Examining the Enviroschools programme within the greater Wellington region: A mixed methods approach

This study focused on the Enviroschools organisation, a provider of education for sustainability in Aotearoa New Zealand. This research used a mixed-methods approach, involving seven schools in the Wellington region. Study one incorporated qualitative methods and gained insight into how the Enviroschools programme works in schools through interviewing teachers. Specifically, this study examined: 1) How the Enviroschools programme is implemented in different schools, 2) How action competence (a key component of the Enviroschools programme) is encouraged in students, and 3) Identified the challenges and benefits that teachers faced when implementing the programme. The second study used a quantitative approach and aimed to identify if variables from the Theory of Planned Behaviour could predict children’s behaviour intentions. Study two: 1) Explored whether the Theory of Planned Behaviour could predict children’s gardening and waste behaviour intentions, 2) Investigated whether environmental concern could explain behaviour intentions, and 3) Explored whether socio-demographic variables helped explain behaviour intentions. The results of study one highlighted the different ways in which teachers implemented the Enviroschools programme; this varied from being fully integrated throughout their teaching to offering extra-curricular environmental activities. The challenges and benefits included a lack of support, positive impacts on the community, and the influence of school culture. The quantitative survey (n=155) found that the Theory of Planned Behaviour variables could predict both Living Landscapes and Zero Waste behaviour intentions. However, environmental concern or socio-demographics did not add to explaining behaviour intentions. These study findings may benefit the Enviroschools organisation and policy makers who want to improve education for sustainability in New Zealand and know which variables to target to increase children’s engagement in waste and gardening behaviours.