Can eco-schools improve elementary school students’ environmental literacy levels?

Research Question 1: Are there significant mean differences between experimental and control group students with respect to their environmental knowledge?

To determine whether EG and CG students differ with respect to their environmental knowledge, independent samples t-tests are conducted for each grade level. The results showed that there is a significant mean difference between mean scores of 6th grade (t ₍₁₁₅₎ = 7.059, p = .000, η² = .30) 7th grade (t₍₁₁₆₎ = 3.041, p = .003, η² = .07) and 8th grade (t₍₇₉₎ = 9.443, p = .000, η² = .53) students enrolling eco-school and traditional school on their knowledge about environment. Results also revealed that means of EG students are higher than means of CG students for all grade levels. Table 4 represents the results of t-tests run for students’ environmental knowledge scores.

Table 4 Results of t-tests run for students’ environmental knowledge scores.
Grade Level	Group	N	M	SD	t	p	η²
6th Grade	EG	70	6.585	2.095	7.059	.000	.30
	CG	47	3.638	2.381
7th Grade	EG	45	5.577	2.544	3.041	.003	.07
	CG	73	4.205	2.088
8th Grade	EG	41	7.853	1.236	9.443	.000	.53
	CG	40	4.100	2.216

Research Question 2: Are there significant mean differences between experimental and control group students with respect to their environmental attitudes?

To answer the second research question, for 6th and 7th grades analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), for 8th grade independent sample t-test were run. The ANCOVA results revealed that there is a significant mean difference between 6th grade EG and CG students with respect to their attitudes toward environment subscale (F(1,114) = 13.597, p = .000) with a large effect size (partial η² = .107). For this subscale, EG students got higher scores (M = 32.614, SD = 4.79) than CG (M = 27.148, SD = 8.88). ANCOVA results also showed that there is no significant mean difference between 7th grade treatment groups with respect to their attitudes toward environment (F(1,115) = 34.023, p = .344). The analysis run for 8th grade students showed that there is a significant mean difference between groups in favor of EG (t₍₇₉₎ = 8.096, p = .000) with large effect size (η² = .45). After the application, eco-school students (M = 36.585, SD = 3.701) had higher attitudes toward environment than traditional school students (M = 26.700, SD = 6.801).

Research Question 3: Are there significant mean differences between experimental and control group students with respect to their environmental uses?

To analyze whether there is a significant mean difference between students enrolling at two different treatment groups, with respect to their environmental use scores, ANCOVAs were run for each grade level (see Table 5). Results revealed that there is a significant mean difference between 6th grade (F(1,114) = 46.195, p = .000, η² = .28), 7th grade (F(1,115) = 10.325, p = .002, η² = .082) and 8th grade (F(1,78) = 106.934, p = .000, η² = .578), treatment groups with respect to their environmental use scores. For all the three grade levels eco-school students (for 6th grade M = 70.385, SD = 9.507, for 7th grade M = 63.355, SD = 7.997; for 8th grade M = 71.975, SD = 3.778) got higher scores than traditional school students (for 6th grade M = 53.063, SD = 15.022; for 7th grade M = 59.465, SD = 10.478; for 8th grade M = 46.050, SD = 15.028).

Table 5 ANCOVA Summary for 8th Grade Students’ Environmental Use Scores
Group	Source	SS		Df		MS	F	P	Partial Eta Squared (η²)
6th Grade	Covariate (pre-EU Scores)	998.688		1		998.688	7.289	.008	.060
	Group	6328.956		1		6328.956	46.195	.000	.288
	Group*pre-EU Scores	41.342		1		41.342	.300	.585	.003
	Error	15618.707		114		137.006
	Total	495749		117
7th Grade	Covariate (pre-EU Scores)	15.760	1		15.760		.169	.681	.001
	Group	961.123	1		961.123		10.325	.002	.082
	Group*pre-EU Scores	6.677	1		6.677		.071	.790	.001
	Error	10704.715	115		93.084
	Total	461072	118
8th Grade	Covariate (pre-EU Scores)	9.317	1		9.317		.078	.781	.001
	Group	12845.187	1		12845.187		106.934	.000	.578
	Group*pre-EU Scores	20.504	1		20.504		.169	.682	.002
	Error	9369.558	78		120.123
	Total	306603	81

Research Question: Are there significant mean differences between experimental and control group students with respect to their environmental concerns?

To test this hypothesis for 6th and 8th grade students, independent samples t-tests were conducted. The results of t-test analyses run for students’ environmental concerns are summarized in Table 6. The results of the analysis revealed that there are significant mean differences between mean scores of 6th grade students (t₍₁₁₅₎ = 2.189, p = .031, η² = .04) and 8th grade students (t₍₇₉₎ = 6.026, p = .000, η² = .31) enrolling eco-school application and students enrolling traditional school. For both of the grade levels, eco-school students got higher scores than control group students.

Table 6 Results of t-test Analysis Run for 6th Grade Students’ Environmental Concerns
Group	Group	N	M	SD	t	p
6th grade	EG	70	32.257	9.690	2.189	.031
6th grade	CG	47	27.914	11.648	2.189	.031
8th grade	EG	41	38.170	5.444	6.026	.000
8th grade	CG	40	29.275	7.632	6.026	.000

A one-way analysis of covariance is conducted to compare the effectiveness of treatments on 7th grade students’ environmental concerns. Results of analysis revealed that there are no significant differences between treatment groups with respect to their environmental concern scores (F(1,115) = 2.308, p = .131). Table 7 summarizes the ANCOVA results run for the effects of treatments on 7th grade students’ environmental concerns.

Table 7 ANCOVA Summary for 7th Grade Students’ Environmental Concern Scores
Source	SS	Df	MS	F	p	Partial Eta Squared (η²)
Covariate (pre-EC Scores)	491.500	1	491.500	6.602	.011	.054
Group	171.843	1	171.843	2.308	.131	.020
Group*pre-EC Scores	14.903	1	14.903	.199	.657	.001
Error	8561.688	115	74.449
Total	124776	118