Behaviour and Attitude of Undergraduate Students towards

Environmental Awareness
A Case Study

An Abstract

1- Dr Arun Kumar Singh Reader in Economics, T.D.College, Jaunpur

2- Dr ( Smt) Shashi Singh Reader in History , T.D.College, Jaunpur
3- Vipin Kumar Singh ,Research Scholar, Economics, T.D.College,
Jaunpur

This paper is an attempt to analyse the behaviour and attitude of

undergraduate students towards environmental awareness. We
selected one hundred students of undergraduate classes randomly
for this study from T D College, Jaunpur (India). Purposely, we
selected the students because we wanted to know the attitude of
educated class towards environmental awareness. As we know that
more than 75 issues are related to environment but for the sake of
accuracy and to make the study more precise, we selected only
three issues, travel behaviour (local), energy and water efficiency
(Home), to evaluate the behaviour & attitude of the students. The
study tried to test the following hypotheses.

1- Even educated people are not aware of the environmental issues

2- They are not serious about environmental degradation.

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 3- The government is wholly responsible for the environmental conservation. Over
all attitudes of the students towards the environmental issues is not satisfactory

The study concluded that the behaviour of the respondents is not

satisfactory but we are fortunate enough that the attitude of the
respondents towards the environment was highly positive and this
provides ample scope to make the masses more environment friendly.
It is not too late; the planet can be saved if timely actions are taken.
The hypotheses taken on the basis of the general perception can be
tested with the conclusion. Hypotheses first and last are not
acceptable. The second Hypothesis is completely acceptable. Third
hypothesis is acceptable but up to some extent only.

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 Behaviour and Attitude of Undergraduate Students towards
Environmental Awareness
A Case Study

Full Paper

4- Dr Arun Kumar Singh Reader in Economics, T.D.College, Jaunpur

5- Dr ( Smt) Shashi Singh Reader in History , T.D.College, Jaunpur
6- Vipin Kumar Singh ,Research Scholar, Economics, T.D.College,
Jaunpur

This paper is an attempt to analyse the behaviour and attitude of

undergraduate students towards environmental awareness. We
selected one hundred students of undergraduate classes randomly for
this study from T D College, Jaunpur (India). Purposely, we selected the
students because we wanted to know the attitude of educated class
towards environmental awareness. As we know that more than 75
issues are related to environment but for the sake of accuracy and to
make the study more precise, we selected only three issues, travel
behaviour (local), energy and water efficiency (Home), to evaluate the
behaviour & attitude of the students . In traditional evaluations of the
quality of environment, authors usually mention "lack of greenery",
"maximisation of natural features" and "protection of urban habitats"
within a much longer list of issues, such as excessive impacts of
vehicular activity and parking, lack of facilities for pedestrians and
cyclists and the need to protect "historical continuity" (Hough 1984;
Adams 1994). Detail of the tables, data analysis and statistical
processing is given in Appendix.

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Objectives of the study: -
Main objectives of the study are -
1- To find out the current status of the awareness towards the
environmental issues
2- To explore the avenues for promoting the environmental
awareness.
3- To suggest certain policy tools based on the study to develop
environmental awareness.
Hypotheses:-

4- Even educated people are not aware of the environmental issues

5- They are not serious about environmental degradation.
6- The government is wholly responsible for the environmental
conservation.
7- Over all attitudes of the students towards the environmental
issues is not satisfactory.
Research Methodology: -
This study is based on qualitative survey and will use logical method
to analyse the qualitative statements taken from the students (face
to face interview) on the issues related to the environment under
consideration. Whole interview was divided into three parts-
The first part was related with travel behaviour of the students, the
second part covered the behaviour of the students regarding the
efficient use of the energy, and the third part was devoted to the
water conservation.
Findings: -
The conclusions based on the analysis of the qualitative
statements collected from the respondents are as follows-

1- More than 80% respondents have much knowledge about the

different issues related to environment. (E.g., Climate changes,

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 bio-diversity, conservation of water, energy and forest, global
warming, green house effect, Ozone hole and sustainable
development
2- About 75% respondents do not behave environment friendly
knowingly.
3- About 25% students are very sincere and perform environment
friendly activities in their day-to-day life.
4- 25% respondents were of the opinion that the government must
take all responsibilities related to environmental conservation.
5- More than 90% respondents were of the opinion that youth
specially educated must take the responsibility of environmental
protection and they suggest that training courses and camps be
organized to develop this spirit among the people.
They also suggested that our educational institutions could play
significant role in generating this spirit.
6- More than 80% respondents were of the opinion that behaviour
of masses must be environment friendly and attitude
towards environment to be changed. But they do not know how
it is possible? . Wilkerson & Edgell (1993) note that while
people may recognise that attitude change is needed; there
may be other over- riding reasons why they don’t change (e.g., to
maintain a job).

