Environmental Values in the Structure of Student Values

Global challenges posed by climate change and environmental deterioration are increasingly driving entrepreneurship with sustainable entrepreneurial intention as a key driver in predicting entrepreneurial activities. Together with experience, the environmental values of an entrepreneur are vital for sustainable entrepreneurial intention. However, the extent to which experience is a key factor to start up a sustainable enterprise is still rather unclear. To study the role of experience, we derive from the theory of planned behaviour three factors (personal attitude, social norm and self-efficacy) to examine their impact on environmental values and sustainable entrepreneurial intention. Based on a meta-analysis, the overall directions and effect intensity of the different factors in this relationship can be investigated. We develop a structural equation model to explore the mechanism behind the interaction between the different variables. We utilize information from 37 scientific articles using 40 empirical samples, 117 effect sizes and 192,015 observations. We found that environmental values are indeed positively related to a sustainable entrepreneurial intention. Furthermore, the relationship between environmental values and sustainable entrepreneurial intention is moderated by experience, as well as personal attitude, social norms and self-efficacy. In addition, environmental values are more positively related to the intention to set up a sustainable venture for entrepreneurs with low-experience compared to those entrepreneurs with high-experience. For policy makers and managers, it becomes important to stimulate environmental values to promote sustainable entrepreneurial intentions in order to stimulate the growth of sustainable enterprises. By enhancing these three factors, sustainable entrepreneurial behaviour can be facilitated by increasing entrepreneurs’ sustainable intention.

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Predicting Energy-Saving Behaviour Based on Environmental Values: An Analysis of School Children’s Perspectives

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13147644 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (14) ◽

pp. 7644

Author(s):

Wan Nur Hafizah Wan Hussain ◽

Lilia Halim ◽

Mee Yeang Chan ◽

Norshariani Abd Rahman

Keyword(s):

Energy Saving ◽

Survey Design ◽

Environmental Values ◽

School Curriculum ◽

Behaviour Pattern ◽

Socioeconomic Background ◽

Daily Lives ◽

Environmental Behaviour ◽

Personal Experiences ◽

Mitigate Climate Change

Energy-saving behaviours are pro-environment behaviours that help mitigate climate change. Environmental values namely biospheric, altruistic, and egoistic one are related to one’s pro-environmental behaviour. Thus, this research examines the contribution of environmental values to the practice of energy-saving behaviour. This research employed the survey design, in which a questionnaire was administered on 341 children (aged 11 years old) in Malaysia. The data were analysed using descriptive and multiple regression analysis. The results showed that children possess all of the environmental values (biospheric, altruistic, and egoistic) and that energy-saving behaviour is found to be occasionally and often practiced in their daily lives. The students’ altruistic values contribute significantly to their energy-saving behaviour pattern compared to biospheric and egoistic values. It is argued that the children’s personal experiences with climate adversity and socioeconomic background underlie these findings. An implication of this study is that the school curriculum should allow for discourse on the connection between environmental values and pro-environmental behaviour. Relating the cause and impact of one’s action in everyday life on the environment should be inculcated across the curriculum, more importantly at the primary level.

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Exploring Children’s Values Questionnaire: Measurement, Gender, and Age Issues

Education Sciences ◽

10.3390/educsci11070309 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 309

Author(s):

Loyd Richard Fyffe ◽

Ian Hay

Keyword(s):

World View ◽

Theoretical Construct ◽

School Based ◽

Social Settings ◽

Gender And Age ◽

The Status ◽

Good Internal Consistency ◽

Student Values ◽

Fit Index ◽

Relationship Of

Values are conceptualized as the standards individuals use to determine the status of events and actions and are considered to influence individuals’ behaviours, reasoning, and perceptions. Based on a synthesis of six school-based student values enhancement programs, this paper reports on the development of the Children’s Values Questionnaire (CVQ). This Questionnaire was conceptualized as composing of seven dimensions: Self-Concept; Behaviour; Healthy Life; Social; School Climate; Emotional Intelligence; World View and 26 related sub-dimensions. A total of 848 co-educational students (52% male, 48% female) from Years (Grades) 4 to 7, ages 9 to 13+ years, across 11 Australian schools completed the 95-item CVQ Questionnaire. The Cronbach alpha coefficient of the instrument was 0.94, indicating that the questionnaire had good internal consistency. The inter-correlation between its seven dimensions clustered at Pearson r = 0.55. An exploratory factor analysis was supportive of the CVQ’s theoretical construct (Norm Fit Index of the data to the theoretical construct, 0.09). Girls rated themselves higher than boys (p < 0.001) on items related to Playing by the Rules, Responsibility, Creativity, Empathy, and Communication, and boys rated themselves higher than girls on Physical Activities items (p < 0.001). Older students (Years 6 and 7) compared to younger students (Years 4 and 5) demonstrated greater discernment and differentiation of context (p < 0.05), the growing influence of peer friendship in their value beliefs and an increase in confidence in social settings (p < 0.001). The relationship of the CVQ to Schwartz’s Universal Valued Goals is reported in the paper, along with examples of the application of the CVQ in schools.

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