Running Head: Impact of STEM on Environmental Literacy

Impact of a STEM unit on Environmental Literacy in High School Students

Carrie Settles
Kennesaw State University
Dr. Quiana Cutts & Dr. Debbie Kohler

Impact of STEM on Environmental Literacy

Introduction and Orientation

The last decade has seen revitalization in science education, particularly in environmental
education. This is largely because of an increased emphasis on best practices in teaching and
learning in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (also known as STEM
education.) In addition, there has been a renewed focus on expanding environmental science
education and increasing environmental literacy. These are not only critical components of a
robust and meaningful STEM education, but are also necessary to create an educated American
citizenry that understand the complexities of our many global environmental challenges. Not
only does a strong program equip students to seek out and implement new solutions to these
challenges, but it prepares them to act as responsible stewards of the earth.
Part of the reason for the renewed focus on STEM education and environmental literacy
is that recent data shows that the United States is now significantly behind other countries in
global scientific literacy proficiency scores. Findings from the 2012 Program for International
Student Assessment rank American high school students 21st in test scores among 34 developed
nations (Kelly, Xie, Nord, Jenkins, Chan, and Kastberg, 2013.) This gap in scores is alarming
because in order to stay in the vanguard of discovery, invention, and innovation, the next
generation of the American workforce must have a solid grounding in science, technology,
engineering, and math (STEM) skills (Office of Science and Technology Policy, 2014).
Not only are our students struggling with competitive STEM skills, theyre also illequipped to investigate their environment, and to make intelligent, informed decisions about
how they can take care of it. (North American Association for Environmental Education, n.d.)
Part of the goal of education in America in the twenty-first century must be to develop greater
environmental literacy skills in our students. Students need to participate in a culture of

Impact of STEM on Environmental Literacy

environmental literacy and stewardship[and] environmental education (EE) should encourage

inquiry, investigation, and the development of skills that enable responsible decisions and actions
that impact the environment. (Environmental Education Alliance of Georgia, 2010)
The intersection of these educational movements creates a space for innovative
educational practices designed to use STEM education to promote environmental literacy. While
there are voluminous studies on best practices in teaching STEM content knowledge, and there
are also many studies on how to promote environmental practices and attitudes, to date there is a
gap in exploring how to link these two efforts for maximum effect.
Purpose Statement
The purpose of the study is to investigate what effects incorporating a new unit on solar
energy for a high school Advanced Placement environmental science course, designed with
STEM principles in mind and focused on using all four quadrants of STEM education in
conjunction with each other, will have on both short- and long-term environmental literacy
attitudes and behaviors amongst participating students. The study will incorporate both
qualitative and quantitative methods and data to determine the effect(s) of the STEM unit on key
environmental literacy practices and beliefs. The data will help identify which processes or parts
of the unit had the most impact on the students, in turn leading to increased efficacy of future
instructional strategies in order to achieve greater environmental literacy in the environmental
science classroom.
Research Questions
1. Does participating in the STEM Unit show an immediate increase in environmental
literacy in terms of students pro-environment behavior/attitudes?

Impact of STEM on Environmental Literacy

2. If so, are these changes long-lasting? What long-term changes to the pro-environment
behavior/attitudes of these students result from completing the STEM unit?
3. What activities in the STEM unit have the greatest impact on students environmental
literacy attitudes and behaviors?
Importance of the Study
We need an informed and environmentally literate citizenry to develop and implement
the global policies that will provide and guide solutions to the global environmental issues our
planet is facing. A sustainable future depends on our ability to help students understand the key
interrelationships between themselves and the world they live in, and in how well we help our
students develop the critical thinking abilities and problem-solving skills they will need to enact
critical global environmental reforms ( Environmental Education Alliance of Georgia, 2010.)
Increases in environmental literacy will equip students with the knowledge, skills, and
attitudes to begin addressing some of the multi- faceted and multi-disciplinary global challenges
we are now facing. This includes global climate change, loss of biodiversity, scarcity of global
food resources and potable water, and resource use (Steele, 2011.) Environmental educators are
always searching for the most effective way to increase environmental literacy (EL) and to
encourage students to rise to the call to arms component involved in participatory and
informed decision making on environmental issues (Darner, 2013.) One of the most preeminent
global environmental challenges our students will face is developing new sources of renewable
and sustainable energy (National Academy for Engineering, 2014.)
The global economy is driven by massive amounts of energy consumption. Our global
over-reliance on fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas is one of the most pressing and
urgent environmental issues, and one that needs immediate action. There is a clear and desperate

