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How freshmen perceive Environmental Education (EE) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)

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  • Michaela Maurer
  • Franz Xaver Bogner

Abstract

Concepts of 464 university freshmen towards Environmental Education (EE) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) were analyzed. Responses were classified into seven main categories: ‘ecological aspects’, ‘ecological problems’, ‘economical aspects’, ‘social aspects’, ‘environmental attitudes’, ‘environmental behavior’ and ‘education’. Analyses of sustainability concepts show a large discrepancy between EE and ESD, whereby the latter includes an additional sub-group: ‘the next generation aspect’. Labeling individual sources of EE in a retrospective assessment identified the family as the most important source of knowledge, followed by media, school and outreach. Further differences were detected between students’ self-perception and their ideal conception of environmental behavior, by using the scale Inclusion of Nature in Self (INS). Only some EE statements produced higher (unfulfilled) expectations ‘economic aspects’, ‘environmental behavior’ and ‘ecological problems’. In contrast fewer (unfulfilled) expectations were observed in the categories of ‘education’ and ‘ecological aspects’.

Suggested Citation

  • Michaela Maurer & Franz Xaver Bogner, 2019. "How freshmen perceive Environmental Education (EE) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(1), pages 1-16, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0208910
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0208910
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Fröhlich, Gabriele & Goldschmidt, Marlen & Bogner, Franz X., 2013. "The effect of age on students’ conceptions of agriculture," Studies in Agricultural Economics, Research Institute for Agricultural Economics, vol. 115(2), pages 1-7, June.
    2. Lehtonen, Markku, 2004. "The environmental-social interface of sustainable development: capabilities, social capital, institutions," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(2), pages 199-214, June.
    3. Helen Kopnina, 2014. "Revisiting Education for Sustainable Development (ESD): Examining Anthropocentric Bias Through the Transition of Environmental Education to ESD," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 22(2), pages 73-83, March.
    4. Jelle Boeve-de Pauw & Niklas Gericke & Daniel Olsson & Teresa Berglund, 2015. "The Effectiveness of Education for Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(11), pages 1-25, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Petra Bezeljak & Martin Scheuch & Gregor Torkar, 2020. "Understanding of Sustainability and Education for Sustainable Development among Pre-Service Biology Teachers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-16, August.
    2. Marta Cholewa-Wiktor, 2021. "The Concept of Sustainable Development in the Curriculum of the Medical Universities in Poland," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(Special 2), pages 72-86.
    3. Amith Khandakar & Muhammad Enamul Hoque Chowdhury & Antonio Jr. San Pedro Gonzales & Farid Touati & Nasser Al Emadi & Mohamed Arselene Ayari, 2020. "Case Study to Analyze the Impact of Multi-Course Project-Based Learning Approach on Education for Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-21, January.
    4. Michaela Maurer & Franz Xaver Bogner, 2020. "First steps towards sustainability? University freshmen perceptions on nature versus environment," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(6), pages 1-16, June.
    5. Gabriela Grosseck & Laurențiu Gabriel Țîru & Ramona Alice Bran, 2019. "Education for Sustainable Development: Evolution and Perspectives: A Bibliometric Review of Research, 1992–2018," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(21), pages 1-35, November.
    6. Aikaterini D. Kosta & Kiriaki M. Keramitsoglou & Konstantinos P. Tsagarakis, 2022. "Exploring the Effect of Environmental Programs on Primary School Pupils’ Knowledge and Connectedness Toward Nature," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(4), pages 21582440221, December.
    7. Samantha Keaulana & Melissa Kahili-Heede & Lorinda Riley & Mei Linn N. Park & Kuaiwi Laka Makua & Jetney Kahaulahilahi Vegas & Mapuana C. K. Antonio, 2021. "A Scoping Review of Nature, Land, and Environmental Connectedness and Relatedness," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-30, May.

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