Sticks and stones will break my bones but failure feedback may not hurt me: gender differences in the relationship between achievement motive,coping strategies and environmental mastery

This study investigates the processes through which achievement motivation guides the selection of coping strategies which in turn affects environmental mastery post-failure feedback. Seventy-six college students received failure feedback after completing a professional aptitude test. Findings showed that gender moderated the relationship between Hope of Success (HS) and planful problem-solving coping but not between HS and escape-avoidance coping. No moderated mediation was found when HS was used to predict environmental mastery with gender as the moderator and either planful problem-solving or escape-avoidance coping as the mediator. Simple mediation analyses showed that planful problem-solving did not mediate the relationship between HS and environmental mastery. Instead, higher scores on HS predicted lower use of escape-avoidance coping which in turn predicted higher environmental mastery. Implications for the role of feedback in educational settings are discussed.     

The Mediation Effect of Outdoor Recreation Participation on Environmental Attitude-Behavior Correspondence

Outdoor recreation participation has increased over the past decades and is projected for further growth. Given the increase, it is important to assess recreationists’ environmental values, activity style, general, and site-specific attitudes and behaviors to promote environmental stewardship, and to develop effective strategies in natural resource management and public policy. This study explored recreationists’ environmental attitude-behavior relationship and the impact of outdoor recreation activity orientation (as a mediator variable) on attitude-behavior correspondence. Overall, attitudes exhibited stronger direct relationships with behaviors, when compared to the effect of participation on behaviors. The influence of activity participation on attitude-behavior correspondence was not significantly demonstrative. The association between participation in outdoor recreation and environmentalism is complex, and there is a need for additional research to better understand the relationship.     

Transforming Environmental Knowledge Into Behavior: The Mediating Role of Environmental Emotions

The present study was based on the premise that environmental knowledge can drive environmental behavior only if it arouses environmental emotions. Using a structural equations modeling approach, we tested the direct, as well as the indirect (mediated) effects of knowledge on behavior and assessed the mediating role of environmental emotions. We found that knowledge is an important but distal variable, whose significant effect is fully mediated by emotions. The high explanatory power and good fit indices of the model supported and validated the important role of emotions in the learning process.     

From childhood nature experiences to adult pro-environmental behaviors: An explanatory model of sustainable food consumption

Abstract

In two studies, the role of nature experiences and social norms during childhood is explored next to adulthood biospheric values, connectedness to nature, environmental identity, and objective knowledge in relation to pro-environmental behaviors. Study 1 (N?=?185) tested the hypothesized model in the realm of general pro-environmental behaviors and sustainable fruit consumption on a sample of students. Study 2 (N?=?155) tested the model in the realm of sustainable seafood consumer choice on a general population sample. Path analyses show consistent results across samples. Results show that childhood nature experiences and exposure to pro-environmental social norms during childhood are related to adulthood development of connectedness with nature and biospheric values; these, in turn, help in shaping adulthood environmental self-identity ultimately influencing the enactment of sustainable food choices during adulthood. These findings point toward the relevance of childhood experiences for pro-environmental behaviors as compared to the provision of information. The role of objective knowledge across samples is inconsistent, thus requiring future investigations.     

Marine environmental protection knowledge,attitudes, behaviors,and curricular involvement of Taiwanese primary school students in senior grades

In recent years, rapid changes in the Earth's climate and environment have influenced our lives greatly. The ocean occupies 70% of the Earth's surface and is intimately related to the regulation of climate, fostering of life, and also to social economy, as well as sports and leisure. Students in the senior years of primary education are in a phase of developing value systems. Concurrently, these students are also constantly using the Earth's resources. More importantly, they will play leading roles in the next generation. From the perspective of education, the learning status of student's cognition, attitudes, and behaviors regarding protection of the marine environment must be understood more clearly to avoid future mismanagement of marine environmental problems on the part of these students. Hence, this study uses correlative, regressive, and path statistical analysis to examine data collected from questionnaires. Results show that student knowledge of and attitudes toward marine environmental protection do not have significant influences on behaviors; however, student's marine environmental protection knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors are all within the medium to high range. Because of relatively low student curricular involvement, and because involvement has no correlation with knowledge performance, this study infers that school curricula are not the main sources of student information and attitudes regarding marine environmental protection. Rather, building student attitudes toward marine environmental protection by increasing their involvement in field trips indirectly influences behaviors that are protective of the marine environment. Such an approach is comparatively more effective and can serve as a reference for modifying the implementation methods of marine protection curricula.     

