Testing the simple model of environmental citizenship in a sample of adolescents

Abstract

Environmental citizenship and education for environmental citizenship have been identified as important areas to address, yet there is no simple way of studying either environmental citizenship or how effective is the education for it. In order to address this gap in the literature and to provide a practical model for future studies of environmental citizenship, especially in educational contexts, a Simple Model of Environmental Citizenship (SMEC), consisting of environmental (self-)education, abstract and concrete environmental knowledge, environmental awareness, pro-environmental attitudes, need for learning about environmental issues, need for environmental action, environmental literacy, and environmental citizenship was tested in a sample of adolescents. The objective of the study is to test the SMEC in a sample of adolescents in order to investigate its structure and functioning. The current sample consists of 236 adolescents from two schools in Lithuania recruited through convenience sampling. Structural equation modelling with DWLS estimation was used to test the SMEC. The SMEC, after small adjustments that are consistent with previous research, fit the data well. The SMEC provides a good starting point for future interventional and longitudinal studies with adolescents as well as other age groups.