Statistical Analysis of Drivers of Environmental Education and Climate Resilience Through School-Based Environmental Clubs: A Case Study from Morocco

Authors

  • Amine Hmid

    Faculty of Legal, Economic, and Social Sciences, Hassan II University of Casablanca (Aïn Sebâa Campus), Casablanca 21100, Morocco

  • Redouane Kaiss

    Research Laboratory in Economics, Management, and Business Administration, Faculty of Economics and Management, Hassan 1st University, Settat 26000, Morocco

  • Fatima Ezzahra Mnajli

    Research Laboratory in Managerial Transformation and Innovation, National School of Business and Management, Hassan 1st University, Settat 26000, Morocco

  • Yahya Fikri

    Department of Governance and Organizational Performance, National School of Business and Management, Abdelmalek Essaâdi University, Tangier 90000, Morocco

  • Ouiam Khairi

    Research Laboratory in Managerial Transformation and Innovation, National School of Business and Management, Hassan 1st University, Settat 26000, Morocco

  • El Khalil El Mountassir

    Research Laboratory in Economics, Management, and Business Administration, Faculty of Economics and Management, Hassan 1st University, Settat 26000, Morocco

  • Zakaria Benjouid

    Research Laboratory in Economics, Management, and Business Administration, Faculty of Economics and Management, Hassan 1st University, Settat 26000, Morocco

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/jees.v7i8.10780
Received: 28 June 2025 | Revised: 28 July 2025 | Accepted: 1 August 2025 | Published Online: 19 August 2025

Abstract

Environmental education is gaining increasing recognition in Morocco as a fundamental pillar for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Within this context, school-based environmental clubs play a crucial role in promoting awareness and building climate resilience among students at various educational levels. These clubs serve not only as platforms for ecological engagement but also as practical tools for embedding sustainability into everyday learning. This study explores the main factors that influence the creation, activation, and effectiveness of environmental clubs in Moroccan schools. Relying on a quantitative survey conducted with 42 respondents, including both teachers and school administrators, the research highlights several key enablers. Among the most significant are access to adequate training in environmental education, the presence of strong institutional support, and the availability of sufficient resources. The analysis uses descriptive statistics, chi-square testing, and a Weighted Average Index to better understand the relationships between these variables. Findings reveal a strong correlation between environmental training and the initiation of clubs, although this does not always translate into high levels of student engagement. The main obstacles identified include insufficient time, lack of funding, and a shortage of appropriate educational materials. In conclusion, the study emphasizes the importance of expanding training initiatives, dedicating specific time within school schedules, and improving access to materials. These steps are essential to fully integrate environmental clubs into the Moroccan educational system and to enhance their overall impact.

Keywords:

Climate Change; Sustainable Development; Environmental Education; Environmental Clubs

References

[1] Fang, W., Hassan, A., LePage, B., 2023. Introduction to Environmental Education. In: Fang, W., Hassan, A., LePage, B. (eds.). The Living Environmental Education. Sustainable Development Goals Series. Springer: Singapore, Singapore. pp. 3–24. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-4234-1_1

[2] Zong, B., Sun, Y., Li, L., 2024. Advances, Hotspots, and Trends in Outdoor Education Research: A Bibliometric Analysis. Sustainability. 16(22), 10034. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su162210034

[3] Kovách, I., Megyesi, B.G., Barthes, A., et al., 2021. Knowledge Use in Education for Environmental Citizenship—Results of Four Case Studies in Europe (France, Hungary, Serbia, Turkey). Sustainability. 13(19), 11118. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su131911118

[4] Paglia, E., 2021. The Swedish initiative and the 1972 Stockholm Conference: the decisive role of science diplomacy in the emergence of global environmental governance. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications. 8(1), 1–10. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-020-00681-x

[5] Tang, D., Huang, M., 2024. The Sustainable Development of Bridges in China: Collapse Cause Analysis, Existing Management Dilemmas and Potential Solutions. Buildings. 14(2), 419. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14020419

[6] Lieurance, D., Canavan, S., Faulkner, K.T., et al., 2025. Understanding and managing introduction pathways into protected areas in a changing climate. Biological Invasions. 27(2), 74. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-025-03534-3

[7] Reilly, C., Stevenson, K., Warner, W., et al., 2022. Agricultural and environmental education: a call for meaningful collaboration in a U.S. context. Environmental Education Research. 28(9), 1410–1422. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2022.2040431

[8] Idrissi, H., 2025. Examining STEM pre-service teachers’ perceptions of climate change education: insights from Morocco. Environmental Education Research. 1–20. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2025.2471984

[9] Ben Hammou, S., Kesbi, A., 2024. Exploring multilingual education in Morocco: official documents and teachers’ perceptions. International Journal of Multilingualism. 21(4), 1906–1927. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14790718.2023.2235401

[10] Miao, S., Meadows, M.E., Duan, Y., et al., 2022. How Does the Geography Curriculum Contribute to Education for Sustainable Development? Lessons from China and the USA. Sustainability. 14(17), 10637. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su141710637

[11] Pohl, C., Klein, J.T., Hoffmann, S., et al., 2021. Conceptualising transdisciplinary integration as a multidimensional interactive process. Environmental Science & Policy. 118, 18–26. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2020.12.005

