Scholarly record

UNIQUE ASPECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN GENERAL EDUCATION SCHOOLS OF ADJARA

Nunu Nakashidze, Darejan Geladze, Nino Kiknadze, Nani Gvarishvili, Shota Rodinadze

Abstract

Education is an ongoing process that enables individuals and society as a whole to reach their full potential by developing their abilities. It serves as a crucial prerequisite for sustainable development and the formation of public awareness. Environmental education, which begins in early childhood and continues throughout life, plays a vital role in fostering environmental literacy. Thus, assessing the state of environmental education among school-age students is of great importance. Our research aimed to evaluate the ecological knowledge of students in public schools operating in various municipalities of the Adjara region, including Khulo, Keda, Khelvachauri, and the city of Batumi. A total of 72 students from primary, secondary, and high school levels, with 24 students from each level, participated in the study, representing eight public schools in the mentioned regions. The findings revealed that the level of ecological knowledge among schoolchildren in rural areas was higher compared to students in urban areas, while the ecological awareness of elementary school students in rural schools is higher than that of students of the corresponding level in city schools. This difference can be attributed to the fact that children living in rural areas have more exposure to nature, animals, and plants, and thus have more information about them, resulting in higher ecological awareness. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the levels of ecological knowledge between primary and secondary school students. It was determined that students at all levels were well-versed in environmental aspects such as water pollution, waste management, climate change, biodiversity, forest and soil conditions, and natural disasters. However, there was relatively less awareness about the ecological condition of the air, energy efficiency, and green economy.

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