CLIMATE CHANGE AWARENESS AND ATTITUDE OF SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN UMUAHIA EDUCATION ZONE, ABIA STATE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page = = = = = = = = = i
Approval page = = = = = = = = ii
Certification = = = = = = = = iii
Dedication = = = = = = = = iv
Acknowledgement = = = = = = = v
Table of content = = = = = = = = vi
Abstract = = = = = = = = = ix
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background to the study = = = = = =1
Statement of the problem = = = = = = =14
Purpose of the study = = = = = = = =15
Significance of the study = = = = = = =16
Scope of the study = = = = = = = =19
Research questions = = = = = = = =19
Hypothesis = = = = = = = =20
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Conceptual Framework
Concept of climate change = = = = = = =22
Causes of climate change = = = = = = =26
Impact of climate change = = = = = = =31
Concept of awareness = = = = = = = =47
Concept of attitude = = = = = = = =48
Concept of gender = = = = = = = =
Concept of location = = = = = = = =
Need for climate change awareness and attitude = = = =51
Strategies for promoting climate change awareness and attitude =55
Theoretical Framework
Functionalism theory = = = = = = = =60
Social learning theory = = = = = = = =62
Classical conditioning learning theory = = = = =63
Review of Empirical Studies
Studies on climate change awareness and attitude = = =65
Studies on gender and environment = = = = = =70
Studies on location and environment = = = = =72
Summary of literature review = = = = = =73
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHOD
Design of the study = = = = = = = =76
Area of the study = = = = = = = =77
Population of the study = = = = = = = =78
Sample and sampling techniques = = = = = =78
Instrument for data collection = = = = = = =79
Validation of the instrument = = = = = = =79
Reliability of the instrument = = = = = = =80
Method of data collection = = = = = = =80
Method of data analysis = = = = = = =81
CHAPTER FOUR
Data presentation and analysis = = = = = =
CHAPTER FIVE
Discussion of findings = = = = = = = =
Conclusion = = = = = = = = =
Implications of findings = = = = = = =
Recommendations = = = = = = = =
Suggestions for further study = = = = = =
Summary of the study = = = = = = = =
References = = = = = = = =82
Appendix = = = = = = = = = =92
Abstract
This research was a descriptive survey aimed at determining the climate change awareness and attitude of senior secondary school students in Umuahia education zone of Abia State. To guide the study, six research questions and four hypotheses were formulated and answered. Purposive sampling technique was used to sample sixteen (16) schools out of the thirty-four (34) secondary schools and six hundred and forty students out of two thousand and twelve students in the zone. Two instruments titled “Climate Change Attitude Scale (CCAS) and Awareness Scale for Climate Change (ASCC)” were used for data collection. The data collected were analyzed using mean score and standard deviation to answer the research questions while Analyses of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test the hypotheses. The major findings of the study were that senior secondary school students in Umuahia education zone have low climate change awareness and attitude, there is no significant different between the male and female students mean score on climate change awareness and attitude, and that there is a significant different between the urban and rural students mean score on the climate change awareness and attitude. Based on the findings of the study, relevant conclusions were drawn. The study recommended that in-service training should be organized for senior secondary school teachers to exposure them on need to promote climate change awareness and attitude of students, that curriculum planners should infuse more climate change contents in relevant senior secondary school and that concerned education authorities should ensure that quality education activities are carried out in rural areas as it is obtainable in urban areas. Finally, areas for further studies were suggested.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Climate is the major factor controlling the global patterns of vegetation structure, productivity, plant and animal species composition. Climate means the average weather in a place over many years. While weather can change in just a few hours, climate takes years to change. According to Small and Nicholis (2003), climate is the average weather for a particular region over a long time. It describes the total of all weather occurring over a long period of years in a given place. This includes average weather conditions, regular weather season (winter, spring, summer and fall) and special weather events (like tornadoes and floods). These climate patterns play a fundamental role in shaping natural ecosystems, and the human economic and cultures that depend on them.
Climate change means average seasonal change over a long period of time Igwe (2003) defined climate change as the variation in global or regional climates over time. It reflects changes state of the atmosphere over time scales ranging from decade to thousands of years. Climate change according to Nzewi (2009) refers to the measurable increase in the average temperature of earth’s atmosphere, oceans and landmasses. Ezeudu (2009) defined climate change as a long term significant change in the average weather that a given region experience. Nwagu & Nzewi (2009) explained that climate change is the significant change in weather (wind, precipitation and temperature) over an extended period of time. Udenyi (2010) stressed that climate change is simply a change in the climate condition of the world and the change if found by the scientists and other concerned agencies to be on the increase line. In the context of study, climate change means the significant and measurable change of the global temperature which is believed to be rather on the increase.