Developing a Measure of Perceived Environmental Risk

Abstract

This study conceptually and empirically develops a scale that measures perceptions of environmental risk (PER). PER is a measure that is different from the measure of environmental knowledge but equally important because people tend to act on their perceptions regardless of whether they are accurate. A reliable and valid assessment of perceived environmental risk is important for environmental education because it will provide a general overview of the present state of perceptions regarding environmental risk, and it will provide measures of specific environmental issues. Therefore, this type of scale either can provide a comprehensive measure for environmental education programs or can measure specific selected items that apply to certain situations or programs, or both. Administrators and teachers could use this scale to indicate the effectiveness of environmental education programs. We define perceptions of environmental risk as a general measurement of risk which assesses the degree to which one perceives danger, peril, or hazards to either self, community, society, or all three, in regard to specific environmental issues. In developing this scale, we used various heterogenous groups across multiple studies to affirm the scale's validity and reliability.     

Locus of control of children with learning disabilities and perceived locus of control by significant others

The perceptions of parents and teachers of 24 children with learning disabilities regarding their children's or students' locus of control (LC) orientation were compared to the LC orientation held by the children themselves. While no significant differences were found between parents and children, teachers were found to perceive in their students with learning disabilities significantly more internally oriented success experiences than the students perceived in themselves. Significant differences in LC orientation were also found between the children with learning disabilities and a comparable group of nondisabled subjects. Implications for both preservice and inservice teacher education are presented.     

Determinants of young Australians’ environmental actions: the role of responsibility attributions,locus of control,knowledge and attitudes

The current study investigates determinants of young Australians’ pro-environmental intentions and actions. Two samples of young people took part in the research: 12 - 17-year-olds (N = 1529) currently in secondary schooling and 18 - 24-year-olds (N = 2192) in post-secondary schooling or workforce. All participants completed an online ‘Youth and the Environment Survey’ that assessed perceived responsibility of community and government to protect the environment, locus of control, environmental concern, self-reported environmental knowledge, pro-environmental intentions, pro-environmental behaviour and environmentally harmful behaviour. Attributing greater responsibility to the community was related to more positive environmental intentions and actions, whereas, attributing greater responsibility to the government for environmental protection was related to more negative environmental intentions and behaviour. In addition, young people with higher environmental concern and knowledge, and a more internal locus of control in relation to the environment, reported stronger pro-environmental intentions and behaviour, and less environmentally harmful behaviour.     

Achievement goals,efficacy beliefs and coping strategies in mathematics: The roles of perceived parent and teacher goal emphases

This study examines children’s perceptions of the achievement goals parents and teachers emphasize for them in mathematics, and the relation of these goals to children’s personal achievement goals, self-efficacy beliefs, and coping strategies. Results indicated that children’s perceptions of both parent and teacher mastery and performance goal emphases predicted children’s personal goals. Further, children’s personal goals mediated the relation between perceived parent and teacher goal emphases and children’s efficacy beliefs and coping strategies. Children’s perceptions of parent and teacher emphasis on performance goals varied slightly by gender but not ethnic background, whereas variance across groups in perceptions of mastery emphases did not reach practical significance. Relations between goal perceptions, personal goals, efficacy and coping strategies also did not vary by gender or ethnic background. Implications for future research regarding the goals children perceive to be emphasized in home and school contexts, and their importance for children’s adaptive beliefs and behaviors in mathematics, are discussed.     

Relationship of perceived parenting styles,locus of control orientation,and self-concept among junior high age students

Relationships between adolescents' perceptions of their parents' responsiveness and demandingness, adolescents' locus of control orientation, and adolescents' self-concept ratings were investigated. Participants included 198 students in grades eight and nine who were administered the Nowicki–Strickland Internal–External Locus of Control Scale, the Harter Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents, and the Perceived Parenting Styles Survey. Participants who perceived their parents as being Authoritative had a significantly more internal locus of control orientation than subjects who perceived their parents as either Permissive or Authoritarian. Self-Concept scores were significantly higher for the Authoritative group than for the Permissive or Authoritarian groups in several areas. The findings indicate that an Authoritative style of parenting may contribute to the development of self-adequacy by being associated with internal locus of control orientation and stronger self-concept, while Permissive and Authoritarian styles of parenting may be associated with negative patterns of social-emotional development. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Outdoor Education,Dayton Style

Abstract

The authors assessed the effects of an extended case study that focused on wetland issues with 7th and 8th graders. The extended case study is an instructional method that incorporates the issue investigation-evaluation and action training model. A modified pretest-posttest nonequivalent control group design was used with 15 intact classes from Illinois and Missouri. Posttest data were collected on the following variables: overt environmental behavior, knowledge of ecological foundations, individual locus of control, group locus of control, knowledge of citizenship action skills, and perceived skill in use of citizenship action skills.     

