The Effects of Children's Age and Sex on Acquiring Pro-Environmental Attitudes Through Environmental Education

Abstract

Environmental education programs aiming to enhance children's environmental attitudes in a pro-environmental direction require background information, such as age and sex differences, to ensure appropriate design. We used the 2-MEV model with its domains preservation and utilization of nature to assess a four-day program at an educational field center with students 9–10 and 11–13 years of age. A pre- and post-retention test design revealed younger students to be more responsive concerning positive attitude shifts than older students, whereas the sexes were equally influenced. Program developers should consider that education has a stronger effect on young children's environmental attitudes.

Keywords:

• age differences
• comprehensive education
• environmental attitudes
• gender differences
• 2-MEV model
• water

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We wish to thank all participating students and teachers and we acknowledge the continuous support of the educational field center “Schullandheim Weißenstadt” during the implementation phase, in particular, Cornelia Riedel und Anne Gebhardt.