The Influence of Environmental Education on Conservation in Secondary Schools in Mvomero District

Abstract

Environmental education for a long time has been viewed as a critical step in the process of creating an environmentally literate population, leading to the development of knowledge, changing attitudes and behaviours of a population and as a process to a more environmentally sustainable way of life. The purpose of this study was to investigating the influence of environmental education on conservation in secondary schools in Mvomero District. The study employed mixed research approach and a survey research design. Sample size used on this study was 102 respondents. This study was used simple random sampling technique in selection of form four students and purposive sampling technique in selection of teachers. Primary data was collected through questionnaire and focus group discussion while secondary data was collected through document reviews. The study findings revealed that majority of the respondent’s equivalent to 52% strongly agreed that EE has to a large or moderate extent enhanced their knowledge and skills in environmental matters through active learning and demonstration. 35.7% of the respondents indicated that EE had knowledge on the roles of environmental education toward environmental conservations in secondary schools. The study recommends that, there should be constant monitoring and evaluation of the programme to provide necessary baseline data for benchmarking, adequacy or inadequacy of the syllabus content should be analysed and its overall integration into the curriculum adjusted accordingly, and there is need to ensure appropriate capacity building of implementers so as to realize the intended outcomes and impacts.