This master's thesis studies the students’ attitude towards the environment, the students’ self efficiency, and the correlation between the two. In the theoretical part, we studied the lesson plans of subjects in a nine-year primary school programme, which include study goals related to the environment. By doing so, we discovered what pupils learn about the environment and in which grade.
Individuals who trust in their own capabilities and abilities have a high level of self-efficiency. Such individuals are able to complete tasks with ease and find it easier to recover from failures. Additionally, the attitude towards the environment is shaped by convictions, influences, and behavioural intents that individuals acquire through activities and questions concerning the environment.
Our research included 190 pupils from grades 4–9 of a primary school in the Gorenjska region. For this research, we prepared a questionnaire, which was divided into three parts: in the first part, the pupils answered questions about self-efficiency. In the second part, they answered questions about their views on their attitude towards the environment. The third part focused on the interest of pupils for additional questions regarding the ozone hole, the greenhouse effect, energy-saving techniques, and other environmental topics.
In this master’s thesis, we used the descriptive method to study the existing research papers and publications. With the help of a causal non-experimental method, we were investigating the attitude of pupils towards the environment and to what extent they are self-efficient enough to contribute to a sustainable environment.
On average, pupils from grades 4–9 have a good attitude towards the environment (x ̅ = 3.29 on a five-level Likert scale). Pupils from the 8th grade evaluated their attitude with the lowest score (x ̅ = 3.08) and pupils from the 5th grade with the highest score (x ̅ = 3.51). The pupils of the 7th (x ̅ = 3.38) and the 8th (x ̅ = 3.45) grade are the least interested in environmental topics, whereas pupils from the 4th (x ̅ = 4.12) and the 5th (x ̅ = 4.02) grade showed the most interest.
The average self-efficiency score is dropping from the 4th (x ̅ = 4.35) to the 9th grade (x ̅ = 3.85). Female pupils gave themselves higher scores on average than their male counterparts, which means that they are more certain of their abilities and at the same time they believe that their capabilities can be improved. The results showed that self-efficiency has an effect on one’s attitude towards the environment; the higher the self-efficiency score, the better their attitude towards the environment will be.
The research presented in this master's thesis is intended for teachers of technical class and other teachers who understand the correlation between self-efficiency and attitude towards the environment. With certain activities that encourage self-efficiency in pupils, teachers can achieve a higher level of self-efficiency and thus affect the motivation and self confidence of their pupils.
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