Impact of STEM on Environmental Literacy

need for society to shift to renewable energy sources, not only so that the release of such gasses
can be mitigated, but also because:
Renewable energy (RE) can provide wider benefits. RE may, if implemented properly,
contribute to social and economic development, energy access, a secure energy supply,
and reducing negative impacts on the environment and health. (Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change, 2014.)
In order to increase our societys use of renewable energy students first have to gain the
conceptual and structural knowledge about what this is and how it works. By using STEM
concepts in conjunction with EL practices, we can prepare students to make some of the tough
decisions that will lead to decreased reliance on fossil fuels. Exploring renewable energy
sources, particularly solar energy, give students an opportunity to learn about a real-life problem
in an authentic context and to begin developing the attitudes and behaviors that will lead to
systemic and lasting change.
There is some evidence that students know that renewable energy sources, including solar
energy, are viable options and can play a significant role in improving global environmental
conditions. This study seeks to understand whether or not a unit that combines the STEM
content and process knowledge of the mechanics of solar energy transfer from light energy to
chemical energy with the EL practices of understanding of ecology, care about the environment,
the skills to assess environmental risk, and the commitment to sustainability will encourage or
produce attitudinal and behavioral changes in students that influence their decisions about energy
consumption and using renewable energy sources (Stevenson, Peterson, Bondell, Mertig, &
Moore , 2013).

Impact of STEM on Environmental Literacy

Definitions of Terms
For the purposes of this study, the following definitions will be applied:
Renewable Energy- refers to electricity supplied from renewable energy sources, such as
wind and solar power, geothermal, hydropower, and various forms of biomass. These energy
sources are considered renewable sources because their fuel sources are continuously replenished
and are not based on fossil fuels such as carbon compounds. (IPCC, 2011)
Solar Irradiance- how one-way solar intensity or brightness is measured in power per
unit area. The solar irradiance is the output of light energy from the entire disk of the sun,
measured at the Earth. The solar spectral irradiance is a measure of the brightness of the entire
sun at a wavelength of light (Kishore & Kisiel, 2013; NASA, 2008).
Scientific literacy- The scientifically literate person has a substantial knowledge base of
facts, concepts, conceptual networks, and process skills which enable the individual to learn
logically and can use this knowledge in everyday decision-making, and includes development of
positive attitudes toward science, and the ability to use electronic tools ((NSTA 1982, 1;
Lederman, 1992; AAAS, 1993)
Environmental Literacy- a unique combination of knowledge and skills that enables
informed decision-making. These essential attributes include knowledge of environmental
processes and the environmental consequences of human action, inquiry and analysis skills and
an ability and commitment to [act] (Rose, 2010)
Probeware- allows for collection of data from local (sometimes hand-held) and distant
sites, may sometimes be connected to software that allows for further analysis. Probeware is a
class of scientific equipment including various types of measuring instruments that allow for the
collection of data from local (sometimes hand-held) and remote sites, and which interface with

