Title: HOW
1HOW GREEN ARE OUR PROSPECTIVE TEACHERS?A
COMPARATIVE LEBANON/AUSTRALIA STUDY
Barend VlaardingerbroekAmerican University of
Beirut, LebanonT.G. Neil TaylorUniversity of
New England, Australia
2WHATS THE BIG DEAL ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL
EDUCATION?
- Environmental issues of global concern such as
Greenhouse/climate change, pollution, sustainable
use of resources - Environmental knowledge and positive attitudes
can translate into environmentally responsible
behaviour - Environmental studies are interdisciplinary, not
just Science can act as a focal point for
many topics in various school subjects - 1998 educational reforms in Lebanon brought
environmental studies into the sciences, also
Geography and Civics
3- Environmental education is not just about
including environmental units in Science
curricula but about infusing an environmental
focus into the entire school curriculum from
Grade 1 to Grade 12. - All teachers, primary and secondary, whatever
their subject specialisation, should have some
knowledge of environmental matters.
4BROAD AIM OF THE STUDY
- To compare the environmental knowledge
attitudes of prospective Lebanese Australian
teachers. - What knowledge? Global issues
- National issues
- What attitudes?
- Towards environmentally responsible behaviour.
- Towards environmental education.
- Why Australian?
- An arbitrary yardstick using a country where
environmental issues enjoy a high public profile
where environmental education is highly
developed.
5THE SAMPLES
- Lebanon All available AUB LAU Education
degree diploma students in their final semester
of study for that qualification. - AUB LAU students follow academic programmes
very similar to those of their counterparts in
Australia. - Received sample was 87 of which 5 were men ?.
- Age range 20 47 but mostly below 25.
- 43 studying to be primary teachers mostly through
the B.A. (Elem. Educ.) - 44 doing the T.D. (Secondary) Science, Maths,
Lang/Lit, Economics, Art.
6- Australia All available UNE students in their
final year of study for a B.Ed., B.T. (taken as a
second degree alongside a subject degree), or
PGDE. - gt150 eligible participants so a subsampling
routine was used to create an Australian
reference group of 87 matched with the Lebanese
sample by destination level (primary/secondary),
gender, and age.
7THE INSTRUMENT
- Questionnaire filled in under supervised
conditions - Sections
- Personal variables, personal level of interest in
these issues - Knowledge of Global Environmental Issues test 15
MCQ items - National Environmental Issues awareness item
- Attitudes Towards Environmental Issues 10 Likert
items 5 on general issues targeting
environmental behaviour 5 on environmental
education
8LEVELS OF PERSONAL INTEREST IN ENVIRONMENTAL
ISSUES
Very interested Slightly interested Not interested
Lebanese 43 53 5
Australian 40 57 2
X2 0.89 NSD ?
9KNOWLEDGE OF GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES TEST
Mean SD t
Lebanese primary 50 15
Australian primary 64 11 5.07 plt0.01 ?
Lebanese secondary 49 18
Australian secondary 72 12 7.27 plt0.01 ?
All Lebanese 50 16
All Australian 68 12 8.70 plt0.01 ?
10- For the Lebanese students, there was no
statistically significant difference between LAU
and AUB, between primary and secondary, or
between science and non-science students - The sample was remarkably homogeneous with
respect to these variables.
11KNOWLEDGE TEST ITEM ANALYSES
- Which of the following gases contributes the
most to the Greenhouse Effect? - (a) sulphur dioxide (SO2) (b) carbon dioxide
(CO2) - (c) methane (CH4) (d) chlorofluorocarbons or
CFCs - Correct Lebanese 68, Australian 51
- Most common error (d) Leb 26, Aus 33 ?
- (2) Which of the following processes contributes
the most to global warming? - (a) farming practices
- (b) burning of fossil fuels
- (c) refrigeration technology
- (d) nuclear electricity generation
- Correct Lebanese 67, Aus 89 ?
12- (3) Which of the following best explains the
rising of sea levels due to global warming? - (a) increased rainfall (b) expansion of water as
it warms - (c) melting of polar ice (d) increased flooding
of rivers - Correct Lebanese 66, Australian 95 ?
- (4) Which of these human diseases is most likely
to become more common because of ozone layer
depletion? - (a) skin cancer (b) asthma
- (c) heart attacks (d) leukaemia
- Correct Lebanese 93, Australian 97 ?
