Ecological lifestyle education for vietnamese students - Theoretical approach and solution orientation

13 HNUE JOURNAL OF SCIENCE Educational Sciences, 2020, Volume 64, Issue 4B, pp. 13-21 This paper is available online at ECOLOGICAL LIFESTYLE EDUCATION FOR VIETNAMESE STUDENTS - THEORETICAL APPROACH AND SOLUTION ORIENTATION Hoang Thi Thinh and Nguyen Thi Thanh Tung Faculty of Politic Theory and Civic Education, Hanoi National University of Education Abstract. The study aims to approach the concept, role and meaning of ecological lifestyle education in order to raise the awareness of Vietnamese students in building a sustainable lifestyle, and minimizing negative impacts to the environment. The paper focuses on clarifying the theoretical framework on eco-lifestyles, analyzing the necessity as well as orienting ecological education for students. The research results emphasize a number of orientations, especially in terms of content and methods of ecological lifestyle education, to help students to understand the meaning of building ecological lifestyles associated with specific actions to mitigate the effects of environmental degradation and climate change. In addition, the study also provides reference suggestions for lecturers and teachers at other educational institutions to improve the effectiveness of ecological education for students. Keywords: ecological lifestyle, Ecological lifestyle education, Vietnamese students. 1. Introduction Recently, the issues of education about awareness of protecting environment, environmental ethics education and ecological, sustainable and green lifestyle education has become global, demanding positive actions from both governments and citizen. Among them, education on ecological lifestyle shows positive implications for learners, especially students at universities and colleges. In Vietnam, the National Strategy on Green Growth with a vision of 2050 has identified that a green way of life and a way of living in harmony with the environment are 2 of the 17 key solutions. [1] The theory of ecological lifestyle and ecological lifestyle education, sustainable lifestyle has been approached by a number of foreign researchers. The work of Akenji, L, H. Chen: A framework for shaping sustainable lifestyles: Determinants and Strategies [2] refers to shaping sustainable lifestyles, clarifying the determinants of ecological lifestyles and solutions to build ecological lifestyles. AniMelkonyan, Klaus Krumme's work titled Innovative Logistics Services and Sustainable Lifestyles - Interdependencies, Transformation Strategies and Decision Making [3] refers to trends and developments in consumer behavior and lifestyles. Some studies emphasize ecological lifestyle education through individuals’ behavior changes, and propose educational models and learning environments such as Krasny and Tidball’s studies of Applying a Resilience Systems Framework to Urban Environmental Education [4], and Urban environmental education from a social-ecological perspective: conceptual framework for civic ecology education [5]. Another study highlights the impact of environment towards human and family lifestyles as the work of Ivanova, D: Environmental Impact Assessment of Household Consumption [6]. Received April 12, 2020. Revised April 4, 2020. Accepted May 5, 2020. Contact Hoang Thi Thinh, e-mail address: [email protected] Hoang Thi Thinh and Nguyen Thi Thanh Tung 14 The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) has published some research and publications. One Earth, Sustainable Lifestyles: Options and Opportunities” [7] identifies solutions to educate sustainable lifestyles daily life. Sustainable lifestyles and education [8] argues that sustainable lifestyles will become a reality in Asia and the Pacific, so that young people, leaders of the future, must be confident and inspired to create a more sustainable path for the region. In Vietnam, a number of studies on building ecological lifestyle and ecological lifestyle education for learners has been performed with certain results. For example, Nguyen, L., Nayak, R., Watkins, J. and Nguyen, P. (2019) with Drivers of social media disengagement: a study of young consumers in Vietnam [9] emphasize the lifestyle of young consumers in Vietnam and its potential environmental impacts on students in two major cities, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The Vietnam green living project researches and investigates the actual ecological lifestyle of target groups, focusing on students, and then offers green gesture solutions to those who contribute to protecting environment [10]. Besides the above studies, a number of local projects in Vietnam on the issue of building ecological lifestyles have also been implemented. There are a large number of Vietnamese students living and studying in cities and urban areas. However, that ling far ways from their family and learning with credit models creates difficulties and lacks of uniformity for students into the conversion of the educational process or of self-education of ecological lifestyle. Therefore, on the basis of inheriting the previous studies, the development of a theoretical framework and orientated solutions on ecological lifestyle education for Vietnamese students is a practical and urgent issue in education to encourage the active participation of Vietnamese students in the global communities to protect human environment. 2. Content 2.1. Theory of ecological lifestyle and ecological lifestyle education 2.1.1. Ecological lifestyle The concepts of ecological lifestyle, also known as sustainable lifestyle, green lifestyle is a relatively new term. A number of studies refer to the concept of ecological lifestyle, typical sustainable lifestyle such as the definition of Akenji, L, H. Chen: “A sustainable lifestyle is a cluster of habits and patterns of behavior embedded in a society and facilitated by institutions, norms and infrastructures that frame individual choice, in order to minimize the use of natural resources and generation of wastes, while supporting fairness and prosperity for all”. [2] This definition emphasizes the lifestyles and behaviors of each individual towards reducing environmental impact and ensuring sustainable development. According to William E. Rees (2018), “Sustainability implies living well more equitably within the means of nature. Thus “sustainable lifestyle” implies any pattern of individual consumption and social behaviors that could be shared by everyone while still