The Impact of Environmental Education on Intergenerational Knowledge Transfer and Household Behavior: A Quantitative Study from Palembang

This study was conducted in Palembang, Indonesia, during January and February 2024, involving fourteen nature lover groups across various schools. Palembang, Indonesia, was chosen as the study site due to its unique combination of environmental challenges and the presence of award-winning Adiwiyata schools, which are institutions recognized for their commitment to environmental education and sustainability. As one of Indonesia’s oldest cities with rapid urbanization and industrial growth, Palembang faces significant environmental pressures, including deforestation, pollution, and water management issues. These challenges make it a highly relevant setting for studying the impacts of environmental education (EE) on water conservation and intergenerational knowledge transfer, particularly within family units that may benefit from increased awareness of local environmental issues. Furthermore, Palembang’s Adiwiyata schools provide a model of sustainable practices that integrate environmental education across curricula, offering a supportive environment for the nature lover groups central to this study. These factors make Palembang an ideal site to assess the effectiveness of EE programs in promoting environmentally responsible behaviors at the household level.

Data collection focused on the impact of environmental education (EE) programs on water conservation. The environmental education programs implemented in this study were structured around the theme of water conservation and involved a series of interactive activities designed to enhance students’ knowledge and engagement with local environmental issues. Over two months, students in the nature lover groups participated in hands-on activities, including water sampling, analyzing local water sources, and visiting nearby wetlands. These activities aimed to build students’ understanding of water ecosystems, pollution sources, and conservation strategies. The program also included classroom sessions where students discussed water management and conservation practices, explored real-life case studies, and participated in group projects that encouraged them to develop practical solutions for water conservation in their homes and communities. The program was reinforced by guest lectures from environmental experts and community conservation leaders, which helped deepen students’ awareness of the importance of sustainable water use and its impact on the local environment.

The schools involved in the study are listed in Table 1. The study created four sub-groups from the population: learners who learned about water conservation, a control group who studied different topics, and the parents of both the learners.

Table 1. Schools involved in the study

Table 1 shows the schools involved in this study. They were selected because they are winners of the Adiwiyata award from 2018 to 2023. This award is given to schools that demonstrate exceptional commitment to implementing environmentally friendly programs. These schools excel not only in academic education but also in instilling environmental awareness and concrete actions to preserve the environment among their students. These schools were chosen intentionally rather than through random selection to ensure that they had established environmental education frameworks, which would support effective participation in the nature lover groups focused on water conservation. For the control group, schools were selected from the same pool of Adiwiyata award recipients but included students who were engaged in general environmental topics rather than specific water conservation efforts. This approach ensured that both groups shared similar institutional support for environmental education, allowing the study to isolate the specific effects of water-focused EE programs on knowledge transfer and behavior change.

Common characteristics of Adiwiyata schools include strong leadership in environmental management, an environmentally integrated curriculum, active student participation in environmental activities, eco-friendly facilities, and collaboration with various external parties. These schools serve as exemplary institutions that prioritize both academic excellence and environmental preservation alongside character education.

Paired data from parents and learners was gathered using self-administered questionnaires. The ‘total design method’ [13] was used to increase response rates. Surveys were distributed to all 290 learners between the ages of 15 and 17 who were members of the nature lover groups at each school. The sample size was determined by the total number of students actively involved in nature lover groups at these schools and their respective parent pairs who consented to participate. This approach allowed the study to capture the full scope of available participants within the targeted educational context, ensuring that both the intervention and control groups had sufficient representation for meaningful comparative analysis.

Two similar surveys were designed-one for students and the other for their parents. The students filled out the first survey in class and were asked to take the second one home for their parents. To encourage completion, participants were given the opportunity to enter a prize draw upon returning the completed survey. Both surveys included open-ended questions to verify that an adult in the household had filled them out. Indonesian language surveys were administered to adults and high school students, and a basic Indonesian translation was provided. Campbell and Werner [14] used back translations to verify the accuracy of translations. The surveys evaluated various knowledge, behaviors, and demographic factors related to water conservation, utilizing both structured and unstructured questions. A pre-test of the survey design was conducted with 35 students from two environmental groups. Feedback from this pilot allowed for adjustments, enhancing content validity. Additionally, internal consistency metrics, including Cronbach’s alpha (α = 0.78), were calculated for key sections, confirming acceptable reliability. This process ensured the survey’s robustness for capturing knowledge and behavior related to water conservation.

