Teachers’ conceptions of Environment in Togo

Abstract

This communication aims to assess the conceptions of Togolese teachers (in service and in pre-service) about environment. Many studies have highlighted the role of anthropocentric and ecocentric values on teachers and students’ conceptions about environment. Anthropocentrism is ‘human-centred’, conferring intrinsic value mainly to humans. Ecocentrism is ‘ecosphere-centred’, emphasising the intrinsic value of the interrelated ecological systems. Moreover, a new conceptual axis related to anthropomorphic perspectives has been introduced in this work to analyse teacher’s conceptions. To what extent are the Togolese teachers aware of the importance of preserving the environment? Is there some correlation between their ecocentric, anthropocentric and anthropomorphic conceptions? To answer these questions, the Biohead-Citizen questionnaire was administered to 277 primary and secondary teachers, in service or pre-service, in Togo. Multivariate analyses show the presence and autonomy of the three kinds of conceptions, nevertheless with a positive correlation between ecocentric and anthropomorphic conceptions. Primary school teachers are more anthropocentric than their colleagues. These results are discussed in the perspective of improving environmental education in Togo. The discussion also includes a comparison between Togo and four other West and Central African countries (Senegal, Burkina Faso, Gabon, and Cameroon).