Mangrove Conservation in Macao SAR, China: The Role of Environmental Education among School Students
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Environmental Education Activity
2.2. Participants
2.3. Measures
2.4. Statistical Analysis
3. Results
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
Appendix A. Survey Questionnaire
Age: | ||||
Gender: | ||||
Grade Level: | ||||
1. We are approaching the limit of the number of people the earth can support. | ||||
Strongly Agree | Agree | Not Sure | Disagree | Strongly Disagree |
2. Humans have the right to modify the mangrove environment to suit their needs. | ||||
Strongly Agree | Agree | Not Sure | Disagree | Strongly Disagree |
3. When humans interfere with mangroves, it often produces disastrous consequences. | ||||
Strongly Agree | Agree | Not Sure | Disagree | Strongly Disagree |
4. Human ingenuity will ensure that we do not make the earth unlivable. | ||||
Strongly Agree | Agree | Not Sure | Disagree | Strongly Disagree |
5. Humans are severely abusing the mangroves. | ||||
Strongly Agree | Agree | Not Sure | Disagree | Strongly Disagree |
6. The mangrove ecosystem has plenty of natural resources if we just learn how to develop them. | ||||
Strongly Agree | Agree | Not Sure | Disagree | Strongly Disagree |
7. Plants and animals in mangroves have as much right as humans to exist. | ||||
Strongly Agree | Agree | Not Sure | Disagree | Strongly Disagree |
8. The balance of nature in the mangrove ecosystem is strong enough to cope with the impacts of modern industrial nations. | ||||
Strongly Agree | Agree | Not Sure | Disagree | Strongly Disagree |
9. Despite our special abilities, humans are still subject to the laws of nature. | ||||
Strongly Agree | Agree | Not Sure | Disagree | Strongly Disagree |
10. The mangrove crisis has been greatly exaggerated. | ||||
Strongly Agree | Agree | Not Sure | Disagree | Strongly Disagree |
11. The earth is like a spaceship with very limited room and resources. | ||||
Strongly Agree | Agree | Not Sure | Disagree | Strongly Disagree |
12. Humans were meant to rule over the rest of nature. | ||||
Strongly Agree | Agree | Not Sure | Disagree | Strongly Disagree |
13. The balance of nature in mangroves is very delicate and easily upset. | ||||
Strongly Agree | Agree | Not Sure | Disagree | Strongly Disagree |
14. Humans will eventually learn enough about how nature works to be able to control it. | ||||
Strongly Agree | Agree | Not Sure | Disagree | Strongly Disagree |
15. If things continue on their present course, we will soon experience a major environmental catastrophe. | ||||
Strongly Agree | Agree | Not Sure | Disagree | Strongly Disagree |
16. I already know about mangroves. | ||||
Strongly Agree | Agree | Not Sure | Disagree | Strongly Disagree |
17. Exhibition visits help me understand more about mangroves. | ||||
Strongly Agree | Agree | Not Sure | Disagree | Strongly Disagree |
18. I feel more connected with nature when classes are held in outdoor spaces. | ||||
Strongly Agree | Agree | Not Sure | Disagree | Strongly Disagree |
19. Wetlands, like mangroves, are important for coastal cities like Macao. | ||||
Strongly Agree | Agree | Not Sure | Disagree | Strongly Disagree |
20. Mangroves should be protected and conserved. | ||||
Strongly Agree | Agree | Not Sure | Disagree | Strongly Disagree |
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1. We are approaching the limit of the number of people the earth can support. |
2. Humans have the right to modify the mangrove environment to suit their needs. |
3. When humans interfere with mangroves, it often produces disastrous consequences. |
4. Human ingenuity will ensure that we do not make the earth unlivable. |
5. Humans are severely abusing the mangroves. |
6. The mangrove ecosystem has plenty of natural resources if we just learn how to develop them. |
7. Plants and animals in mangroves have as much right as humans to exist. |
8. The balance of nature in the mangrove ecosystem is strong enough to cope with the impacts of modern industrial nations. |
9. Despite our special abilities, humans are still subject to the laws of nature. |
10. The mangrove crisis has been greatly exaggerated. |
11. The earth is like a spaceship with very limited room and resources. |
