Environmental knowledge and attitudes: does it differ in urban and rural areas?

Mathy Sané

Master's thesis

Abstract:

Environmental education plays an important role in the preservation and protection of biodiversity but also on the environment. It is for this purpose that the thesis aimed to assess the environmental knowledge and attitudes in school children in urban areas and those in rural areas in three regions of Senegal. This evaluation is focused on interviews with teachers and questionnaires administered to children. On the basis of 786 questionnaires collected in 19 schools including 7 in rural area (317 responding children) and 12 in urban areas (448 responding children), I found that children in rural area had higher environmental knowledge in comparison to those in urban areas, and it was also higher in boys than in girl with the same pattern in rural and urban areas. The level of environmental knowledge did not depend on the age of responding children. Concerning environmental attitudes, children expressed mostly similar attitudes in rural and urban areas and these were mostly negative towards environment. Regarding such results, it is recommendable to address the environmental issues through environmental education programs in order to get better knowledge and to build pro-environmental attitudes. The informal environmental education programs can provide opportunities for schools to improve their knowledge, interests, motivation and encouraged to adopt new attitudes towards the environment. The environmental education increases with theoretical and practical experience.

Abstract:

Environmental education plays an important role in the preservation and protection of biodiversity but also on the environment. It is for this purpose that the thesis aimed to assess the environmental knowledge and attitudes in school children in urban areas and those in rural areas in three regions of Senegal. This evaluation is focused on interviews with teachers and questionnaires administered to children. On the basis of 786 questionnaires collected in 19 schools including 7 in rural area (317 responding children) and 12 in urban areas (448 responding children), I found that children in rural area had higher environmental knowledge in comparison to those in urban areas, and it was also higher in boys than in girl with the same pattern in rural and urban areas. The level of environmental knowledge did not depend on the age of responding children. Concerning environmental attitudes, children expressed mostly similar attitudes in rural and urban areas and these were mostly negative towards environment. Regarding such results, it is recommendable to address the environmental issues through environmental education programs in order to get better knowledge and to build pro-environmental attitudes. The informal environmental education programs can provide opportunities for schools to improve their knowledge, interests, motivation and encouraged to adopt new attitudes towards the environment. The environmental education increases with theoretical and practical experience.

Keywords

biodiversity conservation, environmental education, evironmental awareness

Keywords

environmental awareness, biodiversity conservation, environmental education

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 22. 4. 2016

Thesis defence

• Supervisor: prof. RNDr. Pavla Hejcmanová, Ph.D.
• Reader: Jiří Votava, Ph.D.

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences

Master programme / field:
Tropical Agriculture / Animal and Food Sciences in Tropics and Subtropics