COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE LEVELS OF ENVIRONMENTAL KNOWLEDGE OF STUDENTS OF DIFFERENT SPECIALTIES OF THE UNIVERSITY

Abstract

The article presents some current problems of environmental education and upbringing of students of higher education in Russia. The study of this issue is conducted among 1st-year students of the P. Lumumba Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN) of various specialties (ecologists, veterinarians, psychologists, economists). The studied sample of RUDN students was 128 people (58 boys and 70 girls; the age of students ranges from 17.7 to 18.6). The analysis of the data obtained during the survey showed that all students had a general knowledge of the main environmental problems. A comparative analysis of students in different specialties shows that at all levels (high, medium and low), there are differences in the quality of knowledge in the field of ecology and environmental protection between the respondents of the natural sciences and humanities. Students of ecologists and veterinarians have environmental knowledge of a systemic nature and a deeper nature compared to students of psychologists and economists. Statistical analysis reveals the significance of differences (p<0.05) in environmental knowledge between students of different specialties: the knowledge of students of ecologists and veterinarians is significantly higher (p<0.05) than that of students of psychologists and economists.