Impact of STEM on Environmental Literacy

graphing calculators, computers, or other technologies and may sometimes be connected to

software that allows for further analysis. Specifically, probeware consists of electronic
measuring devices of over 70 types that connect to processing and display devices. The data can
then be viewed in a variety of formats in real-time. A few types of probes even combine both
measurement and display capabilities. (Peffer et al., 2013)
Photovoltaic cells- Photovoltaic cells are designed and engineered to convert solar
radiation into usable energy. They are considered a "renewable" form of energy and can be
installed on rooftops in conjunction with cool roof materials. They can be both on- and off- the
grid. (Kishore & Kisiel, 2013)
Literature Review
In order to increase EL in students, we must first understand the current attitudes, beliefs,
and behaviors exhibited by students. Anecdotal evidence suggests, and research confirms, that
many students in high school begin with very low levels of environmental literacy. They are
unaware of the impact their energy use has on the environment, nor do they understand where
their energy comes from or what it takes to generate electricity and get it to them. In addition,
they are unaware as to why it is problematic that they are wasting energy, what their role as
energy users is, and what they can actually do about their usage in the future (Blatt, 2013.)
Most secondary science courses leave environmental science out of the curriculum,
which contributes to the ignorance, partly because it is such a socially and politically
controversial topic (Steele, 2010). This is exacerbated by the fact that much of what the public
knows is communicated through political, cultural, and social contact, as opposed to coming
from valid scientific study (Birdsall, 2013; Le Hebel, Montpied, & Fontaniu, 2014). Another
problem with the current attitude is that since students havent been exposed to environmental

Impact of STEM on Environmental Literacy

science before, the class is thought of as a tree-hugger hippie class that is going to be a waste
of their time. They dont realize that the topics covered will actually impact them (Yoon & Ko,
2013; Le Hebel, Montpied, & Fontaniu, 2014). They think the oil will never run out and the only
cost to them is the price at the pump. They have no idea that this is a global environmental,
economic, and political problem that they need to make a priority.
We do have to be careful if we want to change pre-existing attitudes and norms, because
if not done effectively and with an understanding of how intrinsic and extrinsic motivation
works, then we will lose the opportunity for buy-in (Blatt, 2013; Karaarslan, 2014). Even
worse, Kim (2011) shows that those that do have some awareness and concerns feel that their
actions locally will not have an impact globally, which leads to an attitude of why bother?
These students have paralyses by analysis. Students are aware that environmental degradation is
happening, just not that they can contribute to the solution (Yoon & Ko, 2013).
These attitudes are problematic because if these misunderstandings and pre-conceived
notions arent addressed then students will not have the passion to change their actions (Darner,
2014). They will not conserve energy and they wont see the need to explore alternative energy
sources. They may see and recognize potential problems (gas guzzling SUVs in the community
or GMO tomatoes in the grocery store), but they dont have the environmental literacy
understandings or the call to action EL can inspire to realize that they do have a voice or to
believe that their actions really do matter (Rose, 2010). If their EL increases and they are taught
the impacts of their decisions and given alternative choices, then when they are the heads of their
households, they will be primed to make informed decisions and they will be more aware of the
consequences of degrading our ecosystem (Sorensen, 2011).

Impact of STEM on Environmental Literacy

Increasing EL will also help students be better consumers and producers of technological
innovations. They will realize that while technology answers many of our problems its can also
be a double-edge sword that negatively impacts long-term sustainability. Instead of assuming
that emerging technological advances will always solve our problems they will understand that
sometimes conservation is the best answer. Often times, it is that technology itself that creates or
contributes to the problem, as is the case with the impact of increased greenhouse gas emissions
and pesticide use (Kim, 2011; Birdsill 2013; Rose, 2010).
We hope that the paradigm shift in their thinking and the new skills they have acquired
through their education will spur students in making discoveries that will change the world by
creating solutions to our increasingly complex and nuanced global environmental challenges
(Clark & Button,2011; Birdsall, 2013; Blatt, 2013). These students represent the next
generation of American thinkers and inventors. They will be developing the products to facilitate
change and repair the environmental damage that has been done. We must strive to equip our
students with the attitudes and understandings they will need in the future so that they are
mindful of the impacts each of their actions may have on a global scale and they are more
cautious (and reliant on the precautionary principal) in their decisions and the choices they make
(Kishore & Kisiel, 2013; Rose, 2010; Karaarslan, 2014).
How can educators contribute to this process of creating an environmentally literate
society? First of all, environmental science needs to become a fixed part of the twenty-first
century American public education curriculum and to be thought of as just as essential as the
three traditionally required science courses (biology, chemistry, and physics) (Steele, 2010).
However, students dont just need to be exposed to the content; it needs to be contextualized in

