The Effect of Teacher Beliefs and Self-Efficacy on Environmental Education Program Implementation

Abstract

This study describes the development and initial validation of a tool to measure teachers’ beliefs about environmental education (EE), perceptions about their own self-efficacy in implementing EE in their classroom, perceptions about the support they receive in regards to implementing EE in their classroom, the perceived motivators towards EE, and the perceived barriers towards EE. This instrument was then utilized to measure these five constructs and compare results between participants and non-participants of a school-based environmental education program. All respondents had positive beliefs about environmental education. Participants and non-participants did differentiate between their perceptions of self-efficacy, support, and motivators, suggesting that teachers with high levels of self-efficacy, more motivators, and perceptions of adequate support would be more likely to participate in a school-based environmental education program. Study results also indicate that a teacher’s perceived self-efficacy predicts participation in a school-based environmental education program. Finally, this study examined how a school-based environmental education (EE) program was implemented by teacher participants. Results indicated that most teachers implemented the school-based EE program with moderate fidelity. The results of this study have implications for the evaluation and improvement of program design and curricula of school-based EE programs.