Abstract
The goal of the present research was to assess the environmental worldviews and concerns of students from the fourth to the seventh grade in Slovenia. The New Ecological Paradigm Scale for Children was translated and validated for use with Slovenian primary school students (N = 310). The students were also asked about their environmental concerns (using statements from the Environmental Motives Scale) and demographic questions. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted for the New Ecological Paradigm scale using AMOS software, confirming a three-dimensional model with ten items. The students showed the highest agreement with the items in the factor Rights of Nature, and the lowest agreement with Human Exemptionalism. The environmental attitudes of the students decreased from the fourth to the seventh grade, while altruistic environmental concerns significantly increased with higher grades. Gender differences were not statistically significant for environmental worldviews and concerns. The reported results show that biospheric environmental concern positively correlates with the factors Rights of Nature and belief in Eco-Crisis, and negatively correlates with Human Exemptionalism. The New Ecological Paradigm tool will enable the evaluation of education programmes for children in Slovenia.
Highlights
Environmental problems are among the most pressing social issues of our time
Slovenia has introduced an obligatory curriculum for environmental education as education for sustainable development, which must be autonomously introduced into the curricula of each primary and secondary school (Šorgo & Kamenšek, 2012)
The results show that a 3-factor model (Rights of Nature, Eco-Crisis and Human Exemptionalism) is a more suitable structure for use in the Slovenian context than the 1-factor model of the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) Scale for Children
Summary
Environmental problems are among the most pressing social issues of our time. Major environmental problems can readily generate strong feelings in anyone delving into the roots of the current situation. The success of environmental education depends on cognitive development and environmental knowledge (with special attention to knowledge of biology and ecology), affective and motivational factors (especially a connection to nature and feelings about one’s ability to achieve effects in the world), and actual behaviour (participating, taking action and problem-solving) (Clayton & Myers, 2009). Schools must play their part in the process of raising the awareness and competence of citizens in managing our planet in a sustainable way, and must accept responsibility for building “environmental literacy” by means of environmental education (Brennan, 1994). This concerns those offering both formal and informal environmental education programmes in Slovenia, as well as researchers investigating the development of environmental attitudes
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