Factors Affecting Environmental Knowledge and Attitudes among Lebanese College Students

Abstract

This exploratory study aimed at assessing the variables that would positively affect the knowledge and attitude of a group of Lebanese college students regarding the environment, namely such factors as gender, age, previous hiking experience and living abroad. A purposeful sample of students attending the Lebanese American University, was asked to fill out a questionnaire that assesses four major domains related to attitudes towards the environment: concern, knowledge, willingness to act, present and past behavior, and a minor domain, experience with nature. Results showed overall significance with specific patterns emerging: living abroad correlated with knowledge and experience, frequency of hiking with all dependent variables and marginally with concern, and gender marginally with willingness to act, actual behavior and experience in favor of males. The independent variables of gender, living abroad and major yielded the most significant correlations with the dependent variable of experience with the environment. The strongest correlations were found between the pairs of females living abroad and knowledge, and between nonbusiness students and experience with the environment. Age consistently showed no correlation with any of the measured variables. As for hiking experience, a surprising trend emerged. Those with more hiking reported less experience with the environment. Implications and recommendations based on the findings are discussed.