Understanding the effects of environmental science courses on students' envrionmental values, hope and confidence

The goal of this study was to understand the ways in which college-level environmental science courses impact students' environmental values, hope and confidence, and to validate the effectiveness of the metrics used to assess those impacts. Pre- and post-course surveys were administered to students enrolled in ENV 101, ENV 181 and ENV 199 over three years. The metrics included the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP), Environmental Hope and Self-Reported Confidence in scientific skills. Responses were compared longitudinally (pre- to post-course changes) and between courses. Focus groups and short answer questions were administered to illuminate specific causes of change. With the removal and modification of a few items, the tests of internal consistency, factor structure and construct validity indicate that all three metrics can rightly be treated as summated scales. Overall, the study shows that the three courses affect environmental values, hope and confidence in unique ways, and that in general these courses have a positive impact on the environmental values, hope and confidence of the students who participate.