A Self-Reflective and Empathy Based Environmental Education Intervention to Enhance Environmental Values and Knowledge of Preadolescents
Environmental degradation and climate change have become common phenomena and they are attributable to human actions focusing solely on economic growth. Therefore, it is necessary to fetch drastic changes in the lifestyles of majority of the public and to acquire the collective capacity of ecological intelligence. The accumulation of ecological intelligence results in environmental knowledge, values, and skills to deal effectively with the environment. The present study is an attempt to develop and apply a self-reflection and empathy-based Environmental Education module for 11-12 years old children to enhance their environmental values and knowledge. The study utilized a pre-test post-test quasi experimental design for which two existing sixth grade classes (intervention group and control group) from different schools, selected through purposive sampling formed the sample. A pre-test and a post-test were conducted on the participants environmental values, attitude, knowledge for the intervention and control groups. Additionally, environmental behaviour, self-reflection and insight were assessed before and after the intervention and the student workbooks were undergone content analysis for the intervention group. The self- reflective and empathy-based Environmental Education intervention was administered for the class selected as the intervention group in between the pre and post-tests. The researcher observed the interventions effectiveness on environmental values with the help of the attitude scale of the Children's Environmental Attitude and Knowledge Scale (CHEAKS), through the content analysis of student workbooks, and through session feedback form. The positive impact of the intervention on environmental knowledge was understood from the analysis of the knowledge scale of the Children's Environmental Attitude and Knowledge Scale (CHEAKS) and from the session feedback form. Additionally, there is an improvement in the intervention groups reflective thinking ability and environmental behaviour when assessed through Self-Reflection and Insight Scale for Youth and parent observation checklist. The study has implications concerning the implementation of Environmental Education.