7- More than 90% respondents accepted that they feel guilty if

sometimes they do anything against environment and they try
to learn from their past mistakes. There is also considerable
evidence that people's past behaviours can influence their
attitudes (Eagly & Chaiken 1993)
From the conclusions drawn on the basis of the analysis it can be said
that the behaviour of the respondents is not satisfactory but we are
fortunate enough that the attitude of the respondents towards the

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environment was highly positive and this provides ample scope to
make the masses more environment friendly. It is not too late; the
planet can be saved if timely actions are taken. The hypotheses taken
on the basis of the general perception can be tested with the
conclusion. Hypotheses first and last are not acceptable. The second
Hypothesis is completely acceptable. Third hypothesis is acceptable
but up to some extent only.

Reference -
Adams, L.W. 1994: Urban wildlife habitats: A landscape perspective.
Minneapolis, University of Minnesota Press

Britanica Encyclopedia

Eagly, A.H.; Chaiken, S. 1993: The psychology of attitudes. Fort Worth,

Texas, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich

Hough, M. 1984: City form and natural processes. London, Croom Helm
Publishers.

http://www.google.com

Wilkerson, O.L.; Edgell, M.C.R. 1993: The role and limitations of

paradigm research in environmental management. In: Foster, H.D. ed.
Advances in resource management: Tributes to W.R. Derrick Sewell.
London, Belhaven Press. Pp. 53–77.

APPENDIX

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 This appendix includes schedule used to conduct face to face
interview, presentation of the respondents and their opinion in the
form of quantified table, statistical processing of the data. The
schedule used contains structured, dichotomous and multiple-choice
questions as per need of information sought for the study. The serial
no of the respondents is treated as their name and serial no of
questions asked is treated as question.

Behaviour and Attitude of Undergraduate Students towards

Environmental Awareness
A Case Study
Format of Schedule
S No
Name
Father’s Name
Class
Subject
1- Do you know about Climate changes, bio-diversity,
conservation of water, energy and forest, global warming, green
house effect, Ozone hole and sustainable development

Yes/No/ I do not understand

2 3 4 6
Who should take Which vehicle you use Do you use electricity Do you use
responsibility to travel local rationally water
Govt/Individual/PPP Cycle/Auto/walking efficiently
Yes/No/I do not mind
Yes/No/I
5 never mind
Do you use LPG gas

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 rationally Yes/No/I do
not mind

7 8 9 10 11 12
Do you Do you Are you Do you Education will you rank your
feel perform ENV serious about think that institutions overall behaviour
guilty friendly ENV attitude can play towards ENV
after activities Conservation towards significant (attitude towards
any ENV purposely? ? and ENV must role travel ( local),
mistake Are you be energy & water
? Yes/No worried changed? Yes/No/I do ( home)
about ENV not know excellent
Yes/No degradation? Yes/No satisfactory and
Yes/No not satisfactory

Quantification of data

Responses

Yes No other
Questions
1 83 17 nil
2 26(Govt) 49(Individual) 25( PPP)
3 80(Walk) 5(Vehicle) 15(cycle)
4 26 74 nil

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5 24 76 nil
6 25 75 nil
7 90 10 nil
8 26 74 nil
9 91 09 nil
10 81 19 nil
11 93 07 nil
12 5(excellent) 15 ( Satisfactory 80 Not
Satisfactory

Statistical Processing

The whole schedule was formulated in such a way that it easily could
measure the awareness, behaviour and attitude of the respondents
towards environmental issues.

Awareness: - Question no 1 is directly related to awareness. Table

shows that 83 respondents are fully aware of the issues. Rest 17
respondents are nor aware.

Behaviour: - Question no 2, 3, 4, 5&6 are associated with behaviour of

the respondents. No of environment friendly responses against each
question is taken as frequency and by the average of these frequency
the behaviour is to be presented.

Attitude: - Question no 7, 8,9,10 & 11 are trying to show the attitude of

the respondents. No of environment friendly responses against each
question is taken as frequency and by the average of these frequency
the attitude is to be presented.

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Awareness- Positive responses=83
Negative Response=17

Behaviour- Positive respons ---- Q No 2=49

Q No3=80
Q No4=26
Q No5=24
Q No6=25

Average =49+80+26+24+25= 204/5=

40.8

Negative responses—Q No2=51

Q No3=10
Q No4=74
Q No5=76
Q No6=75

Average = 51+10+74+76+75 =
296/5=59.2

Attitude - Positive responses Q No 7=90

Q No8=26
Q No9=91
Q No10=81
Q No11=93

Average =90+26+91+81+93=38 1/5=76.2

Negative responses—Q No7=10

Q No8=74

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 Q No9=9
Q No10=19
Q No11=7

Average = 10+74+9+19+7= 23.8

From the above analysis of the table it would be better to present the
whole analysis in the form of consolidated table to make the analysis
clearer and comparable. All three variables and their averages can be
presented in the form of quantified data.

Awareness- X
Behaviour=Y
Attitude=Z
Positive response-1
Negative response=2

Variable Average
1 2
X 83 17
Y 40.8 59.2
Z 76.2 23.8

Graphical presentation of data

Awareness
x

100
80
60
x
40
20
0
1 2 3

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Behaviour

80
60
40 y
20
0
1 2 3 4

Attitude

100
80
60
z
40
20
0
1 2 3

Comparative Presentation of three variables

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100

80
Series1
60 Series2
40 Series3

20 Series4

0
1 2 3 4 5 6

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