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Makale Özeti:
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The purpose of this study is to investigate the environmental attitudes (EA) in the
population of 15-year-old French students and, to check if the French student population
presents similar EA categorization as described in the different models in the literature
(e.g. the Model of Ecological Values, Wiseman & Bogner 2003). The second aim of this
study is to identify the different factors influencing students’ EA. We analyse the results
of the questionnaire-based Relevance of Science Education Project carried out in France
in 2008 as a part of a wider international comparative study ROSE (Relevance Of
Science Education). The hierarchical ascendant classification of data from 2124 French
students led to three main classes reflecting three different environmental attitudes
showing a high resonance with the 2-MEV scale (Wiseman & Bogner 2003). The Model
of Ecological Values (2-MEV) is defined with two orthogonal dimensions, Preservation
and Utilization. Ecological Values are determined according to an individual’s position
on two orthogonal dimensions, one dimension reflecting conservation and protection of
the environment (Preservation) and another dimension reflecting the utilization of
natural resources (Utilization). Our results show links between students environmental
attitudes and students’ level of interest in learning about specific environmental topics,
their practice of extra-curricular activities linked to nature and students’ value priorities
in different dimensions of their future work. We discuss the implications of these results
for the teaching of environmental issues, and for instance, we argue that EA concept
could be explained to fifteen-year-old students to encourage them to take into account
the diversity of views towards the environment of others, and to position themselves in
this diversity of attitudes. They could be aware that for instance, individuals can support environmental issues for different reasons, and consequently may respond to different
appeals.
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