13- (5) The use of unleaded petrol reduces
- (a) atmospheric heat retention
- (b) ground-level ozone production
- (c) the incidence of human respiratory diseases
- (d) the incidence of human nervous system
disorders - Correct Lebanese 13, Australian 9 ?
but also ? - Most common error for Leb (b) 38 Aus (c)
39 - (6) Acid rain is mainly caused by gases
released by - (a) the rotting of organic wastes (b) petrol and
diesel engines - (c) the burning of coal for electricity
generation - (d) aerosol spray cans
- Correct Lebanese 36, Australian 55
- Most common error (b) Leb 37, Aus 30
?
14- (7) The main source of pollution of rivers and
lakes is - (a) the flow of fertilisers and animal wastes
from farmland - (b) the dumping of toxic wastes by factories
- (c) the pumping of raw sewage by cities
- (d) the throwing of litter and rubbish
- Correct Lebanese 9, Australian 49
- Most common error for Leb (b) 69 ?
- (8) The removal of forest cover contributes to
- (a) both desert formation and the increased
flooding of rivers - (b) desert formation, but not the increased
flooding of rivers - (c) the increased flooding of rivers, but not
desert formation - (d) neither desert formation nor the increased
flooding of rivers - Correct Lebanese 52, Australian 45 ?
15- 9) The main reason for the removal of tropical
hardwood tree species in developing countries is - (a) to create more land for agriculture.
- (b) to clear land for building cities.
- (c) to make money by exporting the timber.
- (d) to provide wood for local housing.
- Correct Lebanese 18, Australian 45
- Most common error for Leb (b) 54, Aus (a)
31 ?
16- (10) Which of the following describes what
eventually happens when a heavy metal such as
mercury enters food chains by being absorbed by
plants? - The metal will kill the plants quickly and not
enter the bodies of herbivores or carnivores as
it will be returned to the soil - (b) The metal will occur in approximately equal
concentrations in the bodies of the plants and
the local herbivores and carnivores - (c) The metal will occur in low concentrations in
the plants, higher concentrations in local
herbivores, and even higher concentrations in
local carnivores - (d) The metal will occur in high concentrations
in the plants, lower concentrations in local
herbivores, and even lower concentrations in
local carnivores - Correct Lebanese 37, Australian 47
- Most common error (d) Leb 25, Aus 28 ?
17- (11) Which of the following is a renewable
resource? - (a) oil (b) wood
- (c) iron ore (d) uranium
- Correct Lebanese 37, Australian 78
- Most common error for Leb (c) 37 ?
- (12) Which of the following is biodegradable?
- (a) paper (b) nylon
- (c) steel (d) glass
- Correct Lebanese 62, Australian 100 ?
18- (13) Which of the following substances present in
domestic garbage glass, steel cans, and paper
are recyclable? - (a) all of them are recyclable
- (b) glass and steel cans are recyclable, but
paper is not - (c) glass and paper are recyclable, but steel
cans are not - (d) steel cans and paper are recyclable, but
glass is not - Correct Lebanese 75, Australian 90 ?
- (14) Which of these would be considered a
hazardous waste? - (a) car battery (b) plastic packaging
- (c) spoiled food (d) empty beer cans
- Correct Lebanese 57, Australian 87 ?
19- (15) The most common reason why many animal
species have become extinct over the past hundred
years is - (a) global climatic change
- (b) human activity destroying their habitats
- (c) hunting and trapping by people
- (d) poisoning by agricultural sprays
- Correct Lebanese 56, Australian 87 ?
- The Lebanese students appeared to lag behind
their Australian counterparts fairly consistently.
20NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
- Open itemNumber of Lebanese students raising
national issues 16. Total 19.
domestic refuse lack of recycling noise
coastal water pollution
Number of Australian students raising national
issues 26. Total 43.
soil salinity climate change river degradation
waste disposal energy generation mining
dune preservation reef degradation erosion
nuclear wastes exotic species introduction
21- Australian students as a group appeared to have a
much broader perspective on national
environmental issues. The issues raised by the
Lebanese students focused on very visible
problems in their immediate vicinity.
22ATTITUDES TOWARDS ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
- Government and civic authorities should take
strong measures to discourage city people from
driving their cars to work, such as having
inner-city car-free zones and providing more
public transport.
