Intergenerational Environmental Education and Behavior
Summary
Intergenerational environmental education and behaviour encompasses the processes through which ecological knowledge, values and practices are transmitted between generations, most often within family or community settings. Central to this field is the bidirectional flow of influence: children and adolescents not only absorb environmental information and attitudes from parents and elders but also act as active agents who can catalyse change in older generations. Educational programmes that integrate hands-on experiences, nature-based activities and reflective dialogue foster deeper emotional connections to the natural world and bolster environmental identity across age cohorts. Such approaches have demonstrated multiplier effects, whereby young learners become conduits of sustainable habits—promoting recycling, energy conservation or biodiversity stewardship—among adults. Research in this area highlights the importance of quality child–parent relationships, cultural context and pedagogical design in bridging knowledge–action gaps. Globally, intergenerational strategies have been shown to enhance family communication about climate risks, nurture lifelong pro-environmental behaviours and support community resilience in the face of environmental challenges.
Research from Nature Portfolio
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Intergenerational Environmental Education and Behavior publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in intergenerational environmental education and behavior across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Intergenerational learning: The process by which individuals from different age cohorts exchange knowledge, attitudes and behaviours, typically within familial, educational or community contexts.
Ecological resocialization: The reshaping of environmental attitudes and practices through social and cultural influences across generations.
Multiplier effect: Amplification of educational impact when learners transfer acquired knowledge or behaviours to members of another generation, often within a household.
Environmental identity: An individual’s self-concept as it relates to the natural world, encompassing emotional ties and beliefs that motivate ecological behaviours.
References
- Quality Child–Parent Relationships and Their Impact on Intergenerational Learning and Multiplier Effects in Climate Change Education. Are We Bridging the Knowledge–Action Gap?. Sustainability (2020).
- My Parents Taught…Green Was My Growth! The Role of Intergenerational Transmission of Ecological Values in Young Adults’ Pro-Environmental Behaviors and Their Psychosocial Mechanisms. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2022).
- How National Culture and Parental Style Affect the Process of Adolescents’ Ecological Resocialization. Sustainability (2015).
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