Two for one: achieving both pro-environmental behavior and subjective well-being by implementing environmental-hope-enhancing programs in schools

Abstract

To examine inconsistent past findings on green schools’ influences on students, a mediation model was tested for 1903 Israeli students in Grades 5-6 in 30 green and 16 non-green schools. Results indicated that green school students reported more pro-environmental behavior (PEB) and more school satisfaction compared to their peers at non-green schools. Path analysis showed that students who participated in hope-enhancing programs, regardless of school type, reported higher PEB, school’s satisfaction and positivity ratio. Finally, students’ environmental hope levels demonstrated the strongest association with self-reported levels of PEB, school satisfaction, and positivity ratio. Implications of these findings are discussed.