Sustainability of Protected Environment Through Environmental Education: Perceptions of Teachers and Students at School Level

Environmental degradation is a significant threat to the entire world, and Pakistan suffers the most from this scenario. This study enlightens aspects that damage the natural environment and affect living organisms. The study primarily aims to discuss the importance of incorporating Environmental Education into the academic system to promote Environmental Sustainability and the benefits a sustained environment provides in return. So, this cross sectional, mixed-method study accentuates the essentiality of inducting environmental education at the secondary level, because it utilises students' efforts in attaining environmental sustainability. The research sample is secondary schools' (6th – 10th) teachers (100) and students (200). The data is collected through a Likert scale and interview questions, which were analysed using a one-sample t-test on SPSS (Version 20) and thematic analysis, respectively. The analyses of students' data show a computed t-test value of 41.326 compared to a test value of 1.984, indicating their inclination towards the importance of environmental education. Another computed t-test value shows 42.512 against the test value 1.984, which accentuates the importance of a sustained environment for performance enhancement. Teachers are also in favour of inducting environmental education, as it provides a myriad of opportunities to students to act for the attainment of a sustainable environment. Concisely, respondents are interested in inducting and studying environmental education as a separate course, and they also perceive the essentiality of actively working towards the attainment of environmental sustainability and are willing to contribute to this endeavour.