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real world settings to the fullest extent possible so that the meaning and importance of the class
and its content are apparent (Karaarslan, 2014; Blatt, 2000; Birdsall, 2013; Dresner, 2014).
Many studies have been conducted to find out the best teaching practices and
methodologies that can make content meaningful. One solution is to give the students a local
problem to solve so that it makes it more relevant to their lives and they are more likely to want
to solve that problem when they are adults. Many studies show that students feel more
empowered when they are involved with real-world issues (Yoon & Kos, 2013; Clark & Button,
2011). Furthermore, when they contextualize the content of an environmental science lesson by
applying what theyre learning to solving local problems students often take more ownership of
the problem and get more creative when they are coming up with solutions to those problems
(Darner, 2014; Lou, Shih, Diez, & Tseng, 2011; Karaarslan, 2014).
Another new methodology that shares some similarities to problem based learning
strategies is STEM education lesson planning. STEM includes an emphasis on the engineering
and design process, including utilizing technology and cross-curricular content whenever
possible to make content more meaningful (Lou, Shih, Diez, & Tseng, 2011; Knezek,
Christensen, Tyler-Wood, & Periathiruvadi, 2013). When students get to design their own tools
and techniques, actually have the equipment available to bring those designs to life, and are
given the time to test how those designs work in the real world, they are much more likely to
have higher levels of content synthesis and creativity (Clark & Button, 2011; Lou, Shih, Diez, &
Tseng, 2011; Dresner, 2014).
Another important part of a STEM education is the technology component. There are so
many ways to incorporate technology in the classroom now that it is often difficult to decide
which tool to use. There are new web tools, often free, that allow educators to present material

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in new and more participatory ways. Many studies show when students get to use personal
devices such as their cell phones and tablets to answer polls, write answers, and conduct research
they are much more engaged and more likely to retain new knowledge and skills (Waight and
Khalick, 2011; Tesseir, 2013). Other studies show how technology integration is improving
student achievement (Carvalho-Knighton & Smoak, 2009). There are new hardware devices
that are like mini portable computers which allow us to collect data more authentically and
allows students to experience how this data would be collected in the real world, as they may do
when they are collecting data for universities, the government, or private industry in their further
academic and professional lives (Waight & Khalick, 2011; Klopfer & Squire, 2008; CarvalhoKnighton & Smoak, 2009).
Since students know that the tools they are using are what are actually being used in the
field, there is a new level of engagement. (They fight to get their hands on the hardware!)
Another interesting facet of hardware/software is that you can even pull data from probes that are
stationed elsewhere, which really takes learning to the next level and outside the confines of
brick and mortar classroom. Students can compare data from fieldwork conducted all over the
world, as well as in their local communities (Peffer & Bodzin 2013; Barnett et al, 2011).
The literature in environmental education discusses what current student motivations and
attitudes are, how those attitudes are sometimes problematic, what attitudes we want students to
develop, and how best to begin designing our teaching so that this learning takes place. There is
a gap, however, in measuring how a unit lesson plan designed with STEM principles and
protocols in mind can contribute to raising students environmental literacy.

