In a study which examines the pattern of geography teaching at the Advanced Level in Hong Kong and assesses the relative effectiveness of didactic and enquiry teaching approaches that are used by the teachers concerned for the development of positive values towards the environment, the question was asked as to whether or not enquiry is more effective than didactic approaches for the development of environmental values, in both the short and long terms, for students as a whole and for students from different ability ranges. Questionnaire surveys and interviews were conducted to obtain data from students after they were taught a topic on people and the environment in the curriculum, with the approach chosen by their teachers. Results show that the enquiry approach was effective with the lower to medium ability classes in the short term but students who were taught didactically performed better in more areas in the longer term. The possible causes for this pattern are discussed and suggestions for improving the effectiveness of enquiry approaches in a high-pressure, examination-oriented classroom environment are offered.

This paper examines the level of environmental consciousness of students in an education system where curriculum objectives emphasised in the classroom are often strongly shaped by public examinations. The study sample was drawn randomly in 1993 from Secondary 5 geography classes taught by teachers who had earlier completed a survey on style and emphasis in the teaching of environmental issues. Respondents were asked to complete a questionnaire on environmental understanding, attitude and behaviour. A sample of them was given a further set of questions on participation in activities and lifestyle patterns with an environmental bearing. Findings indicate that respondents had only a limited understanding of environmental issues, especially with respect to higher order cognitive objectives like synthesis and evaluation and the comprehension of information presented in various diagrammatic forms. In terms of attitude and behaviour the degree of concern for environmental quality was also limited. Most respondents did not show much willingness to take an active role in environmental protection in cases where conflicts with personal freedom or demands on physical effort, expression of opinions or attempts to influence other people were involved. To a certain extent this pattern is the result of the rapid growth of materialistic values in society and the lack of attention to attitudinal and behavioural objectives in classroom teaching and public examinations. The coordinated efforts of teachers and supporting teams like curriculum planners, examiners and environmentalist associations are certainly required to improve the situation and promote the balanced development of environmental consciousness in schools.

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This paper examines the knowledge and understanding of Hong Kong secondary school students about the composition of unpolluted and polluted air, and the nature and effects of air pollutants. A number of misconceptions are highlighted, including the common belief amongst younger students that oxygen was more common in unpolluted air than nitrogen. Along with their cognitive understanding, students were questioned about their views concerning what they and others could and should do to reduce air pollution. In this, they seemed agreed, amongst other things, that financial penalties were less acceptable than legal compulsion -especially on a personal level. It is proposed that learning about the constituents of unpolluted air and air pollutants might be enhanced by linking the individual gases involved to their biological roles and pathological effects, respectively. Similarly, it is suggested that students should be encouraged more to reflect, in terms of environmental cost, on their role as consumers of goods and services.

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