Students’ Environmental Care Attitude: A Study at Adiwiyata Public High School Based on the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP)

Abstract

Environmental care attitude is an important factor in protecting the environment. The Adiwiyata Award is presented as the highest recognition for implementing an environmental care attitude. The aims of this study are to (1) evaluate the execution of the environmental curriculum in Adiwiyata schools; (2) to analyze the students’ environmental care attitudes in Adiwiyata schools in the Pati Regency using the new ecological paradigm (NEP) scale; and (3) to examine the students’ environmental care attitudes in Adiwiyata schools in the Pati Regency related to gender differences. Based on the criteria of Adiwiyata schools, they were used as research subjects. The research subjects were chosen using a purposive sampling technique. A questionnaire was utilized as a data collection instrument. The new ecological paradigm (NEP) scale was used to assess environmental care attitudes. This study used a Likert scale to assess environmental care attitudes. The Mann-Whitney test was used to identify gender differences in environmental care attitudes. The results found that (1) Adiwiyata schools in the Pati Regency supported the implementation of environmental education in the curriculum, as well as participation in environmental activity programs and the use of greenhouses; (2) the environmental care attitudes of students from the SMA Negeri Pati Regency were in the moderate category; and (3) there was a gender difference based on environmental care attitudes, which found that female students have a higher environmental care attitude than the male students. Environmental education plays an important role in gender differences because the Adiwiyata school has integrated learning activities with the environmental education curriculum, and participatory-based environmental activities can improve students’ environmental care attitudes. The potential implication for policy and practice in the field is that humans will consciously prevent environmental problems from occurring.