Flowing perceptions: Exploring secondary students’ perceptions of water

Christopher J. Eck; Kevin Wagner

doi:10.37433/aad.v5i1.405

Authors

Christopher J. Eck Oklahoma State University, USA https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1645-3632
Kevin Wagner Oklahoma State University, USA https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9307-2799

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37433/aad.v5i1.405

Keywords:

Theory of Planned Behavior, water education, survey research design

Abstract

Adolescents’ (i.e., high school students) opinions and preferences are important and less likely to be influenced by political and social norms, especially considering natural resource and climate related issues. Therefore, this study sought to identify and understand the perceptions of secondary students related to water issues and conservation practices utilizing a non-experimental survey research design. The majority (53.8%) of Oklahoma secondary students participating in this study believed water was of concern in the state. The primary water issues affecting Oklahoma according to secondary students (n = 93) were clean drinking water, water for agriculture, water for aquatic habitats, wastewater treatment improvement, and water quality monitoring to detect pollution improvement. Students’ perceptions of water quantity and quality varied across groups based on their primary source of drinking water (i.e., Private Supply, Bottled Water, Municipal Public Supply, or Rural Public Supply). It is imperative for water-related curriculum to be developed for delivery in secondary classrooms across the state. Future research should consider the perceptions of students nationwide related to water and natural resource conservation.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T

Balundė, A., Perlaviciute, G., & Truskauskaitė-Kunevičienė, I. (2020). Sustainability in youth: Environmental considerations in adolescence and their relationships to pro-environmental behavior. Frontiers in Psychology, 11(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.582920

Chapagain, B. P., Wagner, K. L., Joshi, O., & Eck, C. J. (2020). Perceived importance of water issue and factors affecting learning opportunities in Oklahoma. Journal of Water, 12(2), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.3390/w12020395

Chaudhary, A. K., Warner, L. A., & Ali, A. D. (2019). Using perceived benefits to segment residential landscape irrigation users. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 38, 318–329. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2018.12.008

Eck, C. J., Wagner, K., Chapagain, B., & Joshi, O. (2020). Post-secondary students’ perceptions of water issues and water-related educational interests. Journal of Extension, 58(3). https://doi.org/10.34068/joe.58.03.15

Flora, J. A., Saphir, M., Lappé, M., Roser-Renouf, C., Maibach, E. W., & Leiserowitz, A. A. (2014). Evaluation of a national high school entertainment education program: The alliance for climate education. Climatic Change, 127, 419–434. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-014-1274-1

Hurd, B. H. (2006). Water conservation and residential landscapes: Household preferences, household choices. Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 31(2), 173–192. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40987314

Mahler, R. L., Smolen, M. D., Borisova, T., Boellstorff, D. E., Adams, D. C., & Sochacka N. W. (2013). The national water survey needs assessment program. Natural Sciences Education, 42, 98–103. https://doi.org/10.4195/nse.2012.0025

Mulki, S., Rubinstein, C., & Saletta, J. (2018) Texas’ water quality challenge and the need for better communication in an era of increasing water quality contamination events. Texas Water Journal, 9(1), 108–119. https://doi.org/10.21423/twj.v9i1.7059

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2023). Communities, climate change, and health equity: Lessons learned in addressing inequities in heat-related climate change impacts: Proceedings of a workshop–in brief. The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/27204

National Institute of Food and Agriculture. (2023, July 19). Water. U.S. Department of Agriculture. https://www.nifa.usda.gov/topics/water

Oklahoma Department of Education. (2023). State public enrollment totals. https://sde.ok.gov/documents/state-student-public-enrollment

Oklahoma FFA Association. (2023). About Oklahoma FFA foundation. https://www.okffa.org/about-foundation

Perry, G. L., Richardson, S. J., Harré, N., Hodges, D., Lyver, P. O., Maseyk, F. J., Taylor, R., Todd, J. H., Tylianakis, J. M., Yletyinen, J., & Brower, A. (2021). Evaluating the role of social norms in fostering pro-environmental behaviors. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 9(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2021.620125

Privitera, G. J. (2020). Research methods for the behavioral sciences (3rd ed.). Sage.

Reynolds, A. J. (1991). The middle schooling process: Influences on science and mathematics achievement from the longitudinal study of American youth. Adolescence, 26(101), 132–157. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2048469/

Rice, F. P., & Dolgin, K. G. (2008). The adolescent: Development, relationships, and culture (12th ed.). Allyn & Bacon.

Ricketts, J. C., Duncan, D. W., & Peake, J. B. (2006). Science achievement of high school students in complete programs of agriscience education. Journal of Agricultural Education, 47(2), 48–55. https://doi/org/10.5032/jae.2006.02048

Singh, K., Granville, M., & Dika, S. (2002). Mathematics and science achievement: Effects of motivation, interest, and academic engagement. The Journal of Educational Research, 95(6), 323–332. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220670209596607

Steinberg, L. (2014). Adolescence (10th ed.). McGraw-Hill.

Stern, P. C., Dietz, T., Abel, T., Guagnano, G. A., & Kalof, L. (1999). A value-belief-norm theory of support for social movements: The case of environmentalism. Human Ecology Review, 6(2), 81–97. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24707060

Stevenson, K. T., Peterson, M. N., Bondell, H. D., Moore, S. E., & Carrier, S. J. (2014). Overcoming skepticism with education: Interacting influences of worldview and climate change knowledge on perceived climate change risk among adolescents. Climatic Change, 126, 293–304. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-014-1228-7

Swafford, M. (2018). STEM education at the nexus of the 3-circle model. Journal of Agricultural Education, 59(1), 297–315. https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.2018.01297

United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 agenda for sustainable development. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/21252030%20Agenda%20for%20Sustainable%20Development%20web.pdf

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. (2020). Water facts: Worldwide water supply. Central California Area Office. https://www.usbr.gov/mp/arwec/water-facts-ww-water-sup.html

U.S. Government Accountability Office. (2014). Freshwater: Supply concerns continue, and uncertainties complicate planning. https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-14-430

Wagner, K. L., Eck, C. J., King, A. E. H., Joshi, O. (2021). Oklahoma’s perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs related to water resources and their management: A decade long look. Natural Sciences Education, 50(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/nse2.20054

van der Werff, E., & Steg, L. (2016). The psychology of participation and interest in smart energy systems: Comparing the value-belief-norm theory and the value-identity-personal norm model. Energy Research and Social Science, 22(1), 107–114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2016.08.022

Warziniack, T., Arabi, M., Brown, T. C., Froemke, P., Ghosh, R., Rasmussen, S., & Swartzentruber, R. (2022). Projections of freshwater use in the United States under climate change. Earth's Future, 10(2), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021EF002222

Wertz, J., & Layden, L. (2013). Troubled water: A deep dive into Oklahoma’s most precious resource. https://stateimpact.npr.org/oklahoma/2013/02/27/troubled-water-a-deep-dive-into-oklahomas-most-precious-resource/