The possible influences of a Hong Kong primary school's environmental education programme on parents' attitudes and behaviours towards environmental matters

Abstract

Whenever comes to the long term solution of environmental problems, environmental education often plays a vital role. Adults are regarded as the educators in the community by tradition. Previous studies in foreign countries indicated that many children are aware of the major environmental issues and more likely to carry out environmentally friendly behaviours than their parents. Children might have influence on their adults’ behaviours in this aspect. It is also pointed out that children are better informed on environmental issues than adults. If this is the case, children might be considered as significant in the environmental education in a community.

This study replicated the previous studies by investigating children’s attitudes and behavioural changes towards the environmental issues after a short environmental education (EE) programme in a local primary school in Hong Kong. Pre-test and posttest questionnaires were given to 64 primary four pupils and their parents before and after the EE programme at school. The design of the EE programme was based on the Guideline of Environmental Education prepared by the Education Department in 1999.

The findings of the study indicated that statistically significant improvement on the children’s and parents’ attitudes and behaviours towards environmental matters in some aspects were detected after the short EE programme for children. The positive influences of the EE programme on the children’s and parents’ environmental attitudes in the aspect of eating, living and travelling were more obvious, and the positive influences on the children’s and parents’ environmental behaviours in the aspect of clothing and eating were more noticeable.

The difference between the degree of changes in environmental attitudes and behaviours of parents following the children’s EE programme are discussed and explained with the theory of planned behaviour (Ajzen, 1991) in the study.

The study concluded that a short EE programme in a Hong Kong local primary school had influences on the children’s and parents’ attitudes and behaviours towards environmental matters in some aspects. The value of an EE programme on children was more than just the positive influences on the children, but also on their parents. Finally, the study put emphasis on the significance of continual investment in time and resources on children’s EE programme for EE.