Knowledge about the water cycle, connection to nature, environmental attitudes and behaviour of primary school students of the second triad

During the last few decades the humankind is globally encountering environmental problems which are threatening the quality of the environment as well as our existence. In order to establish a truly sustainable society we need to change our attitude towards the environment. One’s connection to nature and environmental attitudes affect one’s pro-environmental behaviour and commitment to protect nature. The main goal of our research was to determine the characteristics of the attitude towards the environment of the primary school students of the second triad. We were researching the connections between the knowledge about the water cycle, connection to nature, environmental attitudes and behaviour as well as gender and age influence on these variables. The study sample included 137 students of the second triad from two different primary schools located in central Slovenia. The data was collected using an anonymous questionnaire and an exam to measure students’ knowledge about the water cycle, connection to nature, environmental attitudes and behaviour. Later on, I conducted in-depth, semi structured interviews with eight of the students from the original sample that displayed a positive attitude towards the environment. In that way, I got an insight into their experiences with nature and their perceptions of the water cycle. Results showed that the majority of the students possessed a basic, but an incomplete picture of the water cycle including some misconceptions about it. Students feel medium connectedness to nature. A connection to nature index proved to be a valid measure in Slovenia. Students have average, yet positive environmental attitudes. Most of the students perform environmentally friendly behaviour on a regular basis. Female students in comparison to male students practiced environmentally friendly behaviour more often and displayed a higher connectedness to nature. Students who displayed a higher level of knowledge of the water cycle tended to have more positive environmental attitudes and vice versa. Students with more positive environmental attitudes and higher connectedness to nature practiced environmental behaviour more often. All of the students interviewed displayed a positive attitude towards the environment. Most common experiences with nature mentioned were bonding with parents in the natural environment, playing with friends and the act of taking care for a pet