ABSTRACT
Resumen Los avances científicos, tecnológicos y los modelos de desarrollo social y económico actuales ponen de manifiesto la influencia negativa del ser humano sobre el medio ambiente. La educación universitaria resulta indispensable para la difusión de conocimientos y promoción de comportamientos más solidarios y menos perjudiciales con el medio ambiente. La presente investigación tuvo como objetivo determinar la relación del conocimiento ambiental (CA) y el comportamiento proambiental (CPA) de estudiantes universitarios y su manifestación según las áreas de conocimiento, en una institución de educación superior en Colombia. Se realizó un estudio comparativo con diseño transversal, utilizando un muestreo dirigido, conformado por 991 estudiantes de diferentes carreras universitarias. Se aplicó el Índice de Comportamiento Proambiental (ICP) que evalúa creencias, normas subjetivas e intención de comportamiento proambiental y la Escala Diagnóstica de Conocimiento Ambiental para Latinoamérica (ECLA) que evalúa conocimiento del sistema, de las acciones, de la efectividad, y de problemas ambientales. Se evidenciaron asociaciones positivas y significativas entre el CA y las escalas del ICP; y se encontraron diferencias significativas según las diferentes áreas de conocimiento (p< .05). Los estudiantes de Ciencias Sociales y Humanas presentaron mayores puntajes en CA y CPA respecto a los de otras áreas. Se concluye que los estudiantes poseen creencias, actitudes y acciones positivas hacia el medioambiente, no obstante, su nivel de CA es bajo. Las universidades cuentan con el reto de promover una formación que impacte en el bienestar humano-ambiente.
Abstract Scientific and technological advances and current models of social and economic development highlight the negative influence of human beings on the environment. Higher education is essential for knowledge dissemination and the promotion of behaviors that are more supportive and less harmful to the environment. This research aimed to determine the relationship between environmental knowledge (CA) and pro-environmental behavior (CPA) of undergraduate students and their manifestation according to the areas of knowledge in a higher education institution in Colombia. A comparative study under a cross-sectional design was carried out, using a directed sampling, made up of 991 students from different undergraduate programs. The Pro-Environmental Behavior Index (ICP) was administered, which evaluates beliefs, subjective norms and intention of pro-environmental behavior, and the Diagnostic Environmental Knowledge Scale for Latin America (ECLA), which assesses knowledge of the system, actions, effectiveness, and environmental issues. Positive and significant associations were evidenced between the AC and the ICP scales; and significant differences were found according to the different areas of knowledge (p< .05). The students of Social and Human Sciences showed higher scores in CA and CPA compared to those of other areas. It is concluded that students have positive beliefs, attitudes, and actions towards the environment, however, their AC level is low. Universities have the challenge of promoting training that impacts human-environment well-being.
ABSTRACT
Resumen El objetivo del presente estudio fue establecer las características del comportamiento proambiental de los estudiantes universitarios colombianos, esto es, identificar las actitudes, creencias, valoraciones, prácticas y conocimientos ambientales de estudiantes colombianos de diferentes carreras universitarias. Para ello se realizó un estudio descriptivo-correlacional de corte transversal con una muestra de 1503 estudiantes de diferentes carreras universitarias en cinco ciudades colombianas, con una probabilidad de incidencia de .5, 95 % de confianza y un error del 2.5 %. Los participantes fueron seleccionados aleatoriamente al interior de cada universidad y seles aplicaron el Inventario de Comportamiento Proambiental (ICP) y el Test de Conocimiento Ambiental (TCA), este último desarrollado específicamente para propósitos de la presente investigación. Se encontró que los estudiantes encuestados poseen actitudes y creencias ambientales positivas en la mayoría de las dimensiones. El nivel de conocimiento ambiental de los estudiantes en las cinco ciudades seleccionadas es bajo. Si bien no se observaron diferencias significativas entre las carreras respecto a las creencias, valoraciones, acciones y conocimientos ambientales, paradójicamente los estudiantes de ciencias ambientales ocuparon lugares inferiores a los que estudian ciencias económicas y administrativas. Se puede concluir que existen diferencias según la ciudad en las creencias, valoración, conocimiento y acciones ambientales de los estudiantes encuestados. El reporte de acciones ambientales presenta un perfil controversial pues al mismo tiempo las personas realizan comportamientos proambientales y antiambientales. Las instituciones universitarias y el gobierno tienen el desafío de lograr que la educación ambiental muestre los resultados esperados para el cumplimiento de las metas ambientales del país y del mundo.
