Environmental Identity of Primary School Students in Serbia

Project acronym:   ELIPS

Project type:   National Research Projects

Grant agreement No.:   HF-167

Project Web site:   https://elips.rs

     

Project is funded by:   Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia (Belgrade, Serbia)

Instituions where the research is conducted:

• Institut za pedagoška istraživanja (Belgrade, Serbia) – Coordination
• Učiteljski fakultet (Belgrade, Serbia) – Beneficiary
• Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy (Belgrade, Serbia) – Beneficiary
• Prirodno-matematički fakultet Univerziteta u Novom Sadu (Novi Sad, Serbia) – Beneficiary
• University of Belgrade - Faculty of Chemistry (Belgrade, Serbia) – Beneficiary

Project realization is scheduled from March 15, 2023 till March 14, 2025.

Project staff

Repository for research results:   https://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/5825

Short description of the project

The study aims to measure the level of environmental literacy (EL) of Serbian students, and to identify the features of the environmental identity (EI), and the key influences for its formation, of the students attending classes with the highest environmental literacy score, where EL refers to content knowledge, problem analysis, strategy conception, sensitivity, awareness, care, actual behavior, and EI refers to perception of self in relation to the environment and the environmental problems. Research questions: What is the level of EL at the end of primary school in Serbia? What are the main features of EI of the students who excel in EL indicators? What are the main life experiences relevant to the formation of their relationship to the environment? What are the specificities of the classes and schools that outstand in EL?  After determination of the EL level of students of final grades of primary school in Serbia (applying Middle School Environmental Literacy Scale) on a stratified sample (40 classes, approximately 850 students), two classes with the highest score in EL will be selected. They will participate in semi-structured group interviews, exploring their EI and the significant life experiences influencing EI formation. Finally, semi-structured interviews will be conducted with school employees, in order to explore the learning context, and school/class specificities, potentially related to the participating students’ EI and EL.  Expected results: Data on EL level, identification of characteristics and key influences for EI formation; recommendations for policy, teacher education, and students’ environmental education. Articles, reports, working materials for teachers.  Impact: improvement of practice of teachers who participate in workshops; Improvement of teacher education and professional development due to recommendations for policy, dissemination and lectures. Long-term impact, change of pro-environmental attitudes and behavior of students in Serbia.