Designing Educational Programs to Promote Environmental Civic Actions in Japan and Thailand: The Case of Renewable Energy

Abstract

To promote sustainability transition, it is important to design educational programs to encourage environmental civic action (ECA). In this study, we conducted online surveys in Japan and Thailand to identify the commonalities and differences in the influential factors on ECA between the two countries. We also discussed effective programs to promote ECA based on an analysis of the surveys. Thai respondents showed higher behavioral intention toward ECA than that of the Japanese respondents, and there were large differences between the two countries in the respondents' prior experiences with civic actions and their level of satisfaction with past civic actions. We also found that respondents from both countries who were dissatisfied with their past civic actions showed less motivation toward future civic actions. Thus, we suggest both countries that project-based learning in collaboration with the local community would be an effective means to develop civic capacity because these programs include actual ECA practices. It is also important to design programs in which learners can tangibly feel the effects of their activities.