DFG Focus programme BO 944/5-1(SPP1293)

Environment/Biodiversity (1)

Environmental education for advancing ecology-specific competences: assessing and modeling an environmental competences' structure

Co-Workers: Roczen, Nina

Environmental education is often conceived as a kind of basic (or fundamental) education to promote some rather general competences and abilities, such as problem solving and critical thinking. Environmental psychology, however, increasingly emphasizes a high, if not crucial relevance of ecology-specific competences and abilities to effectively promote environment-friendly, ecological behavior. Our research project focuses on the development of an evidence-based, ecology-specific competence model. In the long run, we are also intending modeling developmental processes throughout the primary stage of acquisition from early adolescence to early adulthood. The pertinent action-relevant cognitive and affective competences will be psychometrically described on the basis of Rasch-family models. The competence structure will be modeled within the framework of structure equation models and/or of multi-level models. The first phase of our project explicitly aims at (a) theoretically and empirically integrating our knowledge concerning the various ecology-specific competences, which so far is fragmented, (b) thus attaining first estimates of developmental levels and progressions in early adolescence regarding these competences. (c) Moreover, we intend to develop a sound theoretical and psychometrical base for people's disposition to more or less "emotionally connect with the natural environment" (an ability measure that does not yet exist).

• Gesamtfragebogen für Eltern teilnehmender Schüler (pdf)