324
T. A. Raman and J. M. Luetz
the faith-based schools included in the study guides the pro-environmental behaviours
that students practice while in school. This includes cleaning up the school environment (compound, classroom and desks), not throwing rubbish around the school,
and planting trees. The findings of this study hold important implications for policymakers and curriculum developers in terms of how pro-environmental practices can
be integrated into values and moral programs within schools. As the findings show,
not all faith-based schools have separate religion classes, yet still integrate the key
message of care for the environment through the values and moral programs.
The research further suggests that school management should involve parents
and guardians in the adoption and sustaining of pro-environmental behaviours. The
need for parental support in instilling and reinforcing pro-environmental behaviour
in the home has been highlighted by the school principals. Questionnaire data and
student comments in focus groups and interview discussions also indicate that parents
and guardians have the greatest influence on student participants’ pro-environmental
behaviour, both while in secondary school and post-school. School management, in
their communications with parents and guardians, can encourage them to reinforce
the message of care for the environment in the homes.
Lastly, the research findings have added to the overall body of research on the
role of religion on environmental education in schools and the adoption of proenvironmental behaviours. This is particularly significant for Fiji since there is limited
research in this area (Nunn et al. 2016; Scott-Parker and Kumar 2018).
The limitations of this study include the use of a single case study—Fiji. To some
extent this limits the generalisability of the findings to other Pacific Islands. The
Christian schools had greater representation. Only one school from the Hindu, Sikh
and Muslim faith participated in the study which limited the data available for these
faith-based schools.
References
Ali A (1997) Aspects of Fiji Indian history, 1879–1939: A society in transition. Economic and
Political Weekly 12(42):1782–1790
Boyes E, Stanisstreet M (2012) Environmental education for behaviour change: which actions
should be targeted? Int J Sci Educ 34(10):1591–1614. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2011.
584079
Chan A, Islam MD (2015) State, religion, and environmentalism: Fostering social cohesion and
environmental protection in Singapore. Environmental Sociology 1(3):77–189
Environment Australia (2000) Environmental education for a sustainable future: National Action
Plan. Canberra: Environment Australia
EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency (2016b) What is environmental education?
Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/education/what-environmental-education
Farooq S, Ansari ZI (1983) Wastewater reuse in Muslim countries: an Islamic perspective. Environ
Manage 7(2):119–123
Fiji Bureau of Statistics (2008) Fiji Census Data 2007. Retrieved from http://www.statsfiji.gov.fj/
index.php/chart-gallery/209-population-by-age-2007-census
T. A. Raman and J. M. Luetz
the faith-based schools included in the study guides the pro-environmental behaviours
that students practice while in school. This includes cleaning up the school environment (compound, classroom and desks), not throwing rubbish around the school,
and planting trees. The findings of this study hold important implications for policymakers and curriculum developers in terms of how pro-environmental practices can
be integrated into values and moral programs within schools. As the findings show,
not all faith-based schools have separate religion classes, yet still integrate the key
message of care for the environment through the values and moral programs.
The research further suggests that school management should involve parents
and guardians in the adoption and sustaining of pro-environmental behaviours. The
need for parental support in instilling and reinforcing pro-environmental behaviour
in the home has been highlighted by the school principals. Questionnaire data and
student comments in focus groups and interview discussions also indicate that parents
and guardians have the greatest influence on student participants’ pro-environmental
behaviour, both while in secondary school and post-school. School management, in
their communications with parents and guardians, can encourage them to reinforce
the message of care for the environment in the homes.
Lastly, the research findings have added to the overall body of research on the
role of religion on environmental education in schools and the adoption of proenvironmental behaviours. This is particularly significant for Fiji since there is limited
research in this area (Nunn et al. 2016; Scott-Parker and Kumar 2018).
The limitations of this study include the use of a single case study—Fiji. To some
extent this limits the generalisability of the findings to other Pacific Islands. The
Christian schools had greater representation. Only one school from the Hindu, Sikh
and Muslim faith participated in the study which limited the data available for these
faith-based schools.
References
Ali A (1997) Aspects of Fiji Indian history, 1879–1939: A society in transition. Economic and
Political Weekly 12(42):1782–1790
Boyes E, Stanisstreet M (2012) Environmental education for behaviour change: which actions
should be targeted? Int J Sci Educ 34(10):1591–1614. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2011.
584079
Chan A, Islam MD (2015) State, religion, and environmentalism: Fostering social cohesion and
environmental protection in Singapore. Environmental Sociology 1(3):77–189
Environment Australia (2000) Environmental education for a sustainable future: National Action
Plan. Canberra: Environment Australia
EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency (2016b) What is environmental education?
Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/education/what-environmental-education
Farooq S, Ansari ZI (1983) Wastewater reuse in Muslim countries: an Islamic perspective. Environ
Manage 7(2):119–123
Fiji Bureau of Statistics (2008) Fiji Census Data 2007. Retrieved from http://www.statsfiji.gov.fj/
index.php/chart-gallery/209-population-by-age-2007-census