Five questions were used to evaluate participants’ knowledge of water conservation, water management, local environmental issues, threats to water resources, and conservation organizations tackling these issues. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was employed to decrease the knowledge measure’s dimensionality. Generalized Linier Models (GLMs) were employed to assess which explanatory factors most effectively accounted for environmental knowledge. This involved looking at how often and for how long learners attended nature lover groups and factors like the learners’ age. Factors identified as significant by decision tree analysis and their relationships were included in a comprehensive model with an appropriate error framework [15, 16]. Model residuals were analyzed to look for indications of lack of adequacy. The models were later simplified to a minimal adequate model (MAM) by removing the least significant variables step by step [17].

The assessment of documented actions focused on water conservation in Palembang. Families were examined in their decisions to engage in similar actions with varying environmental impacts, such as opting for a reusable bag over a plastic one when shopping. The assessment was modified from frequently used environmental education resources included in the educational materials given to the nature lover groups. Scores of behaviors ranged from 1 for environmentally conscious actions to -1 for those with high environmental impact. Overall points were determined by the parents’ behaviors from a list of 16 options. The data analysis was carried out using Microsoft Excel and SPSS. 27.0.

This study adhered to ethical research standards to ensure the rights and well-being of all participants. Informed consent was obtained from both the students and their parents before data collection, with participants informed about the study’s purpose, procedures, and their right to withdraw at any time without consequence. To protect confidentiality, all personal data were anonymized, and participants’ identities were safeguarded throughout the research process. Additionally, the study received approval from the relevant institutional ethics committee, ensuring compliance with ethical guidelines for research involving minors and community members.

The two approaches to understanding wetland systems have significantly different implications. The Wetland Knowledge Index represented acquired knowledge through instruction, while awareness of the nearby river was more akin to traditional knowledge. This distinction allowed for a deeper analysis of the factors influencing wetland knowledge and river awareness, enabling more robust conclusions regarding the role of environmental education in both learning and applying knowledge. Recognizing a habitat and acquiring factual information is likely a reciprocal process rather than a straightforward cause-and-effect relationship. Therefore, wetland knowledge and awareness of the nearby river’s location are expected to be interconnected throughout the study.

This study was conducted in Adiwiyata schools. It is often referred to as “Green Schools” or “Environmentally Conscious Schools”, and are known for their dedication to creating a sustainable and eco-friendly learning environment. Husin et al. [18] mention that the Adiwiyata program aims to cultivate a school community that cares and is responsible for protecting and managing the environment through good school governance to support sustainable development. The program emphasizes four main components: environmentally friendly school policies, environment-based curriculum, participatory-based environmental activities, and the management of environmentally friendly supporting facilities [19].

This research indicates that EE positively impacts learners’ environmental knowledge. After considering other factors, students who have completed wetland activities have a higher understanding of wetlands. Furthermore, we observe that increased duration of attendance at the Wetland Conservation Society (WCS) has a noteworthy influence on knowledge scores. WCS is an organization or program focused on educating students about wetlands through hands-on activities and real-life experiences to deepen their understanding of environmental conservation. A program that offers teenagers hands-on environmental education experiences, allowing them to engage directly with nature to enhance their understanding and appreciation of environmental conservation. For example, a child who has been present for a more extended period is more likely to have been exposed to wetland topics before the 12 months examined in this research. Student knowledge scores are significantly predicted to increase with their awareness of the health of rivers. The anticipated intrinsic connection among variables is expected to be strengthened in this research, as delivering wetland topics often includes trips to nearby wetlands (personal observation). Another way to see it is that real-life experiences beyond the classroom can improve learning [20-22]. Knowledge scores do not differ significantly between different groups of students when it comes to knowing the location of a nearby river. This indicates that learners without experience in wetland habitats still have some level of wetland awareness, but only through environmental education do they gain and remember detailed information about wetlands. This outcome is in line with Kakuba and Kanyamurwa’s research [23], which indicates that school is a primary source of knowledge about environmental issues for students.

We also show how environmental knowledge is passed from child to parent. Parents of learners who had learned about wetlands scored significantly higher on wetland knowledge assessments. Interestingly, parents did not realize they were learning from their teenagers; those who talked with their teenagers about environmental work had higher scores, but adults who learned about environmental issues from their teenagers had similar knowledge scores to those who did not. Numerous studies examining how teenagers influence their parents depend on adults reporting the phenomenon [24]. If adults do not realize that teenagers are transferring knowledge, then the exact investigations that depend on parents reporting on the influence of teenagers on parents should be doubted. This study indicates that teenagers can act as “effective agents” for the environment within their own families by showing evidence of passing on education-dependent knowledge from parent to child, as noted by Baker et al. [25].

Parents with more years of experience in a community and higher levels of education also demonstrated greater wetland knowledge (Table 2). The likelihood of experiencing the culture of the community-managed freshwater in the river, later replaced by the public company, increases with older age and longer living in the community. Higher education levels in parents are a strong indicator of increased understanding of the environment and pro-environmental actions [26].

