Abstract
By analyzing the environmental views nowadays, this research seeks to draw up environmental responsibility concepts suitable for the environmental education at various grades of elementary schools, so as to form a foundation for both curriculum composition and teaching activities. This research starts with exploring the moral philosophy of environmental responsibility and the curriculum of environmental education, and then by the brainstorming analytic hierachy process it goes on to build up the conceptional models and the system of environmental responsibility concepts. Then upon the system of environmental responsibility concepts, questionnaires are designed for the research. With the questionnaires to complete after their testing, reliability is ascertained by the forecast of both experts and elementary school teachers. Finally, by multi-stage stratified sampling, schools are taken at random: 43 from Taiwan province, 8 from Taipei City, 4 from Kaohsiung City. 2-31 teachers in each school is selected to fill out the questionnaires. A total of 1401 effective samples are put to statistical and analysis. As indicated by the analysis results, on the concepts of four levels for environmental responsibility (fifty-two concepts items in total), elementary school teachers appear rather consistent in their views, whether on the extent of agreement or on the grades applicable. Over 92% of them recognize the significance of concepts of vertical and parallel hierachy, agreeing that different level should be applied as it suits a particular grade. Among the concepts items, 44 are regarded as suitable for higher grades, only 8 for the teaching of lower grades, and none for middle grades or none unsuitable for any grade, showing views poles apart. This reflects that elementary school teachers think our proposed environmental responsibility concepts are hard for the most part, seeing it proper to carry out some earlier at lower grades. And this view, as shown by the results of one-way ANOVA, differs between large and small schools (city and country) and between male and female teachers. Besides, when it comes to factors of difficulty in practicing the environmental education, administrative supports seem less of a problem, but in budget, teaching material, equipment, ability, incentive measures, and opportunities for advanced studies lies some difficulties.