maintaining ecological integrity; it is facilitated by institutions, social norms and infrastructures that frame individual choices and actions while remaining that the aggregate rates of biophysical resource use and waste generation are within the regenerative and assimilative capacities of ecosystems” [11]. The UN Environment Program - UNEP defines that “Sustainable lifestyles is a way of life that is achieved by both effective infrastructure, services, products and actions, personal choices to minimize using natural resources, reducing emissions, waste and pollution while promoting equitable socio-economic development for all and preserving the earth's life support system within the planet's ecological tolerance” [7; p.6]. One of the most recent typical ecological lifestyle studies is from the Center for Community and Environmental Initiative Development (C&E). This study illustrates that”ecological lifestyles as Ecological lifestyle education for Vietnamese students - theoretical approach and solution orientation 15 understood as ways of living, a set of daily activities in a balanced/ healthy way and close to nature, taking into account the reduction of negative impacts on the environment, the reduction of consumption of natural resources and the minimization of emissions pollution and waste into the environment, an environmentally friendly way of life, but still meeting the needs of human life” [12; p.11]. In general, the views of organizations and researchers about the concept of ecological lifestyles cover all basic contents including the collection of habits, behaviors of individuals and communities to target development. An ecological lifestyle is understood as the way of living and organizing individuals’ daily life, as a consumer choice for energy use, means of transport, daily necessities, waste, communication in the direction of harmonizing with the natural environment, contributing towards building a sustainable lifestyle. Overall, ecological lifestyles are all habits and behaviors of individuals and communities in order to minimize negative impacts on the environment, to reduce the use of natural resources, to decrease emissions, waste, and pollution. They are the way of life, the choice of individuals to live friendly with environment, ensuring sustainable development. 2.1.2. Ecological lifestyle education Ecological lifestyle education is a concept with a very broad connotation in both content and educational subjects. Basically, ecological lifestyle education is a combination of all educational activities with objectives, contents, methods and approaches to educate the human lifestyle. It expressed in all methods as well as areas of activities such as production, consumption, activities, behavioral attitudes, ways of thinking and behaviors between people and people, between entities and objects, and between conditions, means and purposes of life. In the framework of this study, only analytical and clarifying aspects of ecological lifestyle education for learners are specifically targeted. The issue of ecological lifestyle education for students is extremely important. Ecological lifestyle education for students is a process through formal and non-formal educating activities to help students to gain knowledge, skills and values that enable them to shape and develop sustainable lifestyles. As a result, it contributes positively to addressing global challenges, such as resource efficiency and multi-conservation biodiversity, climate change mitigation and adaptation, poverty reduction, and social welfare. The goals of ecological lifestyle education are to change individuals’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviors, and to improve awareness of the role of human beings in ecosystems, contributing to minimizing negative impacts on the environment. Specific objectives of ecological lifestyle education: Firstly, helping learners to understand the nature of ecological lifestyles, to equip learners with knowledge of eco-lifestyles as the principles and competencies needed to achieve sustainable and popular lifestyles. It also provides basic knowledge about environmental issues, biological capacity of the environment, thereby building a healthy lifestyle in which people live closely to nature, minimize negative impacts on the environment. Secondly, orienting learners about attitude and eco-friendly lifestyle. They include: recognizing the implications of building an ecological lifestyle for solving global environmental issues; And ensuring each individual's positive contribution to address global challenges, such as resource efficiency and biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation, poverty reduction and social welfare. Thirdly, forming skills, adjusting habits and lifestyles in harmony with the environment, encouraging learners' participation in building ecological lifestyles on regional and national platforms, promoting initiatives and options to reduce environmental degradation. 2.2. The necessity of ecological lifestyle education for Vietnamese students Ecological lifestyle education for the community in general and for students in particular is Hoang Thi Thinh and Nguyen Thi Thanh Tung 16 extremely important in helping to reduce negative impacts on the environment. The age of students is prescribed from 18 to 25 years old, a period that physical factors, awareness and thinking of students as a personality are in the process of shaping. At that time, they are more active in communication activities, have knowledge being trained professionally. Students are easy to absorb new things, especially in exploring and creating. Vietnamese students concentrate in universities and colleges (around in cities and large towns), live in a community meaning that they consist mostly homogeneous members in knowledge and age, with close friendships. Out of 236 universities and institutes across the country, there are 175 universities concentrating in big towns and cities in the Red River Delta and Southeast regions. Table 1. Statistics of universities and students in Vietnam for the academic year 2017-2018 [13] Criteria Total Public schools Non-public schools Number of universities and institutes 236 171 65 Number of students 1707025 1439495 267530 Number of lecturers 74991 59232 15759 “Young people have great power to determine the future of the earth. They can influence change by using their capacities as citizens, consumers, campaigners, and creators to make a difference to lead alternative