Abstract:

This work shows the results obtained in the first stage of a research project funded by the Instituto de Estudios Giennenses (IEG) and developed in the Province of Jaén (Spain). This project raises the question as to whether the involvement of Primary Schools in training activities related to the conservation of the environment has succeeded in promoting the attitudinal change in their students.

The research aims are consistent with social demands related to the conservation of the environment and to the current socio-political reality that insists within the need to develop the foundations of the environmental education from an early age in order to stimulate the change of those attitudes related to the environment.

Thus, it is intended to verify if the Educational Policy developed in the Province of Jaén (Spain) related to the implementation of environmental training programmes are effective. For this, we have randomly selected various Primary Schools between those ones that have participated in some of the catalogued training activities. The sample considered is comprised of all the students between ten and thirteen years old enrolled in those educational centres.

The research develops a descriptive study. The results have been obtained from the analysis of the data from a questionnaire we had previously elaborated.

The data obtained so far show that the involvement of the Primary Schools of the Province of Jaén (Spain) in environmental training programmes has been effective and has generated educational benefits. These educational benefits are reflected in the attitudinal change both teachers and pupils that we can observe through the increase in the degree of participation, in the training and in the interest in Environmental conservation-related issues.

Keywords:

Primary School, Environmental Education, Attitudinal Change, Environment, Educational Policy.