A SURVEY OF EFFECTIVENESS OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AT POST HIGHER SECONDARY LEVEL IN KOLKATA

Abstract

The study focuses on the effectiveness of environmental education at post higher secondary levels in Kolkata at the present moment. The research seeks to find the extent to which the post higher secondary level students in Kolkata are acquainted with the present challenges of environmental issues, faced due to anthropogenic factors that are impacting the environment in direct and indirect manners. Environmental education and educating students on the need of protecting the environment play a vital role towards sustainability. Environmental education, provided as a compulsory course in the curriculum, at different levels of educational institutions, has been leaving an important impact on training and preparing the future generation for a greener and sustainable society. The purpose of this study is to examine the knowledge, perception, attitude, relationship and environmental behaviour of post higher secondary level students who have enrolled in different specialized fields of study in colleges in Kolkata. A total of 70 students participated in this survey, conducted in colleges in Central Kolkata. To collect data for measuring students' environmental education, perception, their attitudes towards environment, and behaviour, responses in written form based on questionnaires were recorded. In this study, it was revealed that students receiving academic education at post higher secondary levels are acquainted with the environmental challenges faced in the present days and they are also acquainted with the concept of 'sustainable living'. As a result of the t-test performed, it was put forward that there was no difference in the levels of students' perception regarding the importance of environmental education. As a result of the correlation analysis, a positive relation was identified between the perception, attitude, and behaviour variables.