Effect of the Israeli “Green Schools” Reform on Pupils’ Environmental Attitudes and Behavior

Brit Shay-Margalit, Ofir D. Rubin

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

17 Scopus citations

Abstract

The objective of this study was to explore the mechanism through which a reform in environmental education (EE) programs affects pupils’ relation to the environment. We surveyed 589 pupils aged 9–12 years in three types of Israeli elementary school: regular schools, schools that implement an EE program (designated “green schools”), and schools that implement a more intensive EE program (designated “persistent green schools”). Analyzing the results obtained from our questionnaire, we found that both EE programs had a positive effect on environmental attitudes. Importantly, however, only persistent green schools showed a direct positive effect on environmental behavior. In addition, we assessed the influences of various demographic and other factors on pupils’ relation to the environment. Of note, we found that students who spent their leisure time watching TV or engaging with other electronic media expressed less concern about the environment.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)112-128
Number of pages17
JournalSociety and Natural Resources
Volume30
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 2 Jan 2017

Keywords

  • Environmental attitudes
  • environmental behavior
  • environmental education
  • green school

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Development
  • Environmental Science (miscellaneous)
  • Sociology and Political Science

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