Measuring teachers’ perception of their participation in Environmental and Sustainability Education programmes: introducing the ESE programme questionnaire

Abstract

This study advances the evaluation of the effectiveness of Environmental and Sustainability Education (ESE) programmes by developing a questionnaire that quantitatively measures teachers’ perceptions of the ESE programme in which they have participated. The 28-item questionnaire assesses three validated scales: whole-school approach and perceived effect on students, self-efficacy, and burnout in relation to the programme. Content validity was established through expert judgement, while construct validity was examined using a combination of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, along with reliability analysis via Cronbach’s alpha, in a sample of 204 Spanish teachers with experience in a 30-year regional ESE programme. The findings make several significant contributions. First, the statistical analyses indicate that teachers generally hold positive perceptions of the ESE programme, with higher scores among those participating in the Eco-school modality. Second, statistically significant differences were observed among teachers who are actively engaged in the programme -including those who often coordinate it—as they report a greater sense of self-efficacy in integrating ESE compared to their less engaged counterparts. Finally, results show that higher perceptions of the programme are associated with lower levels of burnout. In conclusion, the study highlights the importance of evaluating teachers’ perceptions of the ESE programmes in which they participate. Based on these findings, potential applications of the questionnaire for evaluating ESE programmes in other contexts are discussed, offering valuable insights to foster teacher participation and enhance self-efficacy in integrating ESE programmes.