Bringing environmental education into practice in South African secondary schools: Examination of the norm activation model
Simanga Phillip Lukhele, DM Lebeloane & Rose Mmusi-Phetoe
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to explore perceptions, identify challenges, and determine the potential impact of introducing Environmental Education (EE) as a subject in secondary schools. Schwartz’s (1997) Norm Activation Model guided the study. The qualitative method of research was deemed relevant for the study. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather data from the participants. Document analysis was also used to supplement primary data. Twenty participants were purposely selected through the non-probability sampling, to participate in the study. Data was analysed and interpreted using the six steps of Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis. The findings of the study posit that there is a need to bring a new subject related to environmental education. The persistent irresponsible human behaviour and its consequences on the environment necessitates EE by bringing a new subject. Furthermore, despite some participants suggesting that some subjects need to be scratched out, the findings reveal that scarce careers related to the protection of the environment need to be revisited. It is therefore recommended that the Department of Basic Education should revisit its curriculum to assess whether the integration of environmental education on the existing subjects is having a significant impact in reducing the global challenges and their consequences. This could be achieved through the adoption of practical implementation steps such as educator training needs, resource development and curriculum design reforms. Drawing from the existing gap in literature on how a standalone subject could be brought into the South African school curriculum, this implies the need for further research.
Keywords
environmental education, Norm Activation Model, subject, secondary school
Author information & Contribution
Simanga Phillip Lukhele. Corresponding author. Department of Educational Leadership and Management, University of South Africa, South Africa. Email: 17269741@mylife.unisa.ac.za
DM Lebeloane. Department of Science and Technology Education, University of South Africa, South Africa. Email: lebelldm@unisa.ac.za
Rose Mmusi-Phetoe. Department of Health Studies, University of South Africa, South Africa. Email: rosemmusiphetoe@gmail.com
"All authors equally contributed to the conception, design, preparation, data gathering and analysis, and writing of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript."
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Funding
This work was not supported by any funding.
Institutional Review Board Statement
This study was conducted in accordance with the ethical guidelines set by University of South Africa (Ref: 2023/11/08/17269741/20/AM). The conduct of this study has been approved and given relative clearance(s) by the University of South Africa.
Data and Materials Availability
The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
AI Declaration
AI tools were not used in writing this paper.
Notes
Acknowledgement
References
Begum, A., Jingwei, L., Marwat, I. U. K., Khan, S., Han, H., & Ariza-Montes, A. (2021). Evaluating the impact of environmental education on ecologically friendly behavior of university students in Pakistan: The roles of environmental responsibility and Islamic values. Sustainability, 13, 10188. https://doi.org/10.3390/su131810188
Berman, N. (2021). Environmental education catalyzed by tourism: Ecoliteracy initiatives on the coast of Kenya. Sustainability, 13, 8501. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13158501
Byrne, D. (2022). A worked example of Braun and Clarke’s approach to reflexive thematic analysis. Quality & Quantity, 56, 1391–1412. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-021-01182-y
Carlie, D., Trott, S. L., Roncker, J., Gray, E., Courtney, R. H., & Even, T. L. (2023). Justice in climate change education: A systematic review. Environmental Education Research, 29(11), 1535–1572. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2023.2181265
Damoah, B., & Adu, E. O. (2022). Environmental education in South African schools: The role of civil society organizations. Research in Social Sciences and Technology, 7(3), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.46303/ressat.2022.14
Davies, J. F., Ikin, B., Francis, J. J., & McGain, F. (2024). Implementation approaches to improve environmental sustainability in operating theatres: A systematic review. British Journal of Anaesthesia, 133(6), 1383–1396. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bja.2023.05.017
Finlay, L. (2021). Thematic analysis: The ‘good’, the ‘bad’ and the ‘ugly’. European Journal of Qualitative Research in Psychotherapy, 11, 103–116.