12. Humans were meant to rule over the rest of nature. |
13. The balance of nature in mangroves is very delicate and easily upset. |
14. Humans will eventually learn enough about how nature works to be able to control it. |
15. If things continue on their present course, we will soon experience a major environmental catastrophe. |
Knowledge and Attitudes Dimension | Items |
---|---|
Environmental knowledge | I already know about mangroves. |
Exhibition knowledge | Exhibition visits help me understand more about mangroves. |
Environmental connection | I feel more connected with nature when classes are held in outdoor spaces. |
Environmental value | Wetlands, like mangroves, are important for coastal cities like Macao. |
Environmental protection | Mangroves should be protected and conserved. |
Description | Categories | Frequency |
---|---|---|
Gender | Male | 45 |
Female | 38 | |
Age (years) | 12 | 18 |
13 | 22 | |
14 | 5 | |
15 | 10 | |
16 | 9 | |
17 | 15 | |
18 | 3 | |
19 | 1 | |
Grade Level | 7 | 18 |
8 | 31 | |
9 | 1 | |
10 | 6 | |
11 | 18 | |
12 | 9 |
Pre-Test | Post-Test | Change | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Measure | M | SD | Skewness | Kurtosis | M | SD | Skewness | Kurtosis | |
NEP-Macao (complete scale) | 3.589 | 0.365 | 0.225 | −0.380 | 3.91 | 0.29 | 0.067 | −0.161 | 0.321 |
NEP Item 1 | 3.744 | 0.797 | −0.292 | −0.228 | 4.154 | 0.722 | −1.728 | 5.878 | 0.041 |
NEP Item 2 | 2.923 | 1.003 | 0.316 | −0.648 | 3.295 | 1.186 | −0.646 | −0.923 | 0.372 |
NEP Item 3 | 3.769 | 0.719 | 0.378 | −0.982 | 4.321 | 0.497 | 0.454 | −1.014 | 0.552 |
NEP Item 5 | 3.641 | 0.805 | −0.321 | 0.549 | 4.026 | 0.789 | −1.022 | 1.357 | 0.385 |
NEP Item 7 | 4.077 | 0.864 | −0.894 | 1.035 | 4.577 | 0.57 | −1.388 | 3.376 | 0.5 |
NEP Item 9 | 3.936 | 0.671 | −0.190 | −0.003 | 4.167 | 0.59 | −0.439 | 1.618 | 0.231 |
NEP Item 11 | 3.859 | 0.936 | −0.589 | −0.404 | 4.154 | 0.927 | −1.319 | 1.655 | 0.259 |
NEP Item 12 | 3.564 | 1.135 | −0.327 | −0.924 | 3.769 | 1.127 | −0.868 | −0.126 | 0.205 |
NEP Item 13 | 3.449 | 0.696 | 0.069 | −0.149 | 3.782 | 0.595 | 0.104 | −0.385 | 0.333 |
NEP Item 14 | 2.59 | 0.904 | 0.7 | −0.048 | 2.551 | 0.935 | 0.63 | −0.108 | −0.039 |
NEP Item 15 | 3.923 | 0.923 | −0.659 | 0.207 | 4.256 | 0.612 | −0.553 | 1.277 | 0.333 |
Pre-Test | Post-Test | Change | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Measure | M | SD | Skewness | Kurtosis | M | SD | Skewness | Kurtosis | |
Environmental knowledge | 2.885 | 1.006 | −0.234 | −0.594 | 3.897 | 0.847 | −2.174 | 5.735 | 1.012 |
Exhibition knowledge | 3.949 | 0.754 | −0.101 | −0.749 | 4.513 | 0.528 | −0.323 | −1.311 | 0.564 |
Environmental connection | 3.769 | 0.896 | −0.856 | 1.131 | 4.154 | 0.994 | −1.781 | 3.482 | 0.385 |
Environmental value | 3.692 | 0.708 | 0.072 | −0.345 | 4.449 | 0.501 | 0.21 | −2.008 | 0.757 |
Environmental protection | 4.308 | 0.726 | −0.757 | 0.059 | 4.654 | 0.505 | −0.967 | −0.363 | 0.346 |
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Tagulao, K.A.; Bernardo, A.B.I.; Kei, L.H.; Calheiros, C.S.C. Mangrove Conservation in Macao SAR, China: The Role of Environmental Education among School Students. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 3147. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063147
Tagulao KA, Bernardo ABI, Kei LH, Calheiros CSC. Mangrove Conservation in Macao SAR, China: The Role of Environmental Education among School Students. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022; 19(6):3147. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063147
Chicago/Turabian StyleTagulao, Karen Araño, Allan B. I. Bernardo, Loi Hoi Kei, and Cristina Sousa Coutinho Calheiros. 2022. "Mangrove Conservation in Macao SAR, China: The Role of Environmental Education among School Students" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19, no. 6: 3147. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063147
APA StyleTagulao, K. A., Bernardo, A. B. I., Kei, L. H., & Calheiros, C. S. C. (2022). Mangrove Conservation in Macao SAR, China: The Role of Environmental Education among School Students. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(6), 3147. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063147