Abstract The objective of the present study was to establish the characteristics of the pro environmental behavior of Colombian university students; that is, to identify the attitudes, beliefs, valuations, practices and environmental knowledge of Colombian students from different university careers. For this purpose, a cross-sectional descriptive-correlational study was carried out with a sample of 1503 students from different university careers in five Colombian cities, with an incidence probability of .5, 95 % confidence and an error of 2.5 %. The participants were randomly selected within each university and the questionnaires applied were the Pro environmental Behaviour Inventory (ICP) and the Environmental Knowledge Test (TCA); the latter was developed specifically for the purposes of this research. The students surveyed were found to have positive environmental attitudes and beliefs in most dimensions. The level of environmental awareness of students in the five selected cities is low. Although no significant differences were observed between the careers with respect to beliefs, valuations, actions and environmental knowledge, paradoxically the students of environmental sciences occupied inferior places to those who study economic and administrative sciences. Thus, in the analysis of specific items it was evidenced that the students of environmental sciences develop diverse anti environmental actions, in a similar way to the behavior patterns of the students of the other researched careers. With respect to the region, the results show that it is possible to conclude that there are differences according to the city with respect to the beliefs, valuation, knowledge and environmental actions of the students surveyed. Among the findings it is worth highlighting the results of Bucaramanga in terms of the report of environmental actions and the highest average in the TCA observed in that city. Similarly, Cali stands out along with Bucaramanga in its results, while Medellín obtained the lowest scores in environmental knowledge. Finally, in the report on environmental actions in university students, contradictory results are observed, given that it presents a controversial profile because people perform pro-environmental and anti-environmental behaviors at the same time, with positive environmental attitudes and beliefs in accordance with these attitudes. Regarding the knowledge about the environment, in the descriptive results the average of the test was 12 points, which means that the students failed the test. The multivariate analysis showed that the theoretical model on which the construction of the ICP was based and the instruments from which items were selected for its conformation, apparently has great predictive power with respect to the verbal report of environmental actions; however, the TCA, a test constructed specifically for this research, would covariate with almost all the factors of the ICP but does not predict causally the actions reported by the students. In general, this study shows that university institutions and the Colombian government have the challenge of ensuring that environmental education achieves the expected results for the fulfillment of both the country and the world's environmental goals. The results also demonstrates the need to articulate policies, actions and regulations to improve the quality of environmental education in universities, as well as to implement citizen behavior programs that promote responsible consumption, given that knowledge does not correlate with effective actions in terms of public services, green brands and solid urban waste management, among other areas.
ABSTRACT
El presente trabajo de investigación se enmarca en el campo de la Psicología Ambiental y tuvo como propósito describir los conocimientos y las valoraciones que las personas expresaron sobre la calidad ambiental de la Reserva Forestal Bosque de Yotoco (Valle del Cauca, Colombia), así como descubrir sugerencias implícitas o explicitas pertinentes para el mejoramiento de la calidad ambiental del ecosistema en mención. Los participantes fueron algunos de los visitantes a la reserva desde el año 1994 hasta el 2011. Este estudio utilizó una estrategia metodológica cualitativa. Los datos analizados se obtuvieron a través del muestreo al azar de los libros de registro de visitantes, en el cual éstos escriben los comentarios sobre el carácter de su experiencia inmediatamente culminan el recorrido de la misma. Los resultados son ampliamente favorables hacia el reconocimiento de la calidad ambiental de la Reserva en sus aspectos físicos, bióticos y especialmente los psicosociales. Se destacan algunos comentarios relacionados con la apreciación del paisaje, la importancia como fuente originaria y regula-dora de agua, el ser uno de los pocos "sobrevivientes" de bosque en la vertiente oriental de la cordillera occidental colombiana, la buena atención de los funcionarios y su posibilidad para la educación ambiental pertinente.
The present research is framed in the field of environmental psychology and was aimed to describe the knowledge and assessments that people expressed about the environmental quality of the forest Forest Reserve Yotoco (Colombia), and discover relevant implicit or explicit suggestions to improve the environmental quality of the ecosystem in question. Participants were among the visitors to the Reserve during the years 1994 through 2011. This study used a qualitative methodological strategy. The data analyzed were obtained through random sampling of the record books of visitors where they write comments on the nature of their experience immediately culminate the course of it. The results are very favorable towards the recognition of the environmental quality of the Reserve in its physical, biotic and especially psychosocial aspects. The study highlights some reviews related to the appreciation of the landscape, the importance as originating and regulating water supply, one of the few to be "survivors" of forest on the eastern slope of the Colombian Western Cordillera, good care provided by the staff and the possibility for the relevant environmental education.