Environmental Attitudes in Trainee Teachers in Primary Education. The Future of Biodiversity Preservation and Environmental Pollution.

Inmaculada Aznar-Díaz,Francisco-Javier Hinojo-Lucena,María-Pilar Cáceres-Reche,Juan-Manuel Trujillo-Torres,José-María Romero-Rodríguez

doi:10.3390/ijerph16030362

Inmaculada Aznar-Díaz, Francisco-Javier Hinojo-Lucena + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16030362

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Abstract

The environmental challenges of the twenty-first century are a consequence of the impact that human beings have on nature. Because of this, environmental attitudes are paramount in establishing effective measures regarding both biodiversity preservation and environmental pollution. Therefore, the main goal of this paper has been evaluating the environmental attitudes of future primary education teachers, considering their responsibility for teaching the new generations of citizens. A quantitative methodology has been applied to describe the reality observed. The data collection instrument used was the scale of environmental attitudes towards specific problems; this scale was applied to a sample of 307 students of the degree in Primary Education at the University of Granada. More specifically, the subscales corresponding to pollution, biodiversity, natural spaces and recycling were analysed. Results reveal a high level of environmental attitudes in future primary education teachers; moreover, there is a positive interdependence among the different subscales. Finally, it is of great importance to evaluate the environmental attitudes of future primary education teachers, given that the future of biodiversity preservation and environmental pollution are in the hands of new generations.

Highlights

Environmental degradation has increased over recent decades, resulting in a worldwide issue [1,2].This has had an impact on society, where certain public institutions and private companies (SpanishOffice of Climate Change, United Nations, Goldman Sachs, Google, Apple, Microsoft) have put in place a number of policies and programmes at microeconomic and macroeconomic levels with the aim of slowing down an environmental disaster [3,4]
What is the environmental attitude of future primary education teachers towards pollution and its repercussions for biodiversity and natural spaces?
Resultsreveal reveala apositive positivepredisposition predispositiontowards towardsthe the different subscales, which suggests that future teachers are aware of worldwide challenges caused by different subscales, which suggests that future teachers are aware of worldwide challenges caused environmental pollution and the both biodiversity and natural spaces by environmental pollution andloss the of loss of both biodiversity and natural spaces

Summary

Introduction

Environmental degradation has increased over recent decades, resulting in a worldwide issue [1,2].This has had an impact on society, where certain public institutions and private companies (SpanishOffice of Climate Change, United Nations, Goldman Sachs, Google, Apple, Microsoft) have put in place a number of policies and programmes at microeconomic and macroeconomic levels with the aim of slowing down an environmental disaster [3,4]. Environmental degradation has increased over recent decades, resulting in a worldwide issue [1,2]. This has had an impact on society, where certain public institutions and private companies Recycling and waste reduction are the main actions at home, given that the status of natural settings has a direct impact on the health of human beings [5]. Some of the ecological disasters caused by humans The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) highlights the major environmental challenges of the twenty-first century, including environmental pollution, deforestation of natural spaces and loss of biodiversity [6].

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Conclusion