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Candidate:
Robert Keys
Degree
of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Science Studies
Title: The Interactions Between an Orthodox Christian
Worldview and Environmental Attitudes and Beliefs: For the Purpose of
Developing Better Instructional Practice in Environmental/Ecological
Attitudes and Knowledge
Date:
Friday, April 23, 2004 3:00-5:00 p.m.
2734 Wood
Committee:
Dr. William Cobern, Chair
Dr. Marcia Fetters
Dr. Aletta Zietsman Thomas
Dr. Calvin DeWitt
Abstract:
Students bring with them to the classroom a wide
variety of beliefs and attitudes about the environment and its associated
issues. One worldview belief structure prominently discussed in ecological
worldview discussion is the role of orthodox Christianity. This study
uses both quantitative and qualitative measures to analyze the degree
to which the orthodox Christian worldview of students influences their
environmental attitudes and beliefs. Surveys were conducted with 281 undergraduate
per-service elementary teaching students enrolled in a science methods
course to determine the degree to which orthodox Christian worldviews
and ecological worldviews interact with one another. From this pool of
students, 16 students representing both positive and neutral-negative
orthodox Christian worldviews and ecological worldviews were interviewed
to determine how orthodox Christian students may differ from non-orthodox
Christian students in their attitudes and beliefs about the environment.
Analysis revealed that students with orthodox Christian worldview beliefs
do not as a general rule use their orthodox Christian worldview beliefs
in the discussion of their environmental beliefs and attitudes. Exception
to this may occur when environmental issues touch on orthodox Christian
worldview beliefs which have a bearing on matters of origin, life purpose,
or destiny. This has implications for the teaching of environmental issues
to students in that the orthodox Christian worldview of students should
not act as a hindrance to the appropriation of concepts associated with
environmental issues. However, moving students with an orthodox Christian
worldview to a place where they become actively involved in environmental
issues resolution may require educators to situate curriculum in such
a way as to invoke the students' orthodox Christian worldview beliefs.
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