Integrating pro-environmental behaviors into school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports for creating green schools

Abstract

The causes of dramatic climate change mostly lie in human behavior. Humans cause climate change, for example, by creating waste. Pro-environmental behavior plays a crucial role in fighting climate change by preventing waste and conserving resources. Therefore, schools should foster pro-environmental behavior to fight climate change more effectively. Schools can foster pro-environmental behavior by organizing activities focused on both saving water, energy and managing waste through recycling and reuse. As such, one of the systems that can be used to increase the quality and efficiency of green school practices is School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SW-PBIS). SW-PBIS is a three-tiered approach that matches intervention intensity to student’s needs, aiming to improve all students’ social and educational outcomes through evidence-based preventive behavioral interventions. However, when SW-PBIS implementations are generally considered, the system is mainly used to prevent problem behaviors. While respect, responsibility, and safety are the most common expectations, no expectation is created or included in the system based on sustainability. So, the starting point of the idea is that while problem behaviors can be prevented with SW-PBIS, pro-environmental behaviors to promote a green school can also be taught and supported. Consequently, this article introduces a conceptual framework to integrate pro-environmental behaviors into SW-PBIS for creating green schools. We discuss the importance of SW-PBIS in fostering pro-environmental behavior and how it can help develop responsible students who contribute to green schools to fight climate change. We also discuss implications for future research and practice. This conceptual framework is expected to expand the scope of SW-PBIS and contribute to the implementation of green school initiatives.