Environmental literacy of lower secondary school pupils in the Czech Republic

ABSTRACT

Environmental literacy is represented by levels of environmental knowledge, attitudes, sensitivity and environmentally responsible behaviour. In this study, the relationship between these components of environmental literacy and their relationship with possible determinants (gender, outdoor activities) were tested. An analytical tool developed by the author was applied and the data were analysed by Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The results of the study provide evidence of a relatively close relationship between environmental attitudes, sensitivity and responsible environmental behaviour. Similarly, a significant link between environmental literacy and outdoor activities was also demonstrated. In the case of gender, differences in Attitudes, Sensitivity, Behaviour and Outdoor Activities were identified, with girls achieving higher values.

KEYWORDS:

• Environmental literacy
• MSELS
• SEM
• ISCED 2 pupils
• Czech Republic

Acknowledgments

The study was supported by Charles University, projects GA UK No. 50119 and Progress Q16.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Ústí nad Labem and Karlovy Vary regions.

2. Středočeský, Jihočeský, Moravskoslezský, Olomoucký and Jihomoravský regions.

3. Central Bohemia, South Bohemia, Moravia-Silesia, Olomouc and South Moravia.

4. In the Czech Republic, the lower grades of eight-year, six-year grammar schools and conservatories, which together about 11% of the total number of pupils attend (MŠMT 2020), also correspond to ISCED 2 educational level. These are pupils who are selected on the basis of central entrance tests in mathematics and the Czech language. For this reason, they were not included in the study.

5. In isolated cases, the absence of an answer was compensated for by the average of the scale from other items rounded to the nearest whole number. There were a maximum of 8 such adjustments for a particular item.

6. Non-standardised coefficients are set equally, but the table presents the standardised coefficients, and these may be different for both groups.