Children's Understanding of Parental Differential Treatment

This study examined whether established associations between perceptions of parental differential treatment and sibling relationship quality are moderated by children's perceptions and attributions about parental behavior. Sixty-one children, aged 11–13 years, and their siblings were interviewed separately about parental differential treatment. Children did not perceive PDT in two-thirds of the instances they reported about, and 75% of the children who acknowledged that differential treatment was occurring in their homes did not find this to be " unfair." Children justified differential parental behaviors by identifying ways that they and their sibling differ from one another, that is, in terms of differences in their age, personal attributes, needs, relationship with parents, or strategic behaviors. Children who perceived their parents' differential behavior to be justified generally experienced more positive appraisals about their sibling relationship. Results reinforce the importance of examining how children construct their experiences in their families.     

Parent and Adolescent Perceptions of Parental Monitoring and Adolescent Risk Involvement

Objective. To compare parent and youth reports of the extent to which parents monitor their adolescents and to determine whether parents' perceptions of parental monitoring are more predictive of adolescent risk behavior. Design. Data were obtained from a cross-sectional sample of 270 parent - adolescent dyads recruited from rural communities in West Virginia. Parents completed a series of written questionnaires, and adolescents (12-16 years) provided information about their involvement in various risk behaviors. Results. Parent perceptions of parental monitoring efforts did not relate to adolescent perceptions of parental monitoring; parents generally perceived themselves to have more information about their adolescents' whereabouts and activities than their adolescents reported. No main effects of age or gender were found in the discrepancies between parent and adolescent monitoring reports. Adolescent reports of monitoring were negatively correlated with adolescent drinking, marijuana use, and sexual activity over the previous 6-month period. Adolescent risk behaviors were predicted by adolescent reports of parental monitoring alone. Conclusions. Parents and adolescents perceive the magnitude of parental monitoring efforts differently even when both parties perceive parents to know much about adolescent activities. Adolescents' perceptions of how much their parents know about their activities are more predictive of their own involvement in risk behaviors than their parents' perceptions about their own monitoring efforts.     

A new multidimensional measure of children's perceptions of control

Perceived control plays a central role in many motivational and cognitive accounts of behavior. In this study, a new 48-item self-report instrument, the Multidimensional Measure of Children's Perceptions of Control, is described. Perceptions of control are defined as children's understanding of the locus of the sufficient cause for success and failure outcomes. 3 dimensions of third- through ninth-grade children's perceptions of control are independently assessed: internal, powerful others, and unknown. Each of these sources of control is assessed within 3 behavioral domains: cognitive, social, and physical. General items are also included. Perceptions of control over success outcomes and failure outcomes are assessed separately. The psychometric properties of the new measure's subscales are presented. Correlations of the new measure with measures of perceived and actual competence and findings demonstrating the sensitivity of the new measure to developmental, gender, and environmental influences are reported. It is argued that the new measure is an advance over existing measures of internal versus external locus of control in children because it provides domain-specific assessments of 3 separate dimensions of locus of control, including the previously untapped dimension of unknown control.     

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.     

Beyond Beliefs: Parent and Child Behaviors and Children''s Perceived Academic Competence

Examined the relations of parent and child behaviors with children's perceptions of their academic competence. 74 high-achieving third-grade children, with varying levels of perceived academic competence, were observed working with mothers and fathers both on solvable tasks (Period 1) and during a period that included some unsolvable tasks (Period 2). Results indicated that children's perceived academic competence was positively related to father warmth, both at Period 1 and at Period 2. Children's perceived academic competence was also positively related to their own behavior when working with fathers at Period 2. Specifically, children with higher perceived academic competence showed more emotional restraint and were more self-reliant when working on tasks at Period 2 than were children with lower perceived academic competence. The results indicate that there are systematic, observable correlates of children's self-reports of their perceived academic competence.     

Client Groups' Perceptions of Local Education Authority Policy‐making: expectations and outcomes

Consultation with a range of interest groups, initiated by a local education authority, about a major policy development creates expectations among the client groups consulted. Client groups perceive public consultation as having a number of desirable purposes but they assess the importance of the several possible objectives of consulting differently, and those perceptions, coupled with their expectations and desires, determine their assessment of the effectiveness of consultation as a strategy for the management of change.     

Effect of sex,class standing,and academic performance on perceived importance of teacher behaviors

An implicit assumption made in most teaching evaluation instruments is that teaching behaviors are equally important to students. Using specific teacher behaviors which have appeared in a number of teaching assessment devices, the importance of teacher behaviors questionnaire (ITB) was constructed to measure students' perceptions of the importance of selected teacher behaviors. Data collected from 105 college students were utilized in the present study for the following purposes: (a) to determine if there are differences among students' ratings of teaching behaviors in terms of importance and (b) to determine if the ratings of importance given to selected teacher behaviors vary according to students' sex, class standing, or academic performance. Results of the study indicated that there were significant differences in perceived importance of selected teacher behaviors. Furthermore, it was found that ratings of some of these behaviors tended to vary across sex groups. Implications for utilizing importance information as a weighting component in teaching evaluations are discussed.     