[12] Rahmawati, Y., Taylor, E., Taylor, P.C., et al., 2022. Students’ Engagement in Education as Sustainability: Implementing an Ethical Dilemma-STEAM Teaching Model in Chemistry Learning. Sustainability. 14(6), 3554. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su14063554

[13] Curdt-Christiansen, X.L., 2021. Environmental literacy: raising awareness through Chinese primary education textbooks. Language, Culture and Curriculum. 34(2), 147–162. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/07908318.2020.1797078

[14] Abdou, A.H., 2025. Servant leadership for hospitality sustainability: green psychological capital as a pathway to environmental citizenship behavior. Frontiers in Sustainability. 6, 1535809. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2025.1535809

[15] Karim, N., Othman, H., Zaini, Z.I., et al., 2022. Climate Change and Environmental Education: Stance from Science Teachers. Sustainability. 14(24), 16618. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su142416618

[16] Pérez-Martín, J.M., Esquivel-Martín, T., 2024. New Insights for Teaching the One Health Approach: Transformative Environmental Education for Sustainability. Sustainability. 16(18), 7967. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su16187967

[17] Idrissi Boutaybi, S., Hartikainen, T., Benyamina, Y., et al., 2024. Gardening School to Support Youth Inclusion and Environmental Sustainability in Morocco. Social Sciences. 13(12), 687. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13120687

[18] Kwangmuang, P., Jarutkamolpong, S., Sangboonraung, W., et al., 2021. The development of learning innovation to enhance higher order thinking skills for students in Thailand junior high schools. Heliyon. 7(6), e07309. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07309

[19] Borrego-Balsalobre, F.J., Martínez-Moreno, A., Morales-Baños, V., et al., 2021. Influence of the Psychomotor Profile in the Improvement of Learning in Early Childhood Education. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 18(23), 12655. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182312655

[20] Naval, C., Villacís, J.L., Ibarrola-García, S., 2022. The Transversality of Civic Learning as the Basis for Development in the University. Education Sciences. 12(4), 240. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12040240

[21] Fields, L., Trostian, B., Moroney, T., et al., 2021. Active learning pedagogy transformation: A whole-of-school approach to person-centred teaching and nursing graduates. Nurse Education in Practice. 53, 103051. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2021.103051

[22] Sarid, A., Goldman, D., 2021. A Value-Based Framework Connecting Environmental Citizenship and Change Agents for Sustainability—Implications for Education for Environmental Citizenship. Sustainability. 13(8), 4338. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su13084338

[23] Wagle, S.K., Luitel, B.C., Krogh, E., 2024. Exploring possibilities for participatory approaches to contextualized teaching and learning: a case from a public school in Nepal. Educational Action Research. 32(2), 276–294. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09650792.2023.2183874

[24] Smyth, J.C., 1995. Environment and education: A view of a changing scene. Environmental Education Research. 1(1), 3–20. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1350462950010101

[25] Fien, J., 1993. Education for the Environment: Critical Curriculum Theorising and Environmental Education. Deakin University Press: Victoria, Australia.

[26] Tilbury, D., 1995. Environmental education for sustainability: Defining the new focus of environmental education in the 1990s. Environmental education research. 1(2), 195–212.

[27] Sterling, S., 2001. Sustainable Education: Re-Visioning Learning and Change. Green Books: Devon, UK.

[28] UNESCO, 2005. United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, 2005-2014: Draft International Implementation Scheme. ED/2005/PI/H/1, January 2005. UNESCO: Paris, France.

[29] Huckle, J., Sterling, S. 1996. Education for Sustainability. Earthscan: London, UK. Available from: https://api.pageplace.de/preview/DT0400.9781134170265_A23771496/preview-9781134170265_A23771496.pdf

[30] Lundholm, C., 2019. Where to look and what to do? Blank and bright spots in research on environmental and climate change education. Environmental Education Research. 25(10), 1427–1437. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2019.1700066

[31] Rickinson, M., Dillon, J., Teamey, K., et al., 2004. A Review of Research on Outdoor Learning. Field Studies Council: Shrewsbury, UK.

[32] Palmer, J., 1998. Environmental Education in the 21st Century: Theory, Practice, Progress and Promise. Routledge: London, UK. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203012659

[33] Bengtsson, S.L., Östman, L., 2013. Globalisation and education for sustainable development: Emancipation from context and meaning. Environmental Education Research. 19(2), 199–211. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2012.709822

[34] Martín-García, J., Dies Álvarez, M.E., Afonso, A.S., 2024. Understanding Science Teachers’ Integration of Active Methodologies in Club Settings: An Exploratory Study. Education Sciences. 14(1), 106. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14010106

[35] Marques, R.R., Malafaia, C., Faria, J.L., et al., 2020. Using online tools in participatory research with adolescents to promote civic engagement and environmental mobilization: the WaterCircle (WC) project. Environmental Education Research. 26(7), 1043–1059. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2020.1776845

Downloads

How to Cite

Amine Hmid, Redouane Kaiss, Fatima Ezzahra Mnajli, Yahya Fikri, Ouiam Khairi, El Khalil El Mountassir, & Zakaria Benjouid. (2025). Statistical Analysis of Drivers of Environmental Education and Climate Resilience Through School-Based Environmental Clubs: A Case Study from Morocco. Journal of Environmental & Earth Sciences, 7(8), 178–190. https://doi.org/10.30564/jees.v7i8.10780