Fitting the Structural Relationship of Environmentally Conscious Behavior of High School Students by Gender: The Mediating Role of Environmental Experience, Values, and Identity

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology and Education, Islamic Azad University, Anar Branch, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Education Distance Planning, Payame Noor University, tehran, iran

3 M.A in Educational Psychology, Anar Branch, Iran

4 M.A in Clinical Psychology, Anar Branch, Iran

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the fitness of the mediating role of environmental experience, environmental values, and environmental identity in the relationship between gender and environmentally conscious behavior of second high school students in Yazd. For this purpose, a quantitative research design with a correlation approach was used. data collected from a sample of 348 students through multi-stage cluster sampling using Allen's (2013) environmental experience scale as well as environmental values scale by Tronu et al (2011), Clayton's (2003) environmental identity scale, and environmentally conscious behavior scale by Kaiser & Wilson (2004). The validity and reliability of the scales were analyzed by exploratory factor analysis and principal components method and Cronbach's alpha with SPSS24 software and showed relatively good characteristics in the Iranian sample. In the model analysis, structural equation modeling with maximum likelihood method and with Amos24 software was used. The results showed that the direct effect of environmental identity on environmentally conscious behavior was positive, the effect of gender and self-transcendence value orientation on environmental identity was positive, the effect of environmental experience on environmental identity was negative, the effect of gender on self-transcendence value orientation was negative and the effect of environmental experience on self-transcendence and self-enhancement value orientation was positive and significant. The results also showed that environmental identity was a positive and serial indirect effect of environmental identity and self-transcendence value orientation in the relationship between gender and environmentally conscious behavior was negative and significant. The results showed that environmental identity has an important role in the formation of environmentally conscious behavior and the effect of gender on environmentally conscious behavior is facilitated through environmental identity.

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References

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Journals of Environmental Education and Sustainable Development
Volume 10, Issue 1
December 2021
Pages 25-45

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