Effect of Level and Diversity of Education on Environmental Awareness

Aims: The present research studied the effects of level and diversity of education on environmental awareness of the individuals.
Study Design: Present study adapted a survey research design.
Place and Duration of Study: The research was conducted in Karnatak, Bangalore Universities, and Dharwad Taluk of Karnataka State, duration of study between February 2011 and July 2012.
Methodology: Participants in the study were less educated and highly educated individuals. The less educated individuals involved in agriculture and daily labour activities having an educational qualification of primary to pre-university education. Whereas highly educated individuals were University students studying in 3rd semester of their science and social science courses. The research instrument used for assessing environmental awareness was environmental awareness test developed by Jha (1998). ANOVA and ‘t’ analyses were adapted to find significant difference between the groups.
Sample: We included 721 respondents comprising of 605 post-graduate science and social- science students (Karnatak and Bangalore Universities of Karnataka State) and 116 less educated individuals (of Dharwad Taluk of Karnataka State), age ranging between 22 to 24 years.
Results: It was found that the highly educated individuals have higher environmental awareness than the less educated individuals. However, the study did not find support for the assumption that diversity in education in terms of science, social science and environmental science has differential effect on environmental awareness of the students.
Conclusion: Conclusion may be drawn from the results that the higher education one obtains plays significant role in increasing environmental awareness and the diversity in education has no differential effect on the awareness. Even when environmental related courses are not offered in the syllabus the higher education is beneficial for acquiring higher environmental awareness.