Effects of Two Residential Environmental Workshops on High School Students

Abstract

High school students' knowledge of and participation in responsible environmental behaviors were compared after participation in a six-day residential environmental education workshop. One treatment group received instruction, for the most part at the awareness level, in environmental issues while the other group received instruction, also at the awareness level, in both environmental issues and action strategies. The results showed that those students receiving the issue awareness instruction failed to demonstrate an increase in their level of knowledge of environmental action and did not report participating in a significantly greater number of environmental behaviors. However, those students receiving instruction in both environmental issues and action strategies did demonstrate an increased level of knowledge of environmental action and reported participating in a greater number of environmental behaviors. Educational implications are also discussed.