Environmental Justice Education: Empowering Ghanaian Students to become Environmental Citizens

Abstract

This article highlights the need to integrate environmental justice (EJ) education into environmental science programs offered in Ghanaian universities. The study was conducted at the University of Cape Coast, which is close to the oil-drilling region in western Ghana. Predominant instances of environmental injustice often accompany oil drilling and extraction of natural resources. Three issues are addressed: students’ perceptions of EJ, their attitudes toward studying EJ, and perceived barriers to the practical application of EJ. The history and important concepts of the EJ movement are reviewed for the purpose of educating students. The World Values Survey for determining Ghanaians’ perceptions and attitudes toward various environmental issues is also reviewed. Qualitative research design was used. A questionnaire was developed based on the themes of EJ from the review and administered to 75 students. Students showed a satisfactory level of EJ perception and assessed barriers to practicing EJ. Implications for EJ education are covered.