The similarity in awareness of their local river between adult groups and teenagers indicates that parental knowledge of nature is not influenced by EE activities at WCS, unlike specific wetland knowledge. Indeed, a surprisingly slight decrease in adult awareness of their local river’s location is noted as a result of increased child knowledge. This could be because adults are becoming more unsure about which river is nearest to them as their teenagers participate in WCS activities and explore more of Palembang’s numerous small wetland areas. The parental knowledge score, which is greatly affected by the child’s knowledge (shown in Table 2 (a)), shows a favorable effect on parents’ knowledge level of the local river location; therefore, it is challenging to ascertain the actual impact of factual education on parental traditional knowledge. Additional research on the elements that lead to increased levels of informally gained understanding of the environment is necessary to ascertain the actual impact. Knowledge of the surrounding area is probably mutual, as parents and teenagers engage in activities and talk together [27].

In addition, two unforeseen negative responses were observed. In the model of students’ understanding of wetlands, involvement in wetland activities at WCS and spending more time at WCS together slightly reduced the impact (Table 2 (a)). Parents familiar with their nearby river and having a child involved in wetland projects contribute to decreased parental understanding of wetlands (Table 2 (b)). In both of these interactions, it is noted that the individual variables have a beneficial effect in the same model. Therefore, it is challenging to understand these interactions. The presence of these variables should not draw attention away from the main results in the models but could suggest that additional research is needed to explore more detailed aspects of how EE affects the acquisition of factual information by teenagers and parents.

The idea that students engaged in wetland projects can predict their family’s water consumption aligns with the theory proposed by Baierl et al. [28] that teenagers could impact the actions of individuals not directly involved in environmental education. Furthermore, an increased number of people attending WCS can lead to at least one child being exposed to freshwater education, contributing to positive changes in family water consumption habits. This evidence contradicts the research of [29-33], which all argue that having an independent environmental understanding independently is not enough to promote positive nature actions within families. It contradicts the findings of Liu et al. [32] which found that intergenerational knowledge transfer did not lead to an increase in ecological behaviors among the parents of the recipients. Households focusing on the environment use water to benefit freshwater systems and participate in community activities related to freshwater conservation. Teenagers’ participation in freshwater lessons at WCS influences adult knowledge, indicating successful reinforcement of intergenerational influences.

This research indicates that the environmental education program in Palembang is effective. Children are gaining knowledge about their surroundings and sharing it with their parents, impacting household practices. Engaging in environmental activities outside the classroom can improve students’ learning and foster a deeper appreciation for nature. Nature lover groups that offer teenagers the chance to engage with nature directly are key components of WCS programs and are a significant attraction for teenagers who want to join WCS. Chawla [29] demonstrates that being exposed to natural environments firsthand during childhood plays a crucial role in influencing one’s future beliefs and feelings toward the natural world. In this research, the amount of time students spend in school (represented by their age) does not impact their understanding of wetlands. Only by participating in the livelier WCS can one gain this understanding. Parents’ understanding could improve when children engage in interactive tasks, as they are more inclined to share interesting environmental education topics with their parents compared to written assignments.

Increased participation in the WCS, whether over some time or by numerous teenagers, could be influenced by inherent interest, which makes determining causality more difficult. The inference of causality is weaker in self-reported water use behavior, as individuals with more knowledge may be influenced to provide responses expected by the researchers. An ideal experimental design would, therefore, replicate the work of Fu et al. [34], where they gathered data from both teenagers and adults at three different time points. It is important to assess knowledge, attitudes, and behavior before implementing an education program to determine causality [32]. Conducting a longitudinal study like this necessitates a prolonged period of data collection as well as a commitment to assessing the effectiveness of environmental education before the program begins.

This research stands out in the field of EE literature because it utilizes quantitative data to show a direct connection between EE-induced learning in teenagers and a targeted behavioral change related to conservation within households. This analysis demonstrates that educating teenagers on EE can change parental knowledge and behavior, showing that educating teenagers and adults is not mutually exclusive. However, a key limitation of this study is the reliance on a specific sample from Palembang’s Adiwiyata schools, which may limit generalizability to other regions or educational contexts. Participation in the nature lover groups was voluntary, likely attracting students and families already inclined toward environmental issues, potentially introducing a selection bias. Additionally, the use of self-reported questionnaires may have led to response biases, as participants could have overreported knowledge or positive behaviors to align with perceived social expectations. Although measures like prize incentives and verification questions were employed to encourage accuracy, self-reporting remains a potential source of bias. Given the study’s unique cultural and geographical context, further research in varied cultural and educational settings is recommended to validate the generalizability of these findings. Additional research should continue to investigate the possibility of EE and analyze how it is being implemented based on the results of this study.