Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
Scientific Member at Payame noor University, Tehran.
2
Environmental Education, Payame noor university, Tehran,Iran
Abstract
Introduction
The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of using telegram on promoting the environmental behavior of tourism students. The theoretical framework of this research is based on the theory of communicative action of Habermas (Translated by Burger, 1991), Wolkhart theory about the influence of groups (Zanjani and Mohamad Javadi, 2005), Mass communication theory (Ognyanova and Ball-Rokeach, 2015) and the theory of the Castells network society(Translated by Aligholian et al., 2010), The importance of this research is that it familiarizes the policymakers of the environmental education in tourism with the effect of telegram as one of ICT-based social networks on environmental education and promotion of pro-environmental behavior among tourism students.
Materials and Methods
In terms of the methodology, this research is quasi-experimental with pretest-posttest and control group. The study sample included 40 students of the Payame Noor University of Markazi province that who were selected by the available sampling method and were randomly assigned into study as well as control groups. At first, both groups were given the pretest and afterwards the necessary trainings based on the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP, 2015) and the terms and culture of the country were provided in the form of text, image and video posts on the created group of Telegram. After 3 months, in order to measure the effect of the provided environmental training through Telegram, the students were given the posttest. The data collection tool included a questionnaire (Salehi et al., 2012) whose content validity was quantitatively and qualitatively as well as reliability-wise confirmed. The data were then analyzed through using the descriptive and inferential statistics and SPSS software.
Results and discussion: According to the results of the covariance analysis test and with respect to the fact that the significance level of the test in environmental behavior of tourism that it indicates the effect of the environmental education with the help of telegram on the promotion of the students' environmental behavior of tourism. The mean comparison of the pretest and posttest has shown that the mean variable of the posttest compared to the pretest was higher in this variable. Also, the results of the post hoc test have shown that the mean of the telegram group was higher than the mean of the control group in this variable. The effect of training through Telegram for the variable of pro-environmental behavior in tourism of the study group was respectively .567.
Conclusion
Pro-environmental tourism education through Telegram has a positive and significant effect on dimension of students' Pro-environmental behavior in tourism. Respectively, about 57% of the variance pro-environmental behavior in tourism of the study group can be explained exclusively by applying the training method (environmental education of Telegram). This confirms that it is possible to use the capacity of this messenger's social network for environmental education related to tourism to students. The results of this study seem to be consistent with theory of communicative action Habermas, Wolkhart theory about the influence of groups, Mass communication theory and the theory of the network society. The theoretical achievement of this research can be confirmed the need to consider and use the capacities of virtual social networks in promoting environmental tourism behaviors and turning them into opportunities for this field.
Keywords: Education, Telegram, Social Network, Environmental Behavior.
References
Castells, M. (2010). Information Era, Translated by Ahad Aligholian et al. (6th edition), Tehran: New Design Publications.
Habermas, J. (1991). The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere: An Inquiry Into a Category of Bourgeois Society Translated by Thomas Burger with the Assistance of Frederic Lawrence, Cambridge.
Ognyanova, K. and Ball-Rokeach, S.J. (2015). Political efficacy on the internet: A media system dependency approach, In L. Robinson, S.R. Cotten & J. Schulz (Eds.), Communication and Information Technologies Annual: Politics, Participation, and Production (pp. 3-27). Bingley, UK: Emerald Group Publishing.
Salehi, S., Ghadami, M. and Hemati, Z. (2012). Survey of environmental behaviors among coastal tourists (Case study: Coastal tourists of Bushehr city during Nowruz), Journal of Tourism Planning and Development, 1(1): 35-58.
UNEP (2015). Annual Report, available at:http://www.unep.org/annualreport/2015/en/index.html.
Zanjanizade Azazi, H. and Mohammad Javadi, A. (2005). The effect of internet on family values among high school students in district 3 of mashhad in 82-83, Journal of Sociology of Iran, 6(2): 121-146.
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