Gebrekidan, T. K., & Gebremedhin, G. G. (2024). Integration and effectiveness of formal environmental education in Africa and India: Review. European Journal of Sustainable Development Research, 8(2). https://doi.org/10.29333/ejosdr/14368
Jaffar, M., & Latiff, A. R. A. (2024). Pro-environmental conservation behavior through the lens of norm activation model: A systematic review (2018–2023). Paper Asia, 40. https://doi.org/10.59953/paperasia.v40i2b.76
Jowsey, T., Deng, C., & Weller, J. (2021). General-purpose thematic analysis: A useful qualitative method for anaesthesia research. BJA Education, 21(12). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjae.2021.07.006
BRICS. (2025). https://brics.br
Voye Global. (2025). https://voyeglobal.com/g20/-summit-2025/h
Husamah, H., Suwon, H., Nur, H., & Dharmawan, A. (2022). Environmental education research in Indonesian Scopus-indexed journals: A systematic literature review. JPBI, 8(2), 105–120. https://doi.org/10.22219/jpbi.v8i2.21041
Lin, B. B., Ossola, A., Alberti, M., Andersson, E., Bai, X., Dobbs, C., Elmqvist, T., Evan, K. L., Frantzeskaki, N., Fuller, R. A., Gaston, K. J., Haase, D., Jim, C. Y., Konijnendijk, C., Nagendra, H., Niemelä, J., McPhearson, T., Moomaw, W. R., Parnell, S., Pataki, D., Ripple, W. J., & Tan, P. Y. (2021). Integrating solutions to adapt cities for climate change. Lancet Planetary Health, 5. https://www.thelancet.com/planetary-health
Liu, J., Hu, Z., Du, F., Tang, W., Zheng, S., Lu, S., An, L., & Ding, J. (2023). Environment education: A first step in solving plastic pollution. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2023.1130463
Lukhele, S. P., & Lebeloane, L. D. M. (2024). Revisiting management of high school teachers during COVID-19: Implication for leadership contingency. International Journal of Educational Management and Development Studies, 5(3), 118–144. https://doi.org/10.53378/ijemds.353091
Ma, L., Shahbaz, P., Haq, S. U., & Boz, I. (2023). Exploring the moderating role of environmental education in promoting a clean environment. Sustainability, 15. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15108127
Mmusi-Phetoe, R., Lukhele, S. P., & Lebeloane, L. D. M. (2025). Empower the girl child: An integrated approach to making a difference in reducing adolescent pregnancy in South Africa. International Review of Social Sciences Research, 5(3), 54–78. https://doi.org/10.53378/irssr.353235
National Environmental Amendment Act, Act 14 of 2009. https://www.gov.za/documents/national-environmental-management-act
National Environmental Laws Amendment Act, Act 14 of 2013. https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/201409/36703gon530.pdf
National Environmental Management: Waste Amendment Act, Act 449 of 2014. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Waste-Amenment-Act-2014.pdf
Nel, E., Marais, L., & Mqotyana, Z. (2023). The regional implications of just transition in the world’s most coal-dependent economy: The case of Mpumalanga, South Africa. Frontiers in Sustainable Cities, 4. https://doi.org/10.3389/frsc.2022.1059312
Olisah, C., Adams, J. B., & Rubidge, G. (2021). The state of persistent organic pollutants in South African estuaries: A review of environmental exposure and sources. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112316
Peel, K. L. (2020). A beginner’s guide to applied educational research using thematic analysis. Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation, 25(2). https://scholarworks.umass.edu/pare/vol25/iss1/2
Piscová, V., Lehotayová, J., & Hreško, J. (2023). Environmental education in the school system at elementary schools in Slovakia. European Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 11(4), 650–671. https://doi.org/10.30935/scimath/13377
Raihan, A., & Tuspekova, A. (2022). Role of economic growth, renewable energy, and technological innovation to achieve environmental sustainability in Kazakhstan. Current Research in Environmental Sustainability, 4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crsust.2022.100165
Ramesh, B., Gandipilli, G., & Kuramana, S. (2023). Elements of environmental education, curriculum and teacher’s perspective: A review. Integrated Journal for Research in Arts and Humanities, 3(6), 9–17. https://doi.org/10.55544/ijrah.3.6.2
Sabela-Rikhotso, P. T. Z., van Niekerk, D., & Nemakonde, L. D. (2022). Enhancing coordination for effective management of oil spill pollution in South Africa. International Journal of Disaster Risk Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13753-022-00392-8
Savari, M., Damaneh, H. E., Damaneh, H. E., & Cotton, M. (2023). Integrating the norm activation model and theory of planned behaviour to investigate farmer pro-environmental behavioural intention. Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-32831-x
Shimabukuro, M., Toki, T., Shimabukuro, H., Kubo, Y., Takahashi, S., & Shinjo, R. (2022). Development and application of an environmental education tool (board game) for teaching integrated resource management of the water cycle on coral reef islands. Sustainability, 14, 16562. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142416562
South Africa (Republic). (1996). Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act 108 of 1996. Government Printer.