To shine or not to shine? – The relationship between environmental knowledge of preteens and their choice among plastic and non-plastic materials for a manual task

Abstract

Since education aims to offer applicable knowledge, studying knowledge–behavior relationship is of key importance in promoting environmental education. But there is scarcity of studies addressing the relationship between knowledge and real behavior choices. We examined the connection between environmental knowledge and behavior (self-reported and measured in an operative way) among 10-12-year-old students, with special focus on the potential mediating role of attitudes. The main research question was whether knowledge (measured with an achievement test) correlates with actual environmental behavior, and how mental accessibility of environmentalism is related to the relationship between knowledge and actual behavior (i.e. choosing a material for completing a manual task). The study with 325 persons revealed that although the positive connection between knowledge and self-reported behavior was fully mediated by environmental attitudes, knowledge was just slightly related to actual behavior, even when the topic of environmentalism appeared before the behavior choice. However, behavior was related to school, suggesting that school-level socialization (beyond the knowledge transfer) is highly influential in forming environmental behavior. The difficulties of studying actual behavior and implications of our findings for practitioners from the field of environmental education are discussed.     

The effect of phubbing,a behavioral problem,on academic procrastination: The mediating and moderating role of academic self-efficacy

Our preoccupation with smartphones affects our attitudes. Our changing attitudes also create disruptions in our daily routines. Smartphones, the most common technological device we use, have exposed individuals to phubbing behavior. The behavioral problem we define as phubbing causes disruptions and procrastination in our academic responsibilities. In this study, the relationship between phubbing frequency and academic procrastination tendencies of students and the effect of academic self-efficacy on this relationship were performed. For this purpose, in this study, the mediator and moderator role of academic self-efficacy in the relationship between academic procrastination and phubbing was examined. The study group of the research consisted of 518 students in late adolescence from Turkey. 323 (62.4%) of the participants were females and 195 (37.6%) of them were males (Mage = 19.4 years). They completed questionnaires measuring phubbing tendency, academic procrastination, academic self-efficacy, and personal information form. It was found that academic self-efficacy was a partial mediator in the relationship between academic procrastination and phubbing. In addition, academic self-efficacy also had a moderator effect. According to these results, it can be said that the acquisition of academic self-efficacy can reduce the negative effects of phubbing, which is a behavioral problem, and the tendency to academic procrastination.     

Role of Significant Life Experiences in Building Environmental Knowledge and Behavior Among Middle School Students

Significant life experience research suggests that the presence of role models, time outdoors, and nature-related media foster pro-environmental behavior, but most research is qualitative. Based on a random sample of middle school students in North Carolina, USA, we found limited positive associations between presence of a role model and time outdoors with behavior and a negative association between watching nature television and environmental knowledge. The strongest predictors of environmental knowledge and behavior were student/teacher ratio and county income levels, respectively. We also found that Native Americans engaged in environmental behaviors more than Caucasians, and that African American and Hispanic students had lower levels of environmental knowledge. Accordingly, life experiences appear less important than promoting small class sizes and addressing challenges associated with lower incomes in schools.     

Identifying Needs,Obstacles, and Solutions

Abstract

Residential environmental education camps provide a setting that can result in beneficial changes in participants' self-esteem, interpersonal relationships, and feelings of connection with the natural world, as well as stimulating greater interest in future low-impact recreation experiences in natural areas. When students learn how ecosystems function and about environmental action strategies that contribute to their maintenance, they develop more environmentally responsible behaviors. Wolf Creek Nature Camp is an environmental education program that integrates awareness of the natural environment, knowledge of environmental concepts and issues, and action on environmental problems. The 2-week program raises campers' self-esteem; increases their interest in, and curiosity about, nature, and fosters outdoor skills. Enhanced self-esteem is a major influence on their desire to take further environmental action.     

