Ecological awareness among secondary school pupils

Abstract

This paper presents the results of quantitative research to survey ecological awareness among pupils in terms of three interlinked components: knowledge, attitudes and behavior. The survey participants were 529 secondary school pupils from the city of Zagreb, and the instrument used was a survey questionnaire. The analysis of the results shows that Zagreb secondary school pupils are environmentally aware to some extent but that there is room for improvement in regard to their familiarity with certain concepts in the area of ecology and changing behavior related to environmental protection. The survey identified statistically significant differences in pro-environmental behavior among respondents based on gender and class year in a number of situations. The results indicate the need to continually work on raising awareness of ecological issues and environmental protection, especially in terms of familiarising pupils with fundamental ecological concepts and pro-environmental behavior.