How “green” are today’s 15-year-olds?

Abstract

Across OECD countries, around one in five students is consistently able to identify, explain and apply scientific concepts related to a variety of environmental topics. In Canada, Finland and Japan, over a third of 15-year-olds have high levels of environmental literacy. Students acquire most information about environmental issues from school, although only a minority of students learns about these issues in stand-alone environmental science courses. Schools are a crucial source of information on environmental issues for students. While in most countries only a minority of schools has courses dedicated to the environment, the issue is often discussed as part of other core curricula, and many schools offer out-of-school activities that focus on the environment.