An evaluation of the environmental literacy of preservice teachers in Turkey through Rasch analysis

The purpose of this study was to make use of proposed definitions of environmental literacy to (1) guide the application of Rasch analysis and (2) utilize the developed instrumentation to further inform the work of environmental educators. A total of 2311 preservice teachers attending Faculty of Education departments of four public universities located in the capital city of Turkey provided data for this study. The instrument used included a knowledge scale, an attitude scale, an attitude towards environmental responsibility scale and a concern scale. Rasch analysis revealed which those items which address the environmental knowledge widely broadcasted by mass media also were answered correctly by most participants. Generally, instrument items that addressed the understanding of the interrelated nature of environmental knowledge were answered incorrectly by participants. Analysis of attitude and attitude towards environmental responsibility scales indicated that the preservice teachers exhibited the most support for plant and animal rights, environmental protection laws and ecological balance. Results of the concern scale suggested that the preservice teachers were most concerned with regard to issues of poor drinking-water quality. Gender analysis revealed different orientations among females and males in terms of knowledge, attitudes, attitude towards environmental responsibility and concern scales.     

Establishing reliability and construct validity for an instrument to measure environmental connectedness

The purpose of this preliminary study is to establish a reliable and valid measure of environmental connectedness (EC) to allow for further exploration of the Swedish Outdoor Recreation in Change national survey data. The Nordic concept of friluftsliv (nature-based outdoor recreation) and the environmental psychology concept of EC are explored to provide a foundation for the research. Reliability and construct validity testing on items from the Outdoor Recreation in Change survey have been tested and have demonstrated both reliability and construct validity. A reliable and construct valid measure of EC will facilitate research into the possible relationships between EC, nature-based outdoor recreation, and environmental behavior. A better understanding of these relationships may serve to further understanding of the human relationship with nature.     

Environmental knowledge and behavioural outcomes of tourism students in Australia: towards testing a range of mediation and moderated mediation effects

Our study examines the environmental knowledge (EK) and behavioural outcomes of students studying ecotourism in Sydney, Australia. Three competing models were tested to examine the relationships between EK, participation intention (PI) in ecotourism programs, landscape likeability (LL) and social interactions (SI); and the study also tested the moderated mediation influence of gender differences and relationship length on mediators. Partial least squares-based structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyse the data collected from 173 residential tourism students. Key findings suggest whilst LL and PI are significant outcomes of EK, LL has a stronger mediating effect on PI compared to SI; and all mediation effects are further moderated by gender differences. However, only Model 3 confirms the moderating effect of the length of relationship. Noting the key role that EK plays in influencing their PI and LL, our study also suggests ways of developing the tourism students’ EK, through various experiential and pedagogical interventions.     

Child behaviors as a moderator: Examining the relationship between foster parent supports,satisfaction, and intent to continue fostering

Foster parents need access to supports and resources in order to be satisfied with their caregiving role and continue providing foster care services. However, they often experience multiple demands in their role as a substitute caregiver that could lead to stress. Child behaviors especially may be a significant factor when considering sources of strain and may be a potential risk factor for negative outcomes such as dissatisfaction or the decision to discontinue providing foster care. The purpose of this study was to examine whether child disruptive behaviors moderated or influenced the nature or strength of the relationship between foster parent supports and satisfaction as a caregiver as well as intent to continue fostering. The sample consisted of 155 licensed foster caregivers from across the United States. Child behaviors served as a significant moderator between some types of supports and satisfaction. Implications for future research, practice, and policy are discussed.     

环境教育实施与环境行为养成——以台湾某国小高年级学生为例

以自编的“环境行为问卷”为研究工具,以桃园某国小全体五、六年级学生为研究对象,以问卷调查法收集资料,再用t考验、单因子变异数、皮尔逊积差相关、多元回归做统计分析,研究结果均指出学童参与打扫行为的表现是正向且积极的,而打扫行为与环境行为间亦有很高的相关性,打扫行为与环境态度可决定学生环境行为的强弱指标．由此看出,学校环境教育方法与内容得当,会对环境行为的养成有极大帮助．     

Examining youth perceptions and social contexts of litter to improve marine debris environmental education

