The Relationship Between Selected Socioeconomic Factors and Students' Environmental Values and Attitudes

Socioeconomic status (SES) significantly affects students’ environmental awareness, with those from disadvantaged backgrounds showing lower environmental literacy. This aligns with broader trends, where lower SES is linked to reduced literacy levels across various domains, including health and environmental contexts. These disparities may lead to unequal participation in environmental decision-making and advocacy, reinforcing socio-environmental injustice. Our research not only focuses on students from lower SES backgrounds but also considers other disadvantaged groups, such as those facing health challenges, cultural differences, or difficult living conditions. This study examines the relationship between socioeconomic factors and the environmental values and attitudes of 11- to 15-year-old students in primary schools engaged in social innovation action research on environmental education. Data were collected using a standardized Pupil Environmental Literacy Questionnaire (MEG, 2021), supplemented with socioeconomic characteristics. Independent samples t-tests were used for statistical analysis. Findings from the Czech Republic will help identify which socioeconomic factors (e.g., parental education, employment status, health disadvantages) most strongly influence students' environmental attitudes, enabling more precise educational interventions. The research deepens understanding of how SES and other disadvantages shape students' environmental values and attitudes while advancing social innovation in environmental education. These insights may enrich theoretical knowledge on environmental literacy and improve targeted educational strategies.