The study examines the effectiveness of eco-schools concerning their students’ environmental values and environmental
behaviour, and includes 1287 children from fifty-nine schools (thirty-eight eco-schools and twentyone
control schools) in Flanders. Controlling for effects of gender and socio-economic status, analyses show that
eco-schools have no effect on the environmental behaviour of their students or on their preservation values.
Eco-school students do, however, show lower utilisation values than control school students. Results furthermore
indicate that preservation values and not utilisation values impact environmental behaviour. Eco-schools
thus seem to be applying a pedagogical approach that impacts only on utilisation values but through that fails to
affect their students’ preservation values and, with those, their environmental behaviour. Directions for future
research are suggested.

• The effect of eco-schools on children’s environmental values and behaviour

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