Teachers' conceptions concerning the environment across nine Mediterranean countries

Overview & Synopsis

Mediterranean countries share the same climate, the same nature and the same roots of civilization. Nevertheless they differ in socio-political aspects, economical development and religions. Are the teachers' conceptions on Environment linked to some of these parameters? Our research, held in the context of the BIOHEAD-Citizen project " Biology, Health and Environmental Education for better Citizenship ", analysed the answers of 4189 teachers from nine Mediterranean countries to a questionnaire dealing with some topics of Environment: utilization, protection, GMO, feelings of animals, ... Multivariate analyses show great divergences among the teachers' conceptions, several inside each country and some differentiating the countries. In countries from the South of Mediterranean Sea (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Lebanon), the teachers' conceptions are more anthropocentric and more pro-GMO than in European Mediterranean countries (Cyprus, Malta, Italia, France, Portugal). The anthropocentric conceptions from the South Mediterranean countries are correlated with a low economical development, but also with a high degree of believing in God and practising religion (with no difference among religions) and with some socio-political positions more "at right" and against secularism. These correlations between knowledge, values and attitudes related to Environment are to be taken into account to improve the Environmental Education in each country.