South Africa (Republic). (1996). South African Schools Act 84 of 1996. Government Printer.
Steg, L., & Nordlund, A. (2018). Theories to explain environmental behaviour. In Wiley (pp. 217–227). https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119241072.ch22
Tovar-Gálvez, J. C. (2021). Bringing environmental education to the curriculum: Practical elements emergent from teaching experiences and research. Interdisciplinary Journal of Environmental and Science Education, 17(3). https://doi.org/10.21601/ijese/9606
Trott, C. D., Lam, S., Roncker, J., Gray, E., Courtney, R. H., & Even, T. L. (2023). Justice in climate change education: A systematic review. Environmental Education Research, 29(11), 1535–1572. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2023.2181265
UNESCO. (1972). The Stockholm Declaration. UNESCO.
UNCED. (1992). Agenda 21: The United Nations Programme of Action from Rio. UNESCO.
UNESCO. (1977). The Tbilisi Declaration. Intergovernmental Conference on Environmental Education.
Uralovich, K. S., Toshmamatovich, T. U., Kubayevich, K. F., Sapaev, I. B., Saylaubaevna, S. S., Beknazarova, Z. F., & Khurramov, A. (2023). A primary factor in sustainable development and environmental sustainability is environmental education. Caspian Journal of Environmental Sciences, 21(4), 965–975. https://doi.org/10.22124/CJES.2023.7155
White Paper on Environmental Management. (1996). https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/201409/environwp0.pdf
White Paper on National Climate Change Response. (2011). https://www.gov.za
White Paper on National Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity. (1997). https://www.dffe.gov.za
World Commission on Environment and Development. (1987). https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/139811
Zikargae, M. H., Woldearegay, A. G., & Skjerdal, T. (2022). Empowering rural society through non-formal environmental education: An empirical study of environment and forest development community projects in Ethiopia. Heliyon, 8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09127
Cite this article:
Lukhele, S.P., Lebeloane, L.D.M. & Mmusi-Phetoe, R. (2025). Bringing environmental education into practice in South African secondary schools: Examination of the norm activation model. International Journal of Educational Management and Development Studies, 6(4), 137-162. https://doi.org/10.53378/ijemds.353285
License:
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) International License.
Find this article in:
Most read articles
- Social media usage and the academic performance of Filipino junior high school students
- A narrative exploration of romantic experiences and ideal relationship standards among Filipino Gen Z
- Exploring the factors influencing commuters’ satisfaction and the use of public utility buses in Quezon City, Philippines
- Students’ exposure to social media and their radical involvement on the societal issues in the Philippines
- ChatGPT integration significantly boosts personalized learning outcomes: A Philippine study
- Tiktok made me book it: The impact of Tiktok on tourism destination selection of generation Z and millennials in Manila
- Senior high school students’ awareness and literacy on computer software applications
- Self-perception of ABM students towards their academic, social and emotional college preparedness
- Enhancing financial literacy among Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program beneficiaries
- Emotional intelligence and leadership efficacy of university student leaders