A STUDY ON ECO-ANXIETY AND RESILIENCE AMONG FUTURE EDUCATORS

Abstract

The present study examined eco-anxiety and resilience among future educators, focusing on their psychological responses to environmental concerns and adaptive coping capacities. Eco-anxiety, characterized by persistent worry, fear, and distress related to climate change and environmental degradation, has emerged as a significant psychological concern among young adults. In contrast, resilience refers to an individual's ability to adapt positively, cope effectively, and recover from stressful or challenging circumstances. The study aimed to assess the levels of eco-anxiety and resilience among future educators and to examine differences with respect to gender, locality, stream of study, and type of management. Furthermore, the study explored the relationship between eco-anxiety and resilience.

A quantitative survey design was employed with a sample of 400 future educators selected through simple random sampling. Standardized and validated instruments were used to assess eco-anxiety and resilience. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including percentage analysis, mean, and standard deviation, as well as inferential statistics such as the independent samples t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson’s product-moment correlation.

The findings revealed that future educators exhibited moderate levels of both eco-anxiety and resilience. No statistically significant differences were observed in eco-anxiety and resilience with respect to gender, locality, stream of study, and type of management. However, a significant negative relationship was found between eco-anxiety and resilience, indicating that individuals with higher resilience tended to report lower levels of eco-anxiety. The findings underscore the importance of resilience-building initiatives within teacher education programmes to enhance adaptive coping and reduce psychological distress associated with environmental concerns. The study has important implications for integrating sustainability education, socio-emotional learning, and resilience-building strategies into teacher education curricula.