Perceptions of preservice secondary school teachers in Taiwan, the Republic of China, concerning environmental education

Abstract

The goal of this study was to provide a base for policy and decision making processes affecting secondary teacher education in environmental education in Taiwan, the Republic of China (R.O.C.). This study was designed to collect information from prospective secondary school teachers at National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) in Taiwan, R.O.C. regarding: (a) their attitudes toward major environmental concerns, including ecological and environmental relationships, resource conservation and management, population issues, pollution prevention and control, and industrial and technological impact; (b) their perceptions of the environmental education that they will be able to and plan to implement when they begin teaching; and (c) the influence of gender, majors, and grade levels upon students' attitudes toward the environment and perceptions of environmental education. The sample was comprised of 290 senior student teachers majoring in industrial arts, science, and education, and 100 freshmen, sophomores, and juniors majoring in industrial arts at NTNU in fall semester, 1992. A three-part questionnaire was developed by the researcher, who administered the instrument to the subjects at NTNU. The findings indicated that preservice secondary school teachers had substantial concern for environmental issues. The education majors had more positive attitudes than the science and industrial arts majors. Females' attitudes toward environment were more positive than males' attitudes. The views addressed by freshmen, sophomore, juniors, and seniors in the industrial arts major were similar. The overall measures of preservice secondary school teachers' perceptions of environmental education did not differ significantly. There was a positive correlation between the preservice secondary school teachers' views toward the environment and environmental education. Pollution was perceived to be the most serious environmental problem by all three groups. The perceptions of readiness to teach environmental concerns differed significantly among the three majors. Lack of knowledge and lack of teaching skills were two concerns of preservice secondary school teachers as they faced the challenge of conducting environmental education. The findings were synthesized into a set of recommendations for teacher education in environmental education. These recommendations could serve as guidelines for planning and implementing teacher education programs in environmental education.