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Library Search
Research terms used to locate relevant literature for the research proposal included: STEM +
environmental science, improving environmental attitudes, environmental literacy, engineering
design process, STEM, probeware, environmental science + probeware.
Research Design
The researcher will use an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, where
quantitative data will first be collected with a pre- and post- survey and then qualitative data will
be added after conducting a series focus group interviews. A survey was chosen as the means of
conducting the quantitative data by the researcher because surveys can easily identify trends in a
population and are helpful in assessing attitudes of the participants (Creswell, p 403). The
multimodal design method ensures that the qualitative data from the focus groups will help
elaborate on and/or explain the quantitative data from the survey (Creswell, 2011 p 542). There
will be a longitudinal component as well, since the focus group will be repeated every other year
for four years in order to assess the longevity of the positive attitudes toward the environment.
The study will be replicated each spring semester for three years.
The unit of STEM that is the focus of this study will cover seven class days in the spring
semester. The pre-survey will be administered on the first day of the unit and will be readministered on the final day of the unit, at the same time the content assessment is given. The
first focus group will be conducted at the end of the semester. Follow-up surveys and focus
groups will be every other spring for four years in order to provide longitudinal data.
The sample will by default be composed of the students enrolled in the AP
Environmental Science classes taught by the researcher each year. It will not extend to any other
student population at this time. Participants will be expected to complete the pre- and post-

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surveys, as well as completing the activities of the curricular STEM unit. Students will begin the
unit with a lesson on the Science behind energy and how we generate electricity as it pertains to
solar energy and other alternative energy sources. The hands-on Technology component will
be the use of the new probes that test the solar irradiance next to our new Solar Array (it will be
installed on our campus November, 2014) and in the data comparison software that imputs data
from the students probes and compares it to the remote irradiance reported by the Array. The
Engineering step is introduced when the students collaboratively design solar cells and test their
cells to see which design(s) have the most effective absorption rates. Students will use Math
when calculating the percent difference in the data given from the array itself versus what we get
from our probes and the effectiveness of their solar cells in generating kWhs. At the end of the
semester, students will be invited to participate in a focus group. Students in the focus group
will be encouraged to participate in the follow-up surveys and focus groups in the coming years.
The data from the study will include the pre- and post- survey scores and the coded
responses to the focus group questions and discussions. This data will be analyzed to test the
working hypothesis (i.e. that incorporating all four aspects of STEM education into the unit will
contribute to a significant increase in the students EL).
Participants
The study will be conducted in the AP Environmental Science classes at Brookwood High
School, which is situated in a large suburb of Atlanta, Georgia. The school is in a middle class
suburb, with a total population of about 3,300 students. The student body is 20% AfricanAmerican, 10% Hispanic and 51% Caucasian. Currently there are four AP Environmental
Science classes, with average enrollment of 100 students per semester. The students are
primarily juniors and seniors, who range in age from 16-18. The overall ratios of male to female

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is evenly divided, and each class has about 40% gifted students, 30 % honors students, and 30%
college prep students. The students will be told they do not have to participate in the surveys as
part of their course grade, and of course the focus group and all follow-up studies are optional as
well.
Data Collection
The quantitative component will use the New Ecological Paradigm Scale (NEP) to
measure environmental attitudes. The NEP scale is a survey-based metric designed to measure
the environmental concern of groups of people using a survey instrument constructed of fifteen
statements. Respondents are asked to indicate the strength of their agreement or disagreement
with each statement. Responses to these fifteen statements are then used to construct various
statistical measures of environmental concern and potential action (Dunlap et al., 2000) (See
Appendix A). Responses are scored on a 5-point Likert-like scale where overall higher scores
indicates stronger pro-environmental attitudes (Harraway et al.2012) Each answer is given a
numerical value and is totaled in order to rank a person according to how strongly he or she
expresses environmental concern or a pro-environment attitude. The survey will be initially
administered as introduction to the unit and will be re-administered in conjunction with the
content assessment at the end of the unit and in subsequent follow-up measurements.
The participants with the highest levels of attitudinal change and highest environmental
literacy scores overall will then be asked to participate in the initial focus group and qualitative
interviews. The focus group questions have been designed by the researcher and will be refined
after a pilot session (see Appendix B for interview questions). The focus group questions have
been designed to reflect the context in which the focus group is being held and to answer the
essential questions of interest to the researcher (Krueger, 2009). The focus groups will be

