A National Survey of High School Students' Environmental Knowledge

The current environmental knowledge base in a national probability sample of American high school students was assessed. The analysis revealed low levels of environmental knowledge. A majority of the students were able to recognize basic facts concerning environmental problems; however, most students could not apply their knowledge to comprehend the consequences or potential solutions related to the problems. Students also demonstrated extremely little growth in environmental knowledge from 10th grade to 12th grade. Educational implications and recommendations are discussed.