Action Research for the Green Consumption in an Elementary School

Author: Min-Ray Lin, Pei-Jan Pao(Graduate Institute of Environmental Education in National Taichung Teachers College)

Vol.&No.：Vol. 49, No.2
Date：December 2004
Pages：1-34
DOI：10.6300/JNTNU.2004.49(2).01

Abstract：

The purpose of this study was to understand elementary school students’ current concepts and practices regarding “green consumption.” Through action research, this study set out to explore the changes in students’ cognition, attitudes and behavior caused by their green-consumption action learning.

In this study, the fifth graders of Jam-Ming elementary school were divided into two homogeneous groups—the experimental group and the control group. The experimental group was taught green-consumption action curriculum, and the control group was taught a green-consumption education in the traditional way. The research methods included observation, questionnaires, learning portfolios assessment, instructional diaries, interviews and content analysis. The results of the study were as fellows:

In terms of cognition, the understanding of green consumption by fifth graders in elementary school did not extend beyond their buying of environmental protection goods. In terms of behavior, they performed such actions as recycling, reusing their chopsticks, bowls, and cups, bringing shopping bags when going shopping, saving water and electricity; they also engaged in other school-related environmental education activities.

1. The green consumption action research curriculum was judged to be highly suitable through observation, instructional diaries, interviews and questionnaires, and in accordance with the Competence Indicators or Benchmarks of the Grade 1-9 Curriculum proposed by the Ministry of Education.

2. The experimental group showed significantly greater improvement than the control group, not only in their understanding of green consumption but also in their attitude toward it and consequent behavior.

3. Students’ social status or background had no significant effect on their ability to learn about green consumption.

4. The proper action-reseach mode is student-centered, and merges action learning with STS teaching and self-guiding instructional curriculum design. A collaborative teaching team conducted the action research on green consumption education. Through this research teachers have been motivated to design a suitable green-consumption educational curriculum, and to promote the use of collaborative teaching teams in their profession.

Keywords：action research, green consumption, environmental education

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