Identification of the Factors Influencing Awareness of High School Teachers about Environmental Protection

Education along with other educational systems can introduce the main environmental concepts to various social groups. In the meantime, teachers as one of the main components of training process, play a key role in environmental education. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify the factors influencing awareness of high school teachers about environmental protection.
Statistical population of this research consisted of high school teacher of Dorud (N=150). A random sampling method was used to collect data. 100 persons were selected as sample using Morgan Table. The main tool to collect data was a researcher-made questionnaire. A panel of experts approved content validity of the questionnaire and its reliability were confirmed by calculating Cronbach's alpha coefficient (α ≥ 0/80). Descriptive analysis performed by using SPSS V20.
Findings: Results showed that television, leaflet, magazines, book and newspaper have the highest importance in contributing to awareness of teachers about the environment. Results of factor analysis showed that three factors of mass, interpersonal and scholastic sources of notification explained 54.94% of variance in the variables used for factor analysis.
Mass, interpersonal and scholastic sources of notification have a unique role in awareness of high school teachers about environmental protection. Since human environmental behavior is influenced by environmental awareness, it is necessary to increase environmental awareness of teachers by these communication mechanisms in order to protect the environment.