Effectiveness of experiential practice on environmental awareness and pro-environmental behavior: evidence from junior high school students in Toride City, Japan

This study verified the effects of “experiential practice” and “visualizing” carbon dioxide reduction on the transformation of junior high school students' environmental awareness and pro-environmental behavior (PEB). We sought to propose measures for sustaining high environmental awareness and choice of appropriate actions. Based on a specific case study from the “Toride City Sustainable Learning Project” in Toride City, Ibaraki Prefecture, the following 2 hypotheses were tested: (1) combining knowledge acquisition with experiential practice effectively sustains PEB, and (2) enhancing responsibility yields the greatest outcomes. A comparative analysis was conducted between School B (knowledge-focused classes) and School A (4 -week decarbonization training program with carbon dioxide [CO₂] calculations). Results showed that School A had action implementation rates that were 2.0–3.4 times higher than those of School B for electricity conservation, water conservation and food waste reduction. Regression analysis revealed that “awareness of responsibility” was a statistically significant factor in sustaining PEB. Text mining indicated that School A students linked daily actions to quantifiable CO₂ reductions, enabling them to perceive global challenges as “personal issues” and recognize their roles. These findings suggest that behavioral change in lower secondary students occurs when they move beyond knowledge acquisition by gaining fresh insights through “visualizing decarbonization” and developing a sense of ownership and responsibility. We propose environmental education programs that guide students from “knowledge” to “behavioral reinforcement” through continuous experiential practice, thereby fostering ownership and responsibility.