Environmental beliefs and attitudes: an analysis on ecological affinity among the secondary science students in Indonesia

A person constructs an interface with the environment and this environment accounts for many of their life experiences as they engage in community discourses. Their life experiences contribute to the growth of the interface between the person and the environment and in turn justify their beliefs constructed between community and the person. This paper assumes that a set of beliefs regarding the relationship between people and the environment promotes certain attitudes through which the degree of the interface can be measured. In a context in which a development of sciences and technology facilitates environmental policies, a person interface with the environment is challenged by their ecological affinity, which includes student valuing science and technology, accepting the limits of growth, and recognizing people dominating Nature. This paper aims at revealing to what extent a set of student beliefs justifies their attitudes towards the environment. Data for this study was collected from secondary school science students in Indonesia and related directly to environmental topics in the Indonesian secondary science curriculum. This survey research of 577 students in Indonesia found that there was an inconsistent relationship between student beliefs and attitudes even when students were involved in extended fieldwork activities.