lifestyles.” [14] UNEP determines that sustainable living is a reality, so that young people, as leaders of the future, must be empowered and inspired to create a more sustainable path. Figure 1. Partnership - A combination of factors that contribute to the promotion of ecological lifestyle [8] The necessity of ecological lifestyle education for Vietnamese students stems from the following reasons: Firstly, stemming from the recent state of the environment and the role of students in global environmental issues Ecological lifestyle education, especially education for students, is one of the most meaningful and practical actions in the context the environment is seriously degraded along with many global issues such as climate change, poverty reduction.”Environmental pollution is slowly improved; environmental pollution in many places is still serious, especially in some Youth The leaders of the future Policy Enabling framework such as consumer information policy, taxes and subsidies Academia Raising awareness amongst learners to change to more sustainable consumption patterns Private sector Providing products and services that enable a sustainable lifestyle Ecological lifestyle education for Vietnamese students - theoretical approach and solution orientation 17 craft villages and river basins; handling of environmental violations is not serious. Awareness of environmental protection of a part of people and businesses is not high. Many natural ecosystems, especially forests, wetlands, and marine vegetation systems, are reduced in both areas and quality. Forest protection is still inadequate, and deforestation and forest fires still occur. Many species and precious genetic resources face high risk of extinction. Overcoming the consequences of environmental pollution caused by the war is still difficult...” [15]. Students are easy and often exposed to information, images and messages that promote ecological lifestyle. Therefore, they play an important role in changing the way of life and behaviors of the community. They are also the main objects needed more sustainable lifestyle education and consumption habits. With educating ecological lifestyles, students can understand that their lifestyle are directly related to over-exploitation of resources, increased poverty, inequality and conflicts. Moreover, the younger generation of people under the age of 24, who make up nearly half of the world's population and the majority living in developing countries, need to be educated to understand that their lifestyle choices can be increase or decrease the opportunity for a better and more sustainable future. Secondly, stemming from the current state of awareness and behavior on the ecological lifestyle of Vietnamese students Students have shown an interest in issues related to ecological lifestyles and the impact of lifestyle on environmental issues and sustainable development through their participation in green lifestyle initiatives. According to the survey results on the ecological lifestyle of Vietnamese students by the Center for Development of Community and Environment Initiatives (C&E) in 2015 with the participation of 1180 students, mainly in big cities in Vietnam, the majority of students are aware of the impact of lifestyle on environment, accounting for 78.3%. However, only 47.4% of students are aware of the impact of lifestyle on climate change and up to 92.2% of students said that they did not really understand climate change [12; p.20]. Survey results also show a paradox between cognitive capacity and implementation capacity that most students know green, environmentally friendly actions (recycling, waste classification, cycling), planting trees, saving energy, not using plastic bags) but most of the students have not done these actions yet. Therefore, ecological lifestyle education is really necessary for students to unify the awareness and behaviors that contribute to sustainable living. In terms of actual consumption in society, UNEP identifies “students are increasingly the main consumer of clothing, food, utilities, communications, tourism and Entertainment and group pressures often encourage young people to adopt unsustainable consumption patterns, which are gradually ingrained in their minds and life as adults. The link between climate change and lifestyles can be a challenge for young people in both developed and developing countries, tackling this challenge will lead to positive lifestyle changes and reduce negative impacts extreme to the environment” [14; p.7]. As such, ecological lifestyle education is aimed at helping them make environmentally-friendly lifestyle and consumption choices to minimize their environmental impact. Thirdly, comes from the rationality and effectiveness of the ecological lifestyle education for students Ecological lifestyle education is an attractive, relevant and capable subject that can be effectively integrated into subjects. Thereby, learners understand global issues such as climate change, environmental pollution; the situation of environmental pollution in Vietnam and globally. Accordingly, it promotes students to have the right attitude to the current state of the environment and to lead a healthy, environmentally-friendly lifestyle. In addition, creative or extra-curricular experiences can be an advantage in educating ecological lifestyles for students. In recent years, many universities in Vietnam have organized extra-curricular activities, talks and especially creative experiences on green lifestyles, ecological lifestyles or environmental protection projects. The Hoang Thi Thinh and Nguyen Thi Thanh Tung 18 attraction and ability to spread shows that ecological lifestyle education can really change the behaviors and activities of students as well as their families and social communities. 2.3. Some orientations to improve the effectiveness of ecological lifestyle education for students in Vietnam Ecological lifestyle education is one of the keys to addressing environmental challenges such as climate change. In the world, there are many lifestyle education programs associated with sustainable development, typically the Climate Change Education Program for the sustainable development of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); The YouthXchange initiative, launched by UNEP and UNESCO since 2001. It is aimed at promoting sustainable lifestyles of young people with the participation of 45 countries in the world including Vietnam. The content of ecological lifestyle educati