Measuring the environmental attitudes of children in grade 4: A study in Clark County

The purpose of this study was to examine whether there is an increased positive effect on children's attitude when they are taught about the environment in an outdoor/hands-on setting versus an indoor traditional classroom setting. The study focused on grade four students in the Clark County School District. Half of the group was comprised of students that were taught about the environment using traditional classroom learning materials while the other half consisted of students that were taught using the outdoor/hands-on approach. In order to test the results, the students were given a survey. The questionnaire created by Malkus and Musser (1994) was modified in order to stay consistent with the vocabulary familiar to most 4th grade students and meet the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and Clark County School District requirements. Results showed a positive correlation in children's attitude when taught in an outdoor setting. Measuring Environmental Attitudes 2 Introduction In recent years, with global warming, water pollution, and other environmental crisis, some level of awareness needs to be raised in order to protect the environment (Castillo et al. 2002). Like adults, many young children are also concerned about their environment and the future environments in which they live in (Fleer, 2002). Parents and teachers play an important role in helping children understand and recognize the importance of promoting environmental awareness; however, perceptions play a vital role in this education process (Mosothwane, 2002). In the past little attention was given to environmental education (Gist, 1998). With the media on the tail of green house gases and melting polar ice caps, the term "Environmental Education" is receiving attention. Loughland et al. (2003) envision the idea of environmental education in schools as an important strategy to achieving environmental improvement. Giving children an alternate view about the environment has been a great struggle for teachers. Compared to the past, the newer generation of parents and children are keeping an open mind about environmental education since increase in awareness about the environment has been raised through various media. What is Environmental Education? The National Environmental Education and Training Foundation (NEETF) advocates "Environmental-based Education" by calling it a tool for achieving broader educational goals and "has the potential to dramatically increase the overall amount of time teachers spend on the environment each school year" (NEETF, 2001). Environmental education is a way of raising awareness about the environment to children and adults through traditional or outdoor learning, and giving them a full learning experience about wonders of our plant and the environment. A range of resources can be used in teaching environmental education. Examples include trips to Measuring Environmental Attitudes 3 museums, gardens, backyards, wetlands, national parks, camping, building tree houses, etc. Many school districts have included environmental studies as part of the curriculum. By doing so, children are able to receive the education needed to understand the many facets associated with environmental protection and conservation. As a foundation, the main goal of any curriculum is to increase the current knowledge of the students (Armstrong and Impara, 1991) and in order to make environmental education more effective; it must begin at an early stage (Gist, 1998). Although the media is helpful in this area, they are very selective in what to broadcast on television or the radio. Studies have shown that the major source for knowledge and information among young children is television. It was also found that children gave distant environmental problems prevalence over local problems; and that the children failed to make a connection between the two (Bonnett and Williams, 1998). This indicates that although the children have awareness to the larger global issues facing the environment, there is no emphasis on educating the children about similar issues plaguing the local surroundings. As a matter of fact, children as young as kindergarten are capable to form concepts concerning environmental problems and citizenship responsibility (Bryant and Hungerford, 1977). That being said, the purpose of this study was to measure the environmental attitudes of children in the fourth grade and examine whether this is a positive increase in their perception towards the environment when they are taught about environmental studies in an outdoor setting accompanied by hands-on training. To some extent environmental education has some ties with the idea of self-concept. Self-concept can be defined as "feelings of personal worth and level of satisfaction regarding one's self (Purkey 1988, Walz 1991). Children perceive the environment differently than the adults; therefore, in order to change their behavior and attitude toward the environment, different Measuring Environmental Attitudes 4 teaching methods need to be used. Perception is the key to changing behavior and attitude. By assessing the self-concept of children and the environment we can raise a "sufficient level of self-awareness." (Strein, 1995). Can we help students in the 4th grade develop a more positive attitude towards the environment by providing environmental education in an outdoor setting? Why Use 4th Grade Students? In this study 4th grade students were used as subjects to fill the survey. The primary focus of this study was "learning", and according to Kolb, an organizational psychologist, learning can be defined as a "process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation 1 9 of experience." (Miettinen, 2000). Hall (2002) in reference to Isaacs intellectual growth , points out the fact the "children learn from physical contact in this world" and that interest is strengthened when they grow curious and begin to ask questions about things and events of the o natural world. Jean Piaget further supports this idea. According to Piaget (1953) "sensorimotor structures are the source of later operations of thought" meaning that actions causes children to mature in respects to their surrounding environment. Cloninger (1993) in reference to Erik Erikson's Eight Stages of Development states that throughout our lives, we go through developmental stages. Children especially from the ages of 6 to 12, learns new skills and tries to "gain recognition by producing things." Gaining recognition is important in regards to helping them learn about themselves. Going back to Piaget's theory of intelligence, "children go through four cognitive stages of cognitive development" (Goswami, 2001) and from the age of 7 to 12 they are at a period of concrete operations (learning through interaction); however, children at this age are unable to process "conceptual ideas in to sequence"(Fortosis and Garland, 1990). Kolb, D. (1984) Experiential learning. Experience as the source of learning and Development (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall). 