STUDENTS’ SOCIOCULTURAL VARIABLES AND ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY IN SOCIAL STUDIES AMONG JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN IBADAN METROPOLIS, NIGERIA

Abstract

One of the objectives of teaching and learning of social studies is the inculcation of environmental literacy (environmental knowledge, desirable attitude and practices). However, reports have shown that Junior Secondary Students in Ibadan are deficient in environmental literacy as evident in their low environmental knowledge, poor attitude and practices. Previous studies focused largely on intervention programmes geared towards improving environmental literacy. This study, therefore, was carried out to investigate students’ sociocultural variables (cultural practices, religious beliefs, home location, gender role and Participation in Environmental Conservation Club Activities - PECCA) as predictors of environmental literacy in social studies among junior secondary school students in Ibadan metropolis, Nigeria.

Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory provided the framework, while the survey design was adopted. The five Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Ibadan metropolis were enumerated. Thirty Junior Secondary Schools with Functional Environmental Conservation Clubs (FECCs) were purposively selected across these LGAs. Fifty Junior Secondary II students who were members of the club were randomly selected from 14 schools, while in other schools where members were less than 50, all were enumerated. In all 1,137 students participated in the study. Instruments used were Cultural Practices (r=0.77), Religious Beliefs (r=0.78), Gender Role (r=0.78), Environmental Attitude (r=0.77) and Environmental Practices (r=0.78) questionnaires, PECCA Observation Scale (r=0.79) and Environmental Knowledge Test (r=0.75). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson product moment correlation and Multiple regression at 0.05 level of significance.

Respondents’ age was 13±1.62 years. Cultural practices (r=0.08), religious beliefs (r=0.14), home location (r=0.39) and PECCA (r=0.12) had significant positive relationships with students’ knowledge, while gender role did not. Cultural practices (r=0.08), religious beliefs (r=0.20), home location (r=0.14) and gender role (r=0.12) had significant positive relationships with attitude, but PECCA did not. Cultural practices (r=0.08), religious beliefs (r=0.09), home location (r=0.08) and PECCA had significant positive relationships with practices, but gender role did not. The composite contributions of the independent variables were significant on knowledge (F(5,1131)=44.25; adj.R2=0.16), attitude (F(5,1131) =14.99; adj. R2=0.06) and practices (F(5,1131)=4.39; adj. R2=0.02) accounting for 16.0%, 5.8% and 1.5% of their total variances, respectively. Home location (β=0.40) and religious beliefs (β=0.12) contributed to knowledge, but PECCA, gender role and cultural practices did not. Religious beliefs (β=0.17), home location (β= 0.13) and gender role (β= 0.08) contributed to attitude, but cultural practices and PECCA did not. Religious beliefs (β=0.07) and PECCA (β=0.06) contributed to practices, but cultural practices, home location and gender role did not.

Students’ home location and religious beliefs influenced environmental knowledge; students’ religious beliefs, home location and gender role influenced environmental attitude, while students’ religious beliefs and participation in environmental conservation club activities promoted environmental practices. Therefore, these variables should be considered in improving junior secondary students’ environmental literacy in social studies in Ibadan Metropolis, Nigeria.