We examine the effects of schools and parents, the two of the most important sources of influence, on views of human-nature relationship of 6th grade primary school children in China.
Adopting five items of the modified new ecological paradigm scale, we measured both child and his/her parent’s views on human-nature-relationship (HNR). On average, children score higher on the HNR indicators than their parents but both are correlated. Attending a green school and parents’ HNR scores are positively associated with children’s HNR scores. Furthermore, obtaining higher education is associated with parents’ HNR scores, which can be transmitted to children. Thus, the study makes a strong case for more equitable education, and environmental education in particular, that nurtures environmentally friendly worldviews among the future generations in China.