2 Isaacs, Intellectual Growth (1930), 80 (See Reference) Piaget, The Origins of Intelligence in Children, translated by Margaret Cook (New York: International Universities Press, 1953), 357-69 Measuring Environmental Attitudes 5 Since students in the 4th grade are in this transitional phase, they will learn more about the environment. Why not Use 5th Graders or Higher? According to John Dewey's naturalistic model of reflective thought and action, people (children included) go through primary and secondary experiences. The primary experience according to Dewey is composed of "material interaction with the physical and social environment"4 (Miettinen, 2000). The secondary experience is the rationalization process. Accord to Piaget, children form and comprehend concepts and ideas that are presented to him or her symbolically and theoretically (Fortosis and Garland, 1990). Children in the 5th grade and above have a better understanding about their surroundings, they are better able to rationalize things and create stronger hypothesis. Students in the 5th grade do not fit into the picture for this study due to the level of intellectual development. Outdoor Learning Exposing children to the outdoors will create a more positive attitude and increase their view on conservational behavior towards the environment (Ryan, 1991). This means that the child will exhibit environmentally safe habits and display an interest in learning about the environment. An outdoor setting allows adolescents to feel free from the constraints of parents, school, and peers at home (Dresner and Gill, 1994). Hence, using an outdoor setting to teach children about the environment is appropriate. This will allow children to express new aspects of their personality. Children will be able to better learn about the environment, i.e. the earth and its atmosphere, in a setting that can be motivating. Feeling comfortable in nature is an important goal leading to more responsible actions towards the environment (Dresner and Gill, 1994). Dewey, John. (1988a/1925) Experience and nature. The Later Works of John Dewey Vol. 1 Edited by Jo Ann Boydston (Carbondale & Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press Measuring Environmental Attitudes 6 Childhood is an age when the gain of knowledge is of critical importance. The children learn a wide array of things from tying their shoe laces to feeding and walking the family dog. Younger children between the ages of 8 and 11 especially have very little knowledge of the environment. At this age, they are less likely to have well-established environmentally harmful behaviors to "unlearn" (Leeming et al. 1997), making them wonderful prospects for creating a more environmentally aware generation. In the past, many studies have been performed on the knowledge acquired by children about the environment. For example, "The Impact of an Environmental Education Program on Knowledge and Attitude (Armstrong and Impara, 1991)" is a study that surrounded the effects of the program Naturescope—a K-7 environmental education supplement. The study demonstrated that the children in the treatment group exhibited a higher mean when tested for environmental knowledge after exposure to Naturescope. This increase in awareness is an indication that children are responsive when exposed to environmental education. In addition, according to Piaget, "children do not internalize knowledge from the outside in, but construct knowledge from the inside out through interaction with the environment"(Alderidge and Eddowes, 1994)5. Furthermore, Piaget also emphasizes the concept of "Felt Need" where the behaviors of children are changed (physical of mental) because of their experiences and therefore they adjust according to the change (Fischer, 1999). The focus of this study was to measure the attitude of children when they are taught about the environment outside versus inside the classroom. The study revolved around the attitudes of children in grade four in the Clark County School District, Las Vegas, Nevada. I made an assumption that the children have some pre-conception about the environment. This study tried to discover whether teaching about the environment outdoors and making use of hands-on Piaget, J. [1964]. 1968. The mental development of the child. Six psychological studies. Trans, by A. Tenzer. New York: Vintage Books. Measuring Environmental Attitudes 7 learning material promoted the current attitudes of these elementary students. Currently, the Clark County School District (CCSD) is attempting to encourage science and mathematics in the elementary level. This study fitted right into the current mental mode of the teachers in grade four. CCSD has also implemented environmental studies as part of the curriculum for children in grade four making this study viable. With most of today's academic learning taking place in fixed structures like buildings, schools, museums, etc., teaching the children about the environment is also being restricted. When dealing with environmental education, it is necessary to include parks, woods, wetlands, and campsites as part of the learning experience. Implementing an environmental education program requires the understanding and awareness of the change. It is necessary to take into account the viewpoint and attitudes of teachers and administrators alike. When interviewed, teachers reported that they used the museums, zoos, and classroom a lot more than nature center or parks to teach about the environment (Simmons, 1993). Many of the teachers were also particularly confused with the distinction between outdoor education and environmental education. They assumed that taking a class outdoors would encompass the goals of environmental education (Samuel, 1993). Therefore, the need of this study to discover whether or not teaching the children about the environment in an outdoor setting plays a significant role in their attitude towards the environment. Measuring Environmental Attitudes 8