Attitudes of Elementary School Teachers towards Environmental Education: A Comparative Survey from Slovak and Hungarian Schools
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| Title: | Attitudes of Elementary School Teachers towards Environmental Education: A Comparative Survey from Slovak and Hungarian Schools |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Ivan Il’ko (ORCID |
| Source: | Hungarian Educational Research Journal. 2026 16(1):59-79. |
| Availability: | AK Journals. 1117 Budapest, Budafoki str. 187-189, A Building, 3rd floor, Budapest, Hungary. Tel: +36-1-464-8282; Fax: +36-1-464-8251; e-mail: info@akjournals.com; Web site: https://akjournals.com |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 21 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research Tests/Questionnaires |
| Education Level: | Elementary Education |
| Descriptors: | Foreign Countries, Teacher Attitudes, Elementary School Teachers, Environmental Education, Language of Instruction, Cultural Differences, Slavic Languages, Hungarian, Teacher Characteristics, Context Effect |
| Geographic Terms: | Slovakia, Hungary |
| ISSN: | 2064-2199 |
| Abstract: | This study aimed to examine primary school teachers' attitudes toward environmental education (EE) in schools with Slovak and Hungarian as the language of instruction in Slovakia. Understanding how language of instruction and contextual factors influence EE practices is vital in multilingual education systems. Previous research highlights the role of teacher engagement, thematic diversity, and access to resources in shaping EE attitudes. However, limited attention has been given to linguistic inequalities within the Slovak educational context. Using a cross-sectional quantitative design (N = 83), we applied Kruskal-Wallis tests and Spearman's correlation analysis to explore the effects of demographic and contextual variables. Demographic factors such as age and gender showed no significant influence, while teaching experience, frequency of EE implementation, and topic diversity significantly predicted attitudes. Slovak-speaking teachers reported greater access to EE resources (p = 0.00001), broader topic coverage (p = 0.0279), and more positive overall attitudes (p = 0.0310). A strong correlation emerged between the perceived teacher role and EE outcomes (r = 0.7564), whereas awareness of environmental problems was negatively associated with topic source use (r = -0.3497). These findings highlight the need for targeted support for Hungarian-speaking teachers and emphasize the importance of ensuring equitable access to EE materials and opportunities for professional development in multilingual school environments. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1505423 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | This study aimed to examine primary school teachers' attitudes toward environmental education (EE) in schools with Slovak and Hungarian as the language of instruction in Slovakia. Understanding how language of instruction and contextual factors influence EE practices is vital in multilingual education systems. Previous research highlights the role of teacher engagement, thematic diversity, and access to resources in shaping EE attitudes. However, limited attention has been given to linguistic inequalities within the Slovak educational context. Using a cross-sectional quantitative design (N = 83), we applied Kruskal-Wallis tests and Spearman's correlation analysis to explore the effects of demographic and contextual variables. Demographic factors such as age and gender showed no significant influence, while teaching experience, frequency of EE implementation, and topic diversity significantly predicted attitudes. Slovak-speaking teachers reported greater access to EE resources (p = 0.00001), broader topic coverage (p = 0.0279), and more positive overall attitudes (p = 0.0310). A strong correlation emerged between the perceived teacher role and EE outcomes (r = 0.7564), whereas awareness of environmental problems was negatively associated with topic source use (r = -0.3497). These findings highlight the need for targeted support for Hungarian-speaking teachers and emphasize the importance of ensuring equitable access to EE materials and opportunities for professional development in multilingual school environments. |
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| ISSN: | 2064-2199 |
