Junior high school students' environmental knowledge and sensitivity: Basis for an advocacy plan

Abstract

This descriptive-correlational study focused on determining whether or not a possible relationship would exist between environmental knowledge and sensitivity among junior students in a public high school. The research participants in this study were the 120 Grades 7 to 10high school students were enrolled during the school year 2015-2016 in a public high school. Using stratified random sampling, the researcher determined the number of research participants from each year level of junior high school. The data for environmental knowledge were gathered using a validated and reliability- tested, researcher-madetesL Reliability test yielded a reliability coefficient, Cronbach's Alpha=0.935. A modified version questionnaire by Oebanda (2009) was used to determine the environmental sensitivity to suit the educational level of the research participants. The statistical tools used for analysis and interpretation of the data were the mean, standard deviation, t-test for independent samples, One-way ANOVA, and Pearson's r. The findings revealed that the junior high school students had an average environmental knowledge and environmental sensitivity. A significant difference existed in the students' environmental knowledge when they were classified as to year level, academic achievement, and sex. There was no significant difference in the students' environmental sensitivity when they were classified as to year level, academic achievement, and sex. However, a significant relationship existed between students' knowledge and environmental sensitivity.