Environmental Issues in the Media--Students' Perceptions in the Three Nordic-Baltic Countries

UNESCO Chair on Interplay of Tradition and Innovation in ESD. Parades 1-220, Daugavpils University, Daugavplis LV-5401, Latvia. Tel: 371-6542-5452; Fax: 371-6542-2890; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://www.du.lv

Y

22

Environmental Education; Student Attitudes; Social Media; Mass Media Use; Mass Media Effects; Information Sources; Relevance (Education); Comparative Education; Gender Differences; Preservice Teachers; Qualitative Research; Statistical Analysis; Questionnaires; Foreign Countries

Finland; Lithuania; Sweden

1691-4147

The media, as a source of information, is supposed to have a significant role in effecting people's environmental knowledge and attitudes. The purpose of this study was to find students' perceptions of environmental issues as presented in the media and how students in Finland, Lithuania and Sweden used these media sources in the matters related to environmental issues. The most important source of environmental knowledge was found to be the Internet, followed by newspapers, television, school and education. In their own lives, students discussed environmental issues every day and, to some extent, in social media, discussion forums and blogs. In Finland, newspapers represented the most important source of environmental knowledge; in Lithuania, environmental organisations were the most prevalent, and, in Sweden, it was in a school or educational context. Based on these results, it was concluded that, in order to reach both genders of students in different countries and to more greatly benefit from all sources of information, a variety of media should be used in education for sustainability.

As Provided

38

2016

EJ1107700