Honors Program
Date of this Version
5-2024
Document Type
Thesis
Citation
Zingler, Z. 2024. Educational Influences on Environmental Perception: A Semester Analysis of the New Ecological Paradigm Scale in Undergraduates. Undergraduate Honors Thesis. University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Abstract
This study evaluated the impact of a geography course, GEOG 181: Global Environmental Issues, at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on students’ endorsement of the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) using a pre-course and post-course NEP scale survey. Analyzing paired responses (n = 40) through t-tests and z-scores, only four of 15 statements had statistically significant shifts observed for the entire sample. However, a targeted analysis of students initially possessing lower endorsement of the NEP—early deniers—revealed significant paradigm shifts post-course. While women initially showed stronger NEP endorsement, men demonstrated notable changes following the course towards endorsement of the NEP. Academic majors, whether environment-related or not, did not differ significantly in their shift towards NEP endorsement as both groups experienced statistically significant shifts. This suggests that course engagement may be particularly transformative for those initially resistant to environmental paradigms, with implications for tailoring environmental education strategies and studying the environmental worldviews of students when they enter their undergraduate careers.
Comments
Copyright Zoe Zingler 2024.