Tracking Trends from High-Impact Environmental Education Experiences During the Formal School Years to Current Pro-Environmental Behaviors

In response to the ongoing and intensifying impacts of human-induced climate change, individual participation in pro-environmental behaviors must also increase. Previous studies have linked higher environmental identity to greater participation in pro-environmental behaviors. However, the long-term impacts of environmental education experiences during the formal school years (prekindergarten through twelfth grade) on later pro-environmental behaviors remain uninvestigated. In this exploratory study, purposive sampling was used to recruit individuals associated with sustainability-oriented organizations. Participants completed an online survey addressing environmental identity, current pro-environmental behaviors, and prior environmental education experiences. In addition, five optional focus groups were conducted to enhance the study’s validity. Results showed that environmental education experiences were reported as highly impactful. These reported that high-impact environmental education experiences were experiential and immersive, encompassing a variety of environmental topics, employing multiple teaching methods, and occurring across multiple grade levels. This study is limited in its generalizability to the larger population due to a non-diverse sample and by its retrospective design. Even so, based on these results, it is recommended that more high-impact environmental education experiences be incorporated across grade levels within the formal school setting.