The Influence of Values and the Social Environment on the Environmental Attitudes of Students: The Case of Lithuania

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of values and social environmental factors on the pro-environmental attitudes of students. A representative survey of 1161 Lithuanian schoolchildren was conducted between October and November 2020. Health was the most important value for students, and for girls, while healthcare was more important for boys. Among the ecological values, unpolluted food, clean air, and fresh water were the most important. For Lithuanian students, school does not play a decisive role in outdoor behavior compared to family, which plays a more important role in outdoor behavior, and friends are the most important influencers of outdoor behavior. Students in Lithuania have a pro-ecological outlook, which is shaped by their interest in and practice of ecology. Students of ECO schools are more responsible than students of regular schools, although they have less pro-environmental attitudes compared to students of regular schools.