Project Director

Reynolds, Bradley

Department Examiner

Klug, Hope; Kinnear, Katherine

Department

Dept. of Biological and Environmental Sciences

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Abstract

Understanding the impact education has on environmental knowledge and values is critical for knowing how we can promote pro-environmental awareness and attitudes. Thus, this study investigated how environmental education level influences awareness and attitudes on environmental issues, specifically the Biodiversity Crisis. Through a survey primarily utilizing Likert scale statements, the researcher evaluated the differences in knowledge and care levels between classes taking an introductory environmental science course, one class of environmental science majors and one for non-majors. One focus point of the course is the world’s most trafficked mammal, the pangolin, so this species was used as a focus species to evaluate people’s awareness of the role of overexploitation in the Biodiversity Crisis. Conducting the survey on the first day of class and again on the last day allowed the researcher to perform a one-way t-test to test for changes in people’s knowledge and care after taking the course. The study found that education plays a significant role in affecting people’s biodiversity knowledge and how much they care about biodiversity. The classes were significantly different in both awareness level and their attitudes at the beginning of the semester, with the class of ESC majors having more positive responses than the non-majors. Both classes had a significant increase in awareness and attitudes about the Biodiversity Crisis after taking the course. By the end of the semester, both classes were equally knowledgeable about the Biodiversity Crisis, though the ESC majors still had a higher care score overall.

IRB Number

23-067

Degree

B. S.; An honors thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Bachelor of Science.

Date

5-2024

Subject

Biodiversity conservation--Study and teaching; Environmental education--United States--Tennessee; Pangolins--Conservation

Keyword

Environmental science; environmental education; biodiversity; Biodiversity Crisis; pangolins; environmental attitude

Discipline

Environmental Education

Document Type

Theses

Extent

ii, 45 leaves

DCMI Type

Text

Language

English

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

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