Lebanese Australian
XXXXXXXXXXX SA XXXXXXX
XXXXXX A XXXXXXXXX
XX U XX
X D XX
SD
23ATTITUDES TOWARDS ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
- People should not be expected to change their
lifestyles for the sake of the environment.
Lebanese Australian
XXXXXXXXXX SD XXXXXXXX
XXXXXX D XXXXXXXXXX
X U X
XX A X
X SA
24Special taxes should be levied on polluting
industries and the money thus raised used to
clean up the environment.
ATTITUDES TOWARDS ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
Lebanese Australian
XXXXXXXXXXXX SA XXXXXXXX
XXXXX A XXXXXXXX
X U XXX
D X
X SD
25Alternatives to fossil fuel-fired electricity
generation should be developed even if the cost
of electricity rises as a result.
ATTITUDES TOWARDS ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
Lebanese Australian
XXX SA XXXXX
XXXXXXXX A XXXXXXXXXX
XXXX U XXXX
XXX D X
X SD
26Civic authorities should force people to sort
their household garbage by recycling category by
refusing to collect their garbage if they do not
do so.
ATTITUDES TOWARDS ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
Lebanese Australian
XXXXXXXXXXXX SA XXXX
XXXXXX A XXXXXXXXXX
XX U XXX
X D XX
SD
Lebanese students as a group seemed less willing
to make personal sacrifices for the environment
than did the Australian students (Items 2 and 4)
?
27Environmental issues should have a high profile
in school curricula, and not only in Science
curricula.
ATTITUDES TOWARDS ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
Lebanese Australian
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXX SA XXXXXX XXXXXX
XXXXX XXXXX A XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX
X X U XX XX
D X X
SD
28Teachers should act as role models for their
students with regard to their attitudes and
behaviour towards the environment.
ATTITUDES TOWARDS ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
Lebanese Australian
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX SA XXXXXXXXXXXX
XXX A XXXXXXXX
U X
D
SD
29School environmental education does not have any
real impact on students future environmental
attitudes and behaviour.
ATTITUDES TOWARDS ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
Lebanese Australian
XXXXXXXXXX SD XXXXXXXX
XXXXX D XXXXXXXXXX
X U XX
XX A X
XX SA
30Environmental awareness and positive behaviour
towards the environment should be regarded as
desired outcomes of schooling that are just as
important as other social and ethical objectives
of schooling.
ATTITUDES TOWARDS ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
Lebanese Australian
XXXXXXXXXXX SA XXXXXXX
XXXXX A XXXXXXXXXXX
X U XX
D
SD
31Schools should include and enforce rules about
student behaviour towards the environment
alongside rules about student social conduct.
ATTITUDES TOWARDS ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
Lebanese Australian
XXXXXXXXXXXX SA XXXX
XXXXXXX A XXXXXXXXXXX
X U XXX
D XX
SD
Lebanese students were very positive about
environmental education on the whole ? but were a
little more likely to be sceptical about its
impact ?
32CORRELATION BETWEEN THE TWO ATTITUDE AREAS
MEASURED
- This involved converting responses to scores and
correlating subtotals for Items 1 5 and Items 6
10. - Correlation coefficients for Lebanese 0.51 plt0.0
1 - for Australian 0.60 plt0.01
- for all 0.57 plt0.01
- This finding suggests that pre-service teachers
who harbour more assertive attitudes towards
environmentally responsible behaviour are also
likely to exhibit more positive views of the role
of schools in fostering environmental awareness
and responsibility. - There were no statistically significant
correlations between attitude scores knowledge
scores (no surprise the relationship between
knowledge attitudes is an elusive one).
33RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TEACHER EDUCATION
- There is an overall need to raise trainee
teachers awareness of environmental issues. - Our teachers-to-be learn about environmental
issues at school but anecdotal evidence suggests
that these topics are often treated somewhat
cursorily. Better integration with examination
syllabi would improve this situation.
34RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TEACHER EDUCATION
- We suggest that any student enrolled in a
pre-service Education programme should be obliged
to enrol in an environmental science or ecology
course. There is already a mandatory science
requirement for the B.A. in Education a
compulsory elective in the Teaching Diploma that
could be redirected towards environmental
studies. Ideally there could be an Environmental
Studies for Teachers akin to the existing
Science for Elementary Teachers course. Such a
course should make a point of focusing on
national as well as global environmental issues,
particularly those less visible ones that are
outside the urban areas. - In-service teacher education also needs to
address environmental inclusions in the
curriculum, not just in Science.