Discover how the act of teaching environmental education creates a powerful feedback loop that changes both students and educators
We've all been there—learning about the plight of the polar bears, feeling a pang of concern, and then going about our day unchanged. This common experience highlights a frustrating reality in environmental education: there's often a significant gap between what we know and what we actually do. Researchers call this the "attitude-behavior gap," and it has puzzled educators for decades 1 .
The challenge runs deeper than simple awareness. Traditional environmental education sometimes even backfires, leading to what psychologists now call "eco-anxiety"—emotional stress responses to environmental crises that can leave people feeling helpless or powerless rather than motivated to act 1 . Meanwhile, educators face their own set of challenges: lack of time, limited resources for preparing materials, and anxiety about potential hazards to students during outdoor activities in natural settings 1 .
But what if the solution to this dilemma has been hiding in plain sight? What if the very act of teaching others about environmental conservation could transform the teachers themselves?
Despite high awareness of environmental issues, there remains a significant gap between attitudes and actual sustainable behaviors.
Humans have a deep-seated psychological need for internal consistency. When our actions don't align with our beliefs, we experience what psychologist Leon Festinger termed "cognitive dissonance"—a state of mental discomfort that motivates us to change either our behavior or our attitudes to restore harmony 1 . This principle suggests that a person who emphasizes the importance of environmental conservation to others might feel compelled to align their own behavior with the message they're delivering.
The benefits of teaching aren't limited to the student—the teacher often learns just as much, if not more. This "tutor learning effect" has been documented in educational research for decades 1 . When we prepare to teach others, we engage with material more deeply, organize information more systematically, and identify connections we might otherwise miss 1 . The process of designing activities and explaining concepts to others facilitates our own deeper understanding and commitment.
A compelling Japanese study conducted in 2024 put these psychological principles to the test in the context of environmental education 1 . The researchers designed an experiment to examine whether the planning and practice of educating others could promote environmental consciousness in the educators themselves.
The study involved 46 university students divided into two groups 1 :
These participants were tasked with planning and managing events designed to educate children about the environment and help them feel comfortable in nature. Their assignment went beyond simple instruction—they had to develop the educational content, design the activities, and personally guide children through the learning experience.
This group participated in traditional environmental education through lectures focused on specific Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action, and Life on Land. Like the experimental group, they could earn academic credits for their participation.
Both groups completed environmental consciousness surveys at the beginning and end of the study, allowing researchers to measure changes in their attitudes and behavioral intentions 1 .
The results of the experiment revealed striking differences between the two groups 1 . The experimental group, who had planned and managed environmental education events for children, showed a significant increase in environmental consciousness from the beginning to the end of the study.
| Measurement Area | Experimental Group | Active Control Group | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Environmental Consciousness | Significant increase | Less pronounced change | Measured via pre- and post-study surveys |
| Behavioral Intentions | Heightened | Minimal change | Intentions to engage in pro-environmental behaviors |
| Emotional Connection to Nature | Strengthened | Not specifically addressed | Through designing activities for children |
Students in Experimental Group
Students in Control Group
Months Duration
Based on the successful experiment and established environmental education practices, here are key elements for developing effective learning activities with community sources:
Provides authentic context for learning through forest, river, or park visits and observing local biodiversity 1 .
Structures student-driven inquiry where students identify local environmental issues and develop solutions 1 .
Enhances engagement and data collection through nature identification apps and environmental monitoring tools 1 .
Mitigates educator anxiety about outdoor hazards with risk assessment checklists and emergency procedures 1 .
Bridges formal education and local knowledge by involving conservationists, indigenous knowledge keepers, and park rangers.
Enables practical environmental action with gardening supplies, water testing kits, recycling bins, and compost systems.
The findings from this research extend far beyond the university setting, offering promising approaches for schools, community organizations, and even workplace sustainability initiatives.
This study suggests we need to reconsider traditional top-down approaches to environmental education. Instead of positioning teachers as mere distributors of ecological knowledge, we might reimagine them as facilitators of mutual learning experiences. When educators involve students in designing environmental activities for others, they create powerful opportunities for transformation on both sides of the educational exchange.
The approach also offers potential protection against the growing problem of eco-anxiety. By focusing on action and agency—both in planning educational activities and in adopting more sustainable behaviors—people can transform helplessness into purposeful engagement. This aligns with the research finding that practical, action-oriented approaches are more effective than doom-laden information 1 .
The potential ripple effects of this approach are significant. As the study authors noted, the tutoring experience can assist in developing "attitude, motivation, and commitment to work individually and collectively towards solutions to current problems and the prevention of new ones" 1 . When we teach environmental values to others, we don't just potentially transform them and ourselves—we potentially initiate a cascade of positive change through our communities.
The innovative research exploring the tutor effect in environmental education offers a hopeful perspective at a critical time. As environmental challenges intensify, we need more effective ways to inspire not just knowledge but actual behavioral change. The approach of learning by teaching represents a promising path forward—one that creates a positive feedback loop of growing environmental consciousness.
The next time you consider how to promote environmental values in your community, remember: the act of teaching a child, designing an educational activity, or simply explaining an environmental concept to a friend might be the very thing that solidifies your own commitment to sustainability. In the end, we may find that the most powerful way to become better environmental stewards is to help others connect with the natural world we're trying to protect.
When we teach nature conservation to others, we might just be saving ourselves in the process.