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recorded and transcribed by the researcher. Further refinement and reassessment of the central
questions will be ongoing. The researcher will review the transcripts and will summarize and
record reflections and observations at the conclusion of each focus group session (Krueger,
2009). Students in the focus group will be asked to participate in a follow-up survey and focus
group interview every other year for the next four years.
Trustworthiness, Reliability, and Validity
The New Ecological Paradigm Scale (NEP) is the pre-eminent method of testing
environmental worldview paradigms. It has undergone reliability testing multiple times and has
been validated using multidimensional scaling with a Euclidean distance measure to assess the
similarity of responses between items (Harraway, et al.). It also rates highly in internal
consistency people who responded to some items in one pattern tended to respond to other
items in a consistent manner (Dunlap, 2000)).
Because this measurement has been used so extensively, it will continue to be widely
accepted as a measure of environmental world views, if for no other reason than it gives
researchers comparisons to make across study types, population types, and time (Dunlap, 2008).
The growing body of research to which this study will contribute will create additional
opportunities to test the NEP for its reliability and validity. Most importantly for the purposes of
this study, the instrument has been show to accurately predict future environmental behavior
(Dunlap, 2008).
A big concern in testing environmental attitudes in general, however, is that it is difficult
to pinpoint exactly which environmental concern will propel someone to not only verbally
commit to environmental action, but to actually change their behavior on any given to ecological
issue. In the realm of environmental science there are many sub-categories that are often not

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parsed out individually when environmental attitude studies are conducted (Dunlap & Jones,
2002). We must be careful not to assume, for instance, that just because someone wants to save
the pandas, they will recycle at home. According to Dunlap & Jones (2002), the best way to get
appropriate perspective on an environmental concern is to focus on just one aspect of
environmental concern and conduct interviews and collect data exclusively on one concern, as I
have done in focusing specifically on the attitudes and behaviors towards using solar energy as a
renewable resource.
Proposed Analysis
Data from the NEP can be analyzed using the following protocols and measurements.
The NEP survey consists of fifteen statements (items). The seven even numbered items, if
agreed to by a respondent, are meant to represent statements endorsed by the dominant social
paradigm(DSP). The eight odd items, if agreed to by a respondent, are meant to reflect
endorsement of the new environmental paradigm (NEP) (Dunlap, 2000). This scale is a
measure of people's tendency to be pro-environmental. The maximum score on this scale is 75
and the minimum score is 15. Higher scores indicate more pro-environmental attitudes (Dunlap,
2002). Dunlap (2008) reports a mean on this scale of 53.3. If you scored higher than 53.3, you
expressed attitudes that are more pro-environmental than the average person would. A score
lower than 53.3 indicates attitudes that are less pro-environmental than average.
Data will be analyzed to see how respondents score and where their score places them in
relation to each other, to the median score, and along a Bell curve. Pre- and post- survey scores
will be subjected to a t-test to see if the STEM unit resulted in a statistically significant increase
in environmental literacy attitudes and predicted behavior. Follow-up surveys will also be
analyzed to see if changes in attitude were long-lasting and if predicted changed behavior

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manifested actual changes. For the qualitative interviews, the focus group responses will be
coded by the researcher at the conclusion of the interview sessions. The questions (Appendix B)
will be asked individually to the cohort members and will be voice recorded on a recording
device (audio only) and later transcribed after patterns emerge. Berkowitz (1997) suggests
considering six questions when coding and analyzing qualitative data:

What common themes emerge in responses about specific topics? How do these patterns (or
lack thereof) help to illuminate the broader central question(s)?

Are there deviations from these patterns? If so, are there any factors that might explain these
deviations?

How are participants' environments or past experiences related to their behavior and
attitudes?

What interesting stories emerge from the responses? How do they help illuminate the central
question(s)?

Do any of these patterns suggest that additional data may be needed? Do any of the central
questions need to be revised?

Are the patterns that emerge similar to the findings of other studies on the same topic? If not,
what might explain these discrepancies?

