Abstract:
The teacher’s use of lecture method has been observed to be ineffective in bringing
about the right attitude towards the environment and environmental problems. The
purpose of this research is to fi nd out what are the effect of outdoor activities and the
infl uence of gender on secondary school students’ environmental attitude to Biology.
Outdoor activities are educational activities that occur outside the regular classroom
activities to create awareness about the environment. The aim is for students to
notice the environmental problems caused as a result of a negative attitude towards
the environment and the need for a positive attitude instead. The study was carried
out using a pre-test, post-test, and a control group. A quasi-experimental design
data analysis was undertaken using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics
such as analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The outdoor activities had a signifi cant
effect on students’ environmental attitude (F=5.067 P<0.05). Gender also played a
signifi cant role in the attitude of students to the environment (F=6.939, P<0.05).
Outdoor activities were observed to have brought about signifi cant attitudinal
change in the students. Therefore, outdoor activities are recommended for teaching
and learning environmental education in Biology for both genders.
Description:
Proceedings of the 4th biennial International Conference on
Distance Education and Teachers’ Training in Africa (DETA) held at
the Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique, 3-5 August 2011.
