The Effect of Integrating Environmental Knowledge Programs with School Physical Education on Students’ Environmental Attitudes

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of integrating environmental knowledge programs into school physical education classes in enhancing students’ environmental attitudes. Methodology: The research employed a randomized controlled trial design with a control group. A total of 40 students (20 in the experimental group and 20 in the control group) were selected through cluster random sampling from a school in District Two of the Education Department in Tabriz. The intervention was implemented over one academic semester (four months), with the experimental group participating in structured physical education sessions that incorporated environmental knowledge and outdoor ecological activities. Each session was held three times a week for 90 minutes. Environmental attitudes were assessed using five subscales of the Environmental Attitude Inventory: Preservation, Utilization, Environmental Movement Activism, Anthropocentrism, and Support for Population Growth Policies. A five-month follow-up was conducted to assess the durability of the intervention’s effects. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc tests in SPSS-27. Findings: The results showed significant time-by-group interaction effects across all subscales. For the experimental group, Preservation scores increased from a mean of 28.46 (SD = 4.32) to 34.72 (SD = 3.81), F(2,76) = 16.84, p < .001, η² = .31. Utilization scores decreased significantly, indicating more sustainable attitudes (F = 14.57, p < .001, η² = .28). Environmental Movement Activism increased by 5.37 points from pre-test to post-test (p < .001), while Anthropocentrism and Support for Population Growth Policies also improved significantly. Bonferroni tests confirmed that all gains remained stable at the five-month follow-up (p > .05 between post-test and follow-up). Conclusion: Integrating environmental education into physical education effectively enhances students’ environmental attitudes across multiple dimensions and results in durable improvements, suggesting that experiential and interdisciplinary methods can contribute meaningfully to environmental education in schools.