Views Of Geography Students On The Role Of The Geography Curriculum In Promoting Environmental Education In Senior High Schools In The Cape Coast Metropolis

Abstract

This study explored the views of geography students on the role of the geography curriculum in promoting environmental education in SHS in the Cape Coast Metropolis. The descriptive survey design was used for the study. Three hundred and fifty final year geography students were provided a questionnaire on environmental awareness and attitude and a teacher-made test which captured some environmental themes. The results revealed that students demonstrated average knowledge on environmental issues. The results also showed that students were highly aware of the environmental issues. Regarding the attitudes of students toward the environment, results showed that students’ emotions toward the environment were high but their behaviour and actions toward the environment were low. The relationship among environmental knowledge, awareness and attitude were all positive. In addition, it was revealed that environmental knowledge makes a statistically insignificant contribution to environmental attitude. The conclusion drawn from these findings is that environmental knowledge from the geography curriculum seems to be average yet it is not enough to affect students’ attitudes toward the environment. This points to a need for an experiential learning component that emphasizes more practical and connected activities based on the natural environment.