Consideration of these questions (Document 2) will lead the development of the coding
categories of the qualitative focus group responses, which will ultimately determine the
effectiveness of the lesson on improving Environmental Literacy. The implications of the study
are to ultimately help teachers of environmental education with their lesson planning and
budgeting. If the lesson is ineffective in increasing EL, then proprietary probeware, which is
costly, should not be purchased. The money can be spent elsewhere and other techniques that

Impact of STEM on Environmental Literacy

could potentially create even more numerous environmental stewards should be explored and
researched. Future research on this topic could include student achievement data in regards to
alternative energies. If the results of this study indicate the lesson was favorable, then planning
and development on lessons that can include the complete STEM process in an Environmental
Science course should take place.

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Appendix A
Your participation in this survey is completely OPTIONAL; in no way will your answers to this
survey impact your grade in this class. The purpose of the survey is to gather data on best
practice teaching strategies and your personal information will be kept confidential.
The 15 Item Revised NEP Scale (1 strongly agree, 5 strongly disagree)
New Environmental Paradigm Scale (revised)
Listed below are statements about the relationship between humans and the environment. Please
indicate the degree to which you agree with each item. Choose the number of your response for each
statement using the following scale: 5 = STRONGLY AGREE, 4 = MILDLY AGREE, 3 = UNSURE, 2 =
MILDLY DISAGREE, OR 1 = STRONGLY DISAGREE.
1. We are approaching the limit of the number of people the earth can support.
1

2. Humans have the right to modify the natural environment to suit their needs.
1

3. When humans interfere with nature, it often produces disastrous consequences.

1

4. Human ingenuity will insure that we do not make the earth unlivable.
1

5. Humans are severely abusing the earth.

1

6. The earth has plenty of natural resources if we just learn how to develop them.
1

7. Plants and animals have as much right as humans to exist.

1

8. The balance of nature is strong enough to cope with the impacts of modern industrial nations.
1

9. Despite our special abilities, humans are still subject to the laws of nature.
1

10. The so-called "ecological crisis" facing humankind has been greatly exaggerated.
1

11. The earth is like a spaceship with very limited room and resources.
1

Impact of STEM on Environmental Literacy

12. Humans were meant to rule over the rest of nature.

1

13. The balance of nature is very delicate and easily upset.

1

14. Humans will eventually learn enough about how nature works to be able to control it.
1

15. If things continue on their present course, we will soon experience a major environmental
catastrophe.
1

25

Impact of STEM on Environmental Literacy

26

Appendix B
Interviewer Script: The purpose of my research is to see if the unit I planned was effective in
increasing your environmental awareness and to see if you feel more apt to take action in
regards to sustainable practices. I am also a little curious about your background and how
much of your passion is because of my class versus the values you already had from your
upbringing. I just want to remind you, that your participation is NOT mandatory, you will
remain anonymous in my data, and that at any time we can conclude the interview. If you decide
at any time along the way the next few years that you do not want to be a part of this longitudinal
study, then it is also OK for you to drop out of the study.

1. How often do you recycle at home (does anyone in your household pull out recyclable
material from the trash if it was accidently tossed in there?)
2. Why is solar energy important?
3. What is a sustainable energy strategy?
4. How likely are you to use solar energy in your home when you are a home-owner, if not
likely why?
5. Prior to this unit, what were your thoughts on solar energy?
6. How do you feel about electric cars?
7. What part of the unit was most memorable/impactful?
8. What part of the unit was most challenging?

Impact of STEM on Environmental Literacy

27

Document 3
PERMISSION TO USE SURVEY
Hi Dr. Dunlap,
I am a graduate student at Kennesaw State University in Atlanta, Georgia. I am writing a research project
proposal and would like your permission to use your NEP instrument in my project on pro-environmental
attitudes. Thank you so much!
Carrie Settles
AP Environmental Science Teacher
Gwinnett County Schools

Dear Carrie,
You're free to use the NEP Scale, and don't need my permission.
Here are a couple pieces that you may also find of help in your research project.
Good luck,
Riley Dunlap
Riley E. Dunlap
Regents Professor of Sociology and
Laurence L. and Georgia Ina Dresser Professor
Department of Sociology
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, OK 74078
405-744-6108