Parental harsh discipline and adolescent problem behavior in China: Perceived normativeness as a moderator

This study examined the relations between parental harsh discipline (psychological aggression and corporal punishment) and adolescents’ externalizing and internalizing problem behaviors and the moderating effects of adolescents’ perceived normativeness of harsh discipline in Chinese society. Using a sample of 1158 Chinese middle-school students, our findings revealed that parental harsh discipline was associated with high levels of adolescent externalizing and internalizing behaviors. Adolescents’ perceived normativeness of psychological aggression buffered the association between parental psychological aggression and adolescents’ internalizing problem behaviors, whereas their perceived normativeness of corporal punishment buffered the association between parental corporal punishment and adolescents’ externalizing problem behaviors. The findings from the current study highlight the importance of considering how adolescents’ perceptions may influence the effects of parental harsh discipline on adolescent adjustment.     

Parental control of the personal domain and adolescent symptoms of psychopathology: a cross-national study in the United States and Japan

One hundred seventy U.S. (M=16.1 years) and 125 middle-class Japanese (M=16.6 years) adolescents completed a questionnaire assessing perceptions of who (adolescent or parent) controls the personal, conventional, prudential, and overlapping domain behaviors of the adolescent. Participants also completed an inventory assessing self-reported psychological symptoms. Adolescents in both countries indicated that they should have more say over personal issues and that parents should have more say over conventional and prudential issues. Self-reports of internalizing symptoms were positively correlated with amount of perceived control over personal issues for U.S. and Japanese students and for parental control over overlapping domain issues for Japanese students. There were no associations between parental control of conventional or prudential behaviors and psychological symptoms.     

Attitudes on Barriers and Benefits of Distance Education among Mississippi Delta Allied Health Community College Faculty,Staff, and Students

Online distance education creates increased opportunities for continuing education and advanced training for allied health professionals living in underserved and geographically isolated areas. The purpose of this article was to explore attitudes on barriers and benefits of distance education technology among underrepresented minority allied health students. It also addressed potential issues to geographic isolation that may contribute to the shortage of adequately trained health professionals in the Mississippi Delta. Community college students, faculty, and staff of Mississippi Delta allied health programs were interviewed about their experience, barriers and benefits to participation, and self efficacy with distance education. Four focus groups meetings with 34 participants were conducted to understand perceptions of community college students and professionals about distance education. Exposure to and experience with online and distance learning format, frequent Internet usage, and plans to matriculate to a four-year university are significant factors when examining attitudes on barriers and benefits. Faculty and staff perceive that community college students would be more confident during discussions in an online environment; that an online class will reduce out-of-pocket educational expenses; and online learning will save time by making all course materials accessible from one webpage. Attitudes on benefits to distance education should be evaluated to assess whether distance education programs meet the needs of the students in underserved areas.     

Why students become more engaged or more disengaged during the semester: A self-determination theory dual-process model

We adopted a dual-process model within a self-determination theory framework to investigate why students sometimes veer toward a longitudinal trajectory of rising classroom engagement during the semester and why they other times tend toward a trajectory of rising disengagement. Measures of perceived autonomy support, perceived teacher control, need satisfaction, need frustration, engagement, and disengagement were collected from 366 (174 females, 192 males) Korean high-school students using a three-wave longitudinal research design. Multi-level structural equation modeling analyses found that perceived autonomy support predicted longitudinal changes need satisfaction which predicted changes in engagement and also that perceived teacher control predicted longitudinal changes need frustration which predicted changes disengagement. Reciprocal effects also emerged in that extent of disengagement predicted both longitudinal increases in students' perceptions of teacher control and decreases in perceptions of teacher autonomy support. We conclude that students tend toward a semester-long trajectory of rising engagement when they perceive their teachers to be autonomy supportive and need satisfying while they tend toward a trajectory of rising disengagement when they perceive their teachers to be controlling and need frustrating.     

Teachers’ Perceptions of Appraiser–Appraisee Relationships

Teacher appraisal procedures may lead to formative (teacher development and improvement of teaching) and summative (managerial decision) outcomes. Elementary school teachers in Hong Kong (N=527) responded to survey items on formative outcomes, summative outcomes, perceived purposes of appraisal, overall effectiveness of appraisal, and summative purposes such as promotion and dismissal of staff. Principal components analysis and confirmatory factor analysis yielded the two a priori outcome factors, each of which was significantly correlated with perceived overall effectiveness of appraisal. Analysis of variance found that senior teachers appraised by the school principal (SP) perceived that appraisal had formative purposes and this perception was stronger than for those teachers appraised by senior staff (TS). Teachers in the TS group did not perceive the importance of the promotion purpose as did the other groups. Teachers appraised by the principal (TP) perceived that appraisal had dismissal purposes whereas teachers in the TS group did not. Although the three groups did not differ in their perceptions of formative outcomes, summative outcomes, or overall effectiveness of teacher appraisal, the appraiser-appraisee combination did make a significant difference in teacher perceptions of the purposes and appropriateness of the appraisal.