Fostering Pro-Environmental Behaviors Through Climate Change Education: An Empirical Study on Primary School Students

Abstract

Climate change poses an existential threat to global sustainability, demanding immediate pedagogical interventions to nurture environmentally responsible citizens from an early age. This study investigates the empirical impact of a structured Climate Change Education (CCE) program on the pro-environmental behaviors (PEB) of primary school students in Vietnam. Utilizing a quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design with a control group (N = 240, aged 10–11), the research evaluated changes in students' environmental knowledge, climate change awareness, and self-reported PEB over an 8-week intervention period. The experimental group participated in an experiential CCE curriculum emphasizing active learning, inquiry-based outdoor activities, and collaborative problem-solving, while the control group followed the standard national curriculum. Quantitative data analyzed via Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) revealed statistically significant improvements in environmental knowledge (p < .001) and pro-environmental behaviors (p < .001) within the experimental group compared to the control group. Furthermore, qualitative insights gained from semi-structured teacher interviews corroborated the quantitative findings, demonstrating heightened student initiative in waste reduction and energy conservation within the school environment. The study underscores the critical necessity of integrating experiential climate pedagogy into elementary curricula to drive meaningful behavioral transformations.