Environmental Knowledge And The Connection To Nature Are Both Associated With Ecological Behaviour And Environmental Attitude

Abstract

Few controlled studies have examined the effect of nature-based training on environmental activism; hence the results are unclear. This makes it hard to draw conclusions about what caused what and provide suggestions for solutions. The study's authors detail the findings from an experiment that assessed the impact of a "nature-based environmental education (NBEE)" course on students' environmental attitudes (EA) & behaviours (EB). The children in the control group were also part of the course, but they continued with their regular schooling. Seven elementary schools in Spain were involved in the initiative. Classes were assigned at random to either the NBEE course or the traditional "environmental education (EE)" programme at each school. Our research shows that compared to the control group, the NBEE group had much higher increases in children's EA levels. In both groups of kids, the average prevalence of EB remained rather stable over time. Our findings support the idea that formal education programmes might benefit from including a nature-based pedagogy in their curricula to help shape students' environmental consciousness.