Mainstreaming Environment to the Curriculum: Analysis of Knowledge and Attitudes of College Students and the Schools Activity

Abstract

One of the cardinal goals of education is to unravel societal problems. In Ethiopia, challenges aroused from environmental negligence are partly responsible to the downward spiraling of poverty, food insecurity, drought, health crisis, etc. The merit of mainstreaming Ethiopian education system to local environmental management is indisputable, where geography is one of the realistic channels. This study was undertaken (1) to assess the factual knowledge, awareness and attitudes of college students towards local and regional environment; (2) to evaluate the field orientedness of environmental topics in colleges and schools, and (3) to identify the prevailing gaps and opportunities to mainstream environmental education to our future leaders and scientists. Questionnaires were distributed to 100 randomly selected senior diploma students of Geography stream in Kotebe (public) College of Teachers’ Education and St. Mary’s (private) College. The survey enabled to capture the academic, socioeconomic, and perceptional parameters needed for the study. Analysis was made through ANOVA to compare parameters along gender, program (regular vs. extension) and College (Kotebe vs. St Mary’s) categories. Correspondingly, five Junior Secondary Schools of Addis Ababa, randomly chosen from Lideta Sub city, were involved in the assessment of the practical activities of environmental topics and activities through interviews and informal discussions. The obtained results demonstrated significant differences (of environmental knowledge, opinion and attitude) between gender, program and college types. Environmental Education has withered in curriculum as well as physical space. Compared to responses obtained from students of the new curriculum, responses from old curriculum showed better literacy of the environment. Colleges and surveyed schools have overlooked their immediate environmental resources. Such a gap indubitably enables to make targeted interventions. It is recommended that a range of actions which ranges from curriculum modification to the expansion and strengthening of environmental clubs, massive awareness creation in school community, and exploitation of local environmental resources for environmental education.