COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF ENVIRONMENTAL ATTITUDES OF YOUTH FROM EU MEMBER AND CANDIDATE STATES: CASE STUDY CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE

Danijela Voza, Isidora Milošević, Milovan Vuković

DOI Number
https://doi.org/10.22190/TEME201116010V
First page
175
Last page
193

Abstract


Worldwide, great efforts are being made in order to establish sustainable development at all levels. European Union (EU) member states are obliged to meet the requirements in the area of environmental protection. In this paper, the authors conducted a comparative study of environmental attitudes among young people from both EU transition countries and EU candidate countries. The objective was to determine the differences in environmental attitudes, environmental awareness and self-efficacy of the youth from these two groups of countries and the EU environmental policy implementation level. Results indicated that the influence of EU membership exists when it comes to the environmental attitudes of youth from the analyzed countries. Average values showed the unsatisfactory situation regarding environmental awareness and self-efficacy of respondents. In order to define the relations among environmental attitudes, self-efficacy and environmental awareness, a structural model was created. This analysis showed that these three components work the same way in both groups of countries.


Keywords

Environmental Awareness, Environmental Attitudes, Self-Efficacy, Youth, European Union

Full Text:

PDF

References


Altin, A., Tecer, S., Tecer, L., Altin, S., & Kahraman, F. B. (2014). Environmental awareness level of secondary school students: A case study in Balıkesir (Türkiye). Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 141, 1208 – 14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.05.207

Aminrad, Z., Zakaria, S. Z. B. S., & Hadi, S. A. (2011). Influence of age and level of education on environmental awareness and attitude: Case study on Iranian Students in Malaysian Universities. Social Science, 6(1), 15-19. http://dx.doi.org/10.3923/sscience.2011.15.19

Ari, E., & Yilmaz, V. (2017). Effects of environmental illiteracy and environmental awareness among middle school students on environmental behavior. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 19(5), 1779-1793. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-016-9826-3

Atav, E., Altunoğlu, D. B., & Sӧnmez, S. (2015). The determination of the environmental attitudes of secondary education students. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 174, 1391 – 1396. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.01.765

Aydin, F. (2010). Geography teacher candidates’ views about environment problems and environment education (Gazi University Case). European Scientific Journal, 3, 818-839.

Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying a behavioral change. Psychological Review, 84, 191-215. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0033-295X.84.2.191

Bechtel, R. B., Verdugo, V. C., Asai, M., & Riesle, A. G. (2006). A cross-cultural study of environmental belief structures in USA, Japan, Mexico, and Peru. International Journal of Psychology, 41, 145–151. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207590500345401

Boyes, E., & Stanisstreet, M. (2012). Environmental Education for Behavior Change: Which actions should be targeted? International Journal of Science and Education, 34(10), 1591-1614. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2011.584079

Bradley, J. C., Waliczek, T. M., & Zajicek, J. M. (1999). Relationship between environmental knowledge and environmental attitude of high school students. The Journal of Environmental Education, 30(3), 17-21. https://doi.org/10.1080/00958969909601873

Brand, B. R., & Wilkins, J. L. M. (2007). Using self-efficacy as a construct for evaluating science and mathematics methods courses. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 18, 297-317. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10972-007-9038-7

Council Directive 98/83/EC of 15 November 2006 “Youth in Action” programme for the period 2007 to 2013. [Online]. [Accessed 20 January 2017]. Available from http://eur-lex.europa.eu/

Cooper, D. R., & Schindler, Business Research Methods, 12th ed. (McGraw Hill, New York, 2014)

Dagiliute, R. & Liobikiene, G. (2015). University contributions to environmental sustainability: challenges and opportunities from the Lithuanian case. Journal of Cleaner Production, 108, 891-899. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.07.015

Dalati, S. Measurement and Measurement Scales. In book: sModernising the Academic Teaching and Research Environment. 2018. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74173-4_5

Dunlap, E. R., Van Liere, K. D., Mertig, A. G., & Robert E. (2000). New trends in measuring Environmental attitudes: Measuring Endorsement of the New Ecological Paradigm A revised NEP scale. Journal of Social Issues, 56(3), 425-442. https://doi.org/10.1111/0022-4537.00176

Erdogan, N. (2013). Environmental Worldviews in Higher Education: A Case Study of Turkish College Students. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Science, 106, 1086-1095. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.12.122

Franzen, A., & Meyer, R. (2010). Environmental Attitudes in Cross-National Perspective: A Multilevel Analysis of the ISSP 1993 and 2000. European Sociological Review, 26(2), 219–234. https://doi.org/10.1093/esr/jcp018

Freymeyer, H. R., & Johnson, E. B. (2010). A Cross-Cultural Investigation of Factors Influencing Environmental Actions. Sociological Spectrum, 30(2), 184-195. https://doi.org/10.1080/02732170903496075

Hoyle, R. H., & Panter, A. T. (1995). Writing about structural equation models. In R. H. Hoyle (Editor), Structural equation modeling: Concepts, issues, and applications (pp. 158–176). CA: Thousand Oaks.

