ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to examine the level of understanding and perceptions of climate change using the variables of major, gender, and class level with a sample of undergraduate college students. Using a Likert-type questionnaire, data were collected from a randomly selected sample in a Midwest college in the United States. The study found that students in the tourism major were similar in their understanding and perceptions of climate change when compared to non-tourism majors. Males and females differed in their overall climate change knowledge and perceptions regarding climate change. In addition, class level (year 1–4) had a significant impact on students’ climate change perceptions and understanding of climate change knowledge. These and other findings from the study have important implications for tourism education and curriculum development relative to climate change issues, particularly at the post-secondary and college levels.

摘要

本研究的目的是以本科生为样本，利用专业、性别和班级水平等变量来检验对气候变化的理解和感知水平。使用李克特式问卷，数据是从美国中西部大学随机选择的样本中收集的。研究发现，与非旅游专业的学生相比，旅游专业的学生对气候变化的理解和看法相似。男性和女性对气候变化的整体气候变化知识和看法存在差异。此外，班级水平（1-4 年级）对学生对气候变化的感知和对气候变化知识的理解有显着影响。