Assessment of Geography Grade 10 learners’ environmental attitudes and values in selected secondary schools in Lesotho through the lens of the New Ecological Paradigm

Abstract

It is generally acknowledged that education, through school subjects such as Geography, plays a pivotal role in fostering positive environmental attitudes and values necessary for addressing global imperatives of environmental sustainability. However, while the Geography curriculum in Lesotho, and elsewhere, has been oriented towards education for sustainable development (ESD), there is a paucity of research on learners’ environmental attitudes and values. This study assessed Grade 10 learners’ environmental attitudes and values at four secondary schools in Leribe district, Lesotho. Fifteen statements, derived from the revised New Environmental Paradigm scale, were given, to which the learners were able to agree or disagree, using a five-point Likert scale. Results indicate that the learners generally possess pro-environmental biospheric and altruistic attitudes and values, with little indication of egoistic values. The results can shed light on the possible contribution of ESD-related curriculum reforms in fostering more pro-environmental attitudes and values as antecedents of environmental sustainability.