Inglehart, R. (1995). Public Support for Environmental Protection: Objective Problems and Subjective Values in 43 Societies. PS: Political Science and Politics 28 (1), 57-72. https://doi.org/420583

Jenkins, W. E., & Pell, G. R. (2006). Me and the Environmental Challenges: A survey of English secondary school students’ attitudes towards the environment. International Journal of Science Education, 28(7), 765-780. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500690500498336

Jovanović, S., Živković, Lj., Anđelković, S., Gatarić, D., & Petrović-Stanisavljević, Z. (2015). To the environmental responsibility among students through developing their environmental values. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 171, 317-322. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.01.128

Kemmelmeier, M., Krol, G., & Youn, H. K. (2002). Values, economics, and pro-environmental attitudes in 22 societies. Cross-Cultural Research, 36, 256–285. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F10697102036003004

Lasso de la Vega, E. (2006). A Preliminary Evaluation of Awareness, Knowledge, and Attitude in Environmental Education Specialists, Instructors, Students, and Parents in South-West Florida. Florida Scientist, 69 (00S2), 166–178.

La Trobe, H. L., & Acott, T. G. (2000). A modified NEP/DSP environmental attitudes scale. Journal of Environmental Education, 32(1), 12-20. https://doi.org/10.1080/00958960009598667

Meinhold, J. L., & Malkus, A. J. (2005). Adolescent environmental behaviors: Can knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy make a difference? Environment and Behavior, 37(4), 511-532. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0013916504269665

Nannally, J. C. (1978). Psychometric Theory, Second ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Obradović, S. L., Babović, S., & Shpak, N. (2016). Serbia and Russia on the demographic map of Europe two decades after the fall of communism. Trames - Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 20(70/65), 1, 59–73. https://doi.org/10.3176/tr.2016.1.04

Páivi, M. T., Kuitunen, T. M., & Tynys, M. S. (2000). Effects of Educational Background on Students’ Attitudes, Activity Levels, and Knowledge Concerning the Environment. Journal of Environmental Education, 31(3), 12-19. https://doi.org/10.1080/00958960009598640

Pirani, E., & Secondi, L. (2011). Eco-Friendly Attitudes: What European Citizens Say and What They Do. Int J Environ Res, 5(1), 67-84. https://dx.doi.org/10.22059/ijer.2010.292

Pisano, I., & Lubell, M. (2017). Environmental Behavior in Cross-National Perspective: A Multilevel Analysis of 30 Countries. Environment and Behavior, 49(1), 31–58. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0013916515600494

Perović, D., & Radukić, S. (2017). Comparative Analysis of Sustainable Development Components for the Republic of Serbia and Neighbouring Countries. Teme, XLI (3), 747 – 765. https://doi.org/10.22190/TEME1703747P

Rickinson, M. (2001). Learners and Learning in Environmental Education: a critical review of the evidence. Environmental Education Research, 7(3), 207-320. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504620120065230

Robinson, M., & Kaleta, P. (1999). Global environmental priorities of secondary students in Zabrze, Poland. International Journal of Science Education, 21(5), 499-514. https://doi.org/10.1080/095006999290543

Selin, H., & VanDeveer, D. S. (2015). Broader, Deeper and Greener: European Union Environmental Politics, Policies, and Outcomes. Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 40, 309-335. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-102014-021210

Sodak, L. C., & Podell, D. M. (1997). Efficacy and experience: Perceptions of efficacy among pre-service and practicing teachers. Journal of Natural Resources and Development Education, 30(4), 214-221.

Stern, P. C., Young, O. R., & Druckman, D. (1992). Global Environmental Change: Understanding the human dimensions. Washington DC: National Academy Press.

Stern, P. C. (2002). Psychology and the Science of human-environment interactions. American Psychologists, 55, 523-530. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.5.523

Teixeira, R.S., 2013. The environmental education as a path for global sustainability. Procedia – Social and Behv, 106, 2769-2774. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.12.318

Wilke, R.J. (1997). Environmental education, teacher resource handbook: A practical guide for K-12 environmental education. CA: Corwin Press, Inc.Thousand Oaks.

Wray-Lake, L., Constance, A., Flanagan, A., & Wayne, O. D., (2010). Examining Trends in Adolescent Environmental Attitudes, Beliefs, and Behaviors across Three Decades. Environment and Behavior, 42(1), 61-85. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0013916509335163

Yilmaz, O., Boone, W. J., & Andersen, H. O. (2004). Views of elementary and middle school Turkish students toward environmental issues. International Journal of Science and Education, 26(12), 1527-1546. https://doi.org/10.1080/0950069042000177280

Zsóka, A., Szerényi, M. Z., Széchy, A., & Kocsis, T. (2013). Greening due to environmental education? Environmental knowledge, attitudes, consumer behaviour and everyday pro-environmental activities of Hungarian high school and university students. Journal of Cleaner Production, 48, 126-138. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2012.11.030




DOI: https://doi.org/10.22190/TEME201116010V

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


© University of Niš, Serbia
Creative Commons licence CC BY-NC-ND
Print ISSN: 0353-7919
Online ISSN: 1820-7804