Page 39 - ATENEO SERVED 2020 E-BOOK_Neat

Ateneo Science Educators and Researchers in Virtual
Engagement (SERVE) 2020 Ateneo de Manila University
School of Science and Engineering
MS Science Education Program of Biology Department

Dimensions of Environmental Locus of Control and Components of Environmental Literacy:
Considerations in Designing Instructional Materials

a*
b
Princes Raymunda G. Gatan , Dr. Rosanelia T. Yangco , and Dr. Sheryl Lyn C. Monterola c

a
b
University of the Philippines Institute for Science and Mathematics Education Development College of Education,
University of the Philippines *Corresponding author’s email: pggatan@up.edu.ph

ABSTRACT

The Philippine environment has been facing the highest pressure from humans causing damages that are
mostly irreversible. Mitigating environmental damages can be best managed by environmentally literate
citizens. The STEM students being the key players of society someday is hoped to take great strides toward
environmental conservation in the future.
This study reports on the status and correlations of the components of environmental literacy (EL) and the
dimensions of environmental locus of control (ELOC) of STEM students (N=512). Students with high ELOC and
EL is believed to be easily influenced to develop protective environmental behavior.
The Environmental Literacy Test (ELT) and the Internal Environmental Locus of Control (INELOC) Tool were
used to measure ELOC and EL, respectively. Among the three components of ELT, environmental skills got the
highest (70.57%), while the lowest is environmental attitudes and behavior (44.82%) which could be the
result of their low environmental knowledge (53.40 %).
The INELOC dimensions had the following results: Recycling Attitude (M=6.22), Green Consumer (M=5.95),
Activism (M=5.74), and Advocate (M=5.54). The results revealed that most of the students were inclined to
believe that through recycling, they could improve or mitigate best the worsening condition of the
environment.
The correlations between the components and dimensions of ELT and INELOC revealed that correlations
between Advocate and ELT, and between Environmental Attitudes and Behavior and INELOC were only the
significant results, r (510) = - .198, and - .216, respectively.
The low ELT result implied that two of the envisioned results of the K-12 Basic Education Curriculum in the
Science area which are to develop environmentally literate and responsible stewards of nature, are most
likely not achieved. Hence, the EL of STEM students should continuously be improved even in this trying time.
These results should be taken into consideration in designing curriculum materials.

Keywords: environmental locus of control; environmental education; environmental literacy; STEM
students; locus of control

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