Students’ Environmental Worldviews, Attitudes toward Environmental Issues, and Energy Source Preferences: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Danielle Morehouse, Tamara Sabatini, Jessica Mobley, Phillip Anderson, and Stephanie Atkinson
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Marci Culley
Abstract:
We present data from an exploratory study conducted as part of a service-learning project for an Environmental Psychology course. We collected data via an online survey of College of Coastal Georgia students. Our goal was to explore students’ environmental worldviews, attitudes toward environmental issues, and energy source preferences. Local environmental organizations, like our community partner, Center for a Sustainable Coast, could benefit from this information for future outreach efforts. Findings showed that students generally held positive views of the natural environment, preferred renewable energy, and were concerned about several environmental issues. Air quality, water quality and supply, and toxic sites ranked highest among local environmental concerns. Most viewed climate change as a pressing issue, believing human behavior was the primary cause. Limitations of the study and implications for future community-based organizational outreach for service-learning are discussed.
