Environmental Citizenship: Dutch students’ sustainability competences and avenues for science education

Abstract

Fostering Environmental Citizenship (EC) through science education equips students with competences needed for action-taking on sustainability issues. Quantitative studies show Dutch student EC competences are lacking compared to international averages. This study provides a qualitative view on Dutch 11-15 year old students’ EC, providing support for science teachers. The research question is: What are main characteristics of Dutch lower secondary student competences around environmental citizenship? We conducted semi-structured interviews with 42 students (F: 25, M: 17; average age 13.3). Questions concerned student sustainability knowledge, attitudes, behavior, and reflection. Common trends in the data are a worry for the future, the experienced distance from sustainability issues, and interest in personal actions. Students do not discuss sustainability with friends. They adopt a form of EC that can be typified as personally responsible citizenship. Our data provide qualifiers for conclusions from quantitative studies that previously dominated our understanding of student EC.