Graduation Year
2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree
M.S.
Degree Name
Master of Science (M.S.)
Degree Granting Department
Geosciences
Major Professor
Yasin Elshorbany, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Jennifer Collins, Ph.D.
Committee Member
James Ivey, Ph.D.
Keywords
air quality, socioeconomic impacts, underrepresented students
Abstract
In this study, the environmental perception changes in college students during the COVID-19 pandemic were investigated. During the almost worldwide lockdown between March and December 2020, many students experienced dramatic changes in their socioeconomic life that have affected their well-being, ability to learn, and environmental perceptions. Students were sent home from college campuses, many businesses were shut down, and changes were seen in the environment throughout the world. The many industries and businesses that were shut down decreased the pollution that was in the atmosphere, in our water, and on the land. In many places, lockdown policies lead to improved air, water, and land quality, this was mostly due to fewer vehicles being on the road and a decrease in anthropogenic emissions. An online survey conducted on students enrolled in the University of South Florida and Florida State University was completed to understand how the major environmental changes seen across the globe may have impacted their perceptions of the environment. The results demonstrated that most students have become more environmentally conscious after the COVID-19 lockdown, indicating significant perception changes. The students' demographic backgrounds played a major role in affecting their perception changes. Furthermore, mass media was found to have affected the student's perceptions, which demonstrates the important role media plays in directing public opinion, especially among college students and millennia. This study also highlights the environmental issues that underrepresented students face and calls for policies to address them on educational and socioeconomic levels.
Scholar Commons Citation
Kaylor, Sydney H., "The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Environmental Perceptions of College Students" (2024). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/10206
