in comparison to television.
The table 5 presents the mean scores of eight different environmental protection strategies including Role Play,
Mime, Skit, Puppet Show, Drama, Video Show, Debate, and Mono act. The mean score represents the average
effectiveness of each strategy, calculated from collected data. The strategy with the highest mean score is Mime, with
a score of 44, suggesting that it might be the most effective strategy for environmental protection among those
considered. The Puppet Show also has a high mean score of 42.6. On the other end, the strategy with the lowest mean
score is Debate, at 38, indicating it might be the least effective among the assessed strategies. However, all means are
relatively close to each other, which suggests that the strategies show similar levels of effectiveness. Future studies
could delve deeper into determining the factors that may influence these scores and the success of different
strategies.
Ho2: There is no significant difference in the environmental attitude of secondary school students before and after
the intervention.
The table 6 shows that, compares the environmental attitude of secondary school students before and after an
intervention. The attitude is rated on a scale, with higher scores indicating greater frequency or intensity of the
attitude. Across all measures, there was an increase in scores after the intervention, suggesting that the intervention
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had a positive effect on the students' environmental attitude. For instance, before the intervention, the average score
for watching TV and radio shows about the environment was 2.76, which increased to 4.02 after the intervention.
Similarly, before the intervention, students' willingness to volunteer in school environment-related activities had a
mean score of 3.06, which rose to 4.3 after the intervention. This trend is consistent across all the variables, which
suggests the effectiveness of the intervention in enhancing students' environmental attitude. The score for sharing
environmental knowledge with friends improved from 2.5 to 3.92. There was also a rise in the score for preferring to
buy recyclable products, from 2.56 to 3.92, and in the score for preferring to buy environmentally-friendly products,
even if costlier, from 2.7 to 4.02. These increases in scores indicate the intervention had a positive effect on improving
the students' environmental attitude.
DISCUSSION
This review study shed light on the effectiveness of educational interventions in fostering environmental attitude.
The research findings align with previous studies such as those by [5,7], which affirmed the significant role of
education plays in strategic environmental attitude and sustainability. However, a noteworthy point of divergence
from Li's study can be observed. [15] research concentrated on environmental education’s effect on awareness and
attitudes, whereas this review revealed that the intervention additionally reflected in distinct attitude changes. It
indicates that the combination of awareness and practical involvement might result in higher impact towards
environmental sustainability. Differing from Liu et.al., [16] research, which focused on rural residents' environmental
awareness and waste classification attitude and this study concentrated on a more comprehensive range of
environmental activities among the youth. Additionally, Robelia et.al., [9] conducted a review of environmental
knowledge surveys, slightly similar to this study. However, beyond knowledge assessment, the current study also
dissected attitude alterations post-intervention, providing a more rounded view of the effect of environmental
education. In conclusion, the study aligns largely with existing research on environmental education, but offers
deeper insights into potential attitude shifts resulting from educational interventions. More comparable, longitudinal
studies would be advantageous for the field's ongoing progress.
CONCLUSION
The study has highlighted the importance of environmental protection awareness and the significant role of
educational interventions in fostering environmentally responsible attitude. The analysis of the intervention in
secondary schools revealed an increase in environmental consciousness among the students, evidenced by raised
scores across various indicators. The numerous studies cited offer a broad perspective on environmental education
and its capacity to inspire sustainable practices. This research underscores the necessity for ongoing and enhanced
multidisciplinary efforts in environmental education to encourage responsible attitude and foster awareness. The
positive outcomes from the intervention suggest that such education programs can indeed yield tangible results in
the bid for environmental sustainability. Consequently, the study calls for continued emphasis on, and investment
in, environmental education as a critical tool for advancing global environmental sustainability goals.
Recommendation
Based on the conclusions of this review study, the following recommendations are suggested: More emphasis should
be placed on environmental education in secondary schools, given its demonstrated efficacy in increasing
environmental awareness and instilling environmentally-friendly attitude. Future research should further explore
the long-term effects of such educational interventions to ensure their impact is sustained over time and not limited
to the duration of the intervention. The development of curricula and school programs should integrate
environmental topics substantially and consistently to engage students regularly in environmental concerns. Policy
makers should consider these findings in their decision-making process, by investing more resources, both financial
and human, in environmental education. Businesses and industry also have a role in promoting environmental
subjects and could cooperate with schools to provide practical learning experiences to deepen students'
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understanding of environmental sustainability. The success of intervention-oriented environmental education
should be replicated across other learning environments, such as tertiary institutions and informal learning
platforms, to broaden the impact on a wider audience. Advocacy for attitude change towards the environment
should extend beyond the educational environment. Local communities and parents can be engaged with similar
intervention strategies to cultivate a holistic attitude of environmental sustainability across all age groups.
Conflicts and Interest
None.
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Table 1 Data Normality Test
Statistics Pre-test Post-test
N 50 50
Standard deviation 2.05 1.96
Shapiro-Wilk W 0.967 0.966
Shapiro-Wilk p 0.173 0.158
Table 2 Pre and Post test scores of environmental protection awareness of secondary school students
Test N Mean S.D df t-value p-value
Pre-test 50 24.56 2.05
49 25.22 .000
Post-test 50 33.76 1.96
Table 3 Post test scores of environmental protection awareness of secondary school students with respect to
locality
Locality N Mean S.D df t-value p-value
Rural 24 32.29 1.16
48 7.30 .000
Urban 26 35.12 1.52
Table 4 Post test scores of environmental protection awareness of secondary school students with respect to
media influence
Media influence N Mean S.D df t-value p-value
Social Media 30 34.50 2.14
48 3.64 .001
TV 20 32.65 0.87
Table 5 Mean Scores of Eight Environmental Protection Strategies
Strategies RolePlay Mime Skit Puppetshow Drama Videoshow Debate Monoact
Mean 41.6 44 41.6 42.6 40 40 38 41
Table 6 Environmental Attitude of secondary school students before and after intervention
Statements
Before intervention
(Mean)
After Intervention
(Mean)
1. I watch TV and radio shows about the environment. 2.76 4.02
2. I read news articles on environmental topics. 2.62 4
3. I watch documentaries centered on the environment. 2.64 3.8
4. I read non-textbook books about environmental issues. 2.78 3.86
5. I read widely-known environmental magazines. 2.94 3.8
6. I read research papers about the environment. 2.78 3.8
7. I'm not afraid to criticize someone who is harming the
environment.
3.02 4.2
8. I'm willing to participate voluntarily in school activities
related to the environment.
3.06 4.3
9. My friends see me as environmentally conscious. 2.8 4.02
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10. I'm willing to work long hours for lower pay if it
contributes to a healthier environment.
2.56 3.92
11. I share my environmental knowledge with my friends. 2.5 3.92
12. I choose to buy products that can be recycled. 2.56 3.92
13. I'd rather buy environmentally-friendly products, even if
they cost more.
2.7 4.02
Anandakumar et al.,

Strategies to Promote Environmental Protection Awareness and Attitude of Secondary School Students in Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu, India

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