Abstract

Youth have astute observations about site-specific personal and environmental factors that contribute to littering and marine debris, and they have a strong potential to act as change agents in communities. Interactions with youth in Pinellas County Florida add insights into a growing body of research on environmental education and marine debris prevention. This study assessed perceptions of marine debris and littering behaviors through group discussions with middle school and high school students (N = ～44), evaluations at summer camp programs (N = ～31) and pre- and post-assessments of environmental field trips (pre-assessment N = ～120; post-assessment N = ～140). Youth showed high initial awareness of the effects of marine debris on the environment but showed less understanding about the role of watersheds and biodegradation in marine litter issues. A majority of youth attributed others’ littering behavior to dispositional factors, like laziness, while attributing their own littering to situational factors, like poorly placed bins. Student observations of educators and parents also influenced littering behaviors and willingness to act. To reduce littering, education and outreach programs need to (1) provide opportunities for ongoing assessment of complex marine debris topics, (2) align visual and written or verbal messages, (3) reduce actor/observer bias related to littering behaviors, and (4) support adult role models.     

Examining pre-service teachers’ color-blind racial ideology,emotion regulation,and inflexibility with stigmatizing thoughts about race

In this study, we examined the relationship between 159 predominately White pre-service teachers’ color-blind racial attitudes, emotion regulation, and psychological inflexibility with stigmatizing thoughts about race. Results indicated strong relationships between color-blind racial ideology and psychological inflexibility with stigmatizing thoughts about race. Specifically, emotion regulation difficulties (suppression strategies) served as a mediator between color-blind racial ideology (unawareness of racial privilege) and psychological inflexibility with stigmatizing thoughts about race. In addition, emotion regulation difficulties (lack of emotional clarity) served as a moderator between color-blind racial ideology (blatant racial issues) and psychological inflexibility with stigmatizing thoughts about race. Similarly, emotion regulation difficulties (impulse control difficulties) served as a moderator between color-blind racial ideology (institutional discrimination) and psychological inflexibility with stigmatizing thoughts about race. The study’s overall findings highlight pre-service teachers’ difficulties with regulating their emotions in racial situations as well as how this difficulty in turn influences their ability to change negative thoughts regarding other racial groups. The study has implications for how pre-service teachers regulate racial emotions in the classroom as well as how they may potentially interact with racially diverse students.     

在生物学教学中应强化环境保护教育

通过简述环境恶化导致的危害,生物学知识在环境保护中的地位和作用,环境保护法律、法规教育,环保与发展的关系,强调生物学教学中的环境保护教育.     

Stressors,Self‐Efficacy,Coping Resources,and Burnout among Secondary School Teachers in Spain

The relationships among teacher occupational stressors, self‐efficacy, coping resources, and burnout were investigated in a sample of 247 Spanish secondary school teachers. Concretely, two specific aims were formulated in order to examine the effect of teaching stressors on teacher burnout and the role of self‐efficacy and school coping resources as mediator or moderator variables in the stressor–burnout relationship. Teachers reported that when their pedagogical practice in the school setting was being interfered with or hindered by a set of factors from the multiple contexts involved in students’ learning, problems of burnout occurred. In addition, results revealed that teachers with a high level of self‐efficacy and more coping resources reported suffering less stress and burnout than teachers with a low level of self‐efficacy and fewer coping resources, and vice versa.     

Secondary school students' interests,attitudes and values concerning school science related to environmental issues in Finland

This paper explores the relationship between students' interests in environmental issues, attitudes to environmental responsibility and biocentric values in school science education. The factors were investigated within the framework of three moderators: gender, school and residential area of the school. The survey was carried out using the international ROSE questionnaire with ninth‐grade students (N = 3626) from 68 schools. Likert‐type items were categorised with explorative factor analysis, and multivariate analysis of variance was used to study the importance of the moderators. There were significant correlations between the attitude and value factors. Interest and attitude were also significantly correlated, but the correlation between interest and value was negligible. Girls' attitude was significantly more positive and their biocentric value stronger than those of the boys, while in terms of interest, the gender difference was small. The effect of residential area was negligible, but there were significant differences between schools in all the factors studied. A school's own environmental projects and participation in programmes linked to environmental education or education for sustainable development was suggested to enhance students' interest in environmental issues. The role of interests, attitudes and values in teaching environmental issues are important fields for future research in science, environmental and sustainability education.