A Study of the Influence of Family Factors on Primary School Students' Environmental Behavior

Author: Fang-Ming Hwang(Dept. of Education, National Chia-Yi University) Shin-An Yang(Ta-Shan Elementary school, Tainan)

Vol.&No.：Vol. 51, No. 1
Date：April 2006
Pages：159-183
DOI：10.3966/2073753X2006045101008

Abstract：

This research project focused on the effects of family factors on the environmental behavior of primary school students in Taiwan. In order to theorize and construct a model for analyzing the effects of family factors, as well as some intermediate factors, on the subjects' environmental behavior, the family backgrounds of a number of 3rd- to 6th-grade students in Taiwan were investigated. 1160 subjects were recruited from fifty classes in Taiwan's northern, central, southern and eastern areas by using stratified cluster sampling. Structural equation modeling was used to examine our initial model. The results showed that family background did not have a direct impact on students' environmental behavior, but rather that it was mediated by intermediate factors: mainly intra-family interaction and inter-family (community) environment. This means that the "family background" factor may be spurious. As for intra-family interaction, parents' participation in their children's environmental activities is the most effective method for improving children's environmental behavior. As for the variables regarding "family environment," community sanitation is the most significant. Thus, it was concluded that community environmental redevelopment can effectively enhance children's environmental behavior.

Keywords：family factors, environmental behaviors, structural equation modeling, intra-family interaction, community environment

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