EXPLORING MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS’ ENVIRONMENTAL ATTITUDES THROUGH ECOCENTRISM AND ANTHROPOCENTRISM

Abstract

Today, the decrease of bonds established with nature due to the use of technology, the increase in urbanization and the change of daily routines might affect people’s attitudes and behaviours towards environment negatively. Considering that attitudes are one of the most important factors affecting behaviours, in the current study, it is aimed to reveal students’ environmental behaviours and whether the attitudes that underlie these behaviours are ecocentric or anthropocentric. In the context of basic qualitative design, twelve questions related to environmental behaviours were asked to middle school students and in addition, students were required to explain the reasons of their behaviours. The findings revealed that middle school students had ecocentric and both ecocentric and anthropocentric attitudes for the questions related to sensitive behaviour and attentive behaviour. However it was seen that students showed anthropocentric attitudes for the questions related to energy/product saving and for the questions about sorting out the garbage, throwing the garbage into the recycling bin and using products having recyclable materials in their packaging. Therefore it is recommended to organize environmental education that supports students’ environmental attitudes when the issue have an economic dimension and that encourage them for recycling applications.

Keywords: environmental attitudes, environmental behaviours, middle school students