Environmental Concern and Eco-Conscious Consumer Behavior Preferences among High School Students in Archipelago Region
Saparuddin (a*), Aswal Salewangeng (b)

a) Pendidikan Biologi, Universitas Negeri Malang
Jalan Semarang 5, Kota Malang, 65145
*sapar.kepri[at]gmail.com
b) Pendidikan Biologi, Universitas Khairun
Jalan Yusuf Abdulrahman, Gambesi, Kota Ternate

Abstract

Effective and long-term efforts to foster an environmental attitude in the use of natural resources and their conservation are in the form of increasing environmental concern and cultivating an ecologically conscious (eco-conscious) consumer behavior. These two aspects needs to be cultivated early on in high school students who are the young generation consumptive society. This study aims at: 1) reveal the level of environmental concern and eco-conscious consumer behavior preferences in high school students, 2) find out the difference between environmental concern and eco-conscious consumer behavior preferences in high school students based on gender, class and major, and 3) determine the relationship between environmental concern and eco-conscious consumer behavior preferences in students. The 4-poin Likert scale questionnaires were used to collect data on environmental concerns and eco-conscious consumer behavior preferences. The respondents involved were 275 high school students in Karimun Regency, Riau Islands. The results showed that the average level of environmental concern of high school students is moderate based on gender, class and major groups. There is no difference in environmental concern based on gender and class, but there is a significant difference in environmental concern based on majors. The average level of the overall eco-conscious consumer behavior preferences of students is moderate and there is no difference in the three groups of students. A moderately positive relationship between environmental concern and ecologically conscious consumer behavior preferences is shown in high school students. Recommendations from this study emphasize the urgency to increase environmental concern and eco-conscious consumer behavior in high school students who are the youth generation in the archipelago region as an effort to preserve the environment, especially the coastal and marine environment.

Keywords: environmental concern- eco-conscious consumer behavior- eco-conscious character- environmental education- coastal youth

Topic: Biology Education