중학생의 환경행동 관련 변인 분석: VBN이론을 중심으로 = An Analysis of Factors Related to Environmental Behavior of Middle School Students: Focusing on the VBN Theory

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study applied the value-belief-norm (VBN) theory to examine the structural relationships among environmental values, beliefs, norms, and behaviors of middle school students. The participants were second- and third-year middle school students from a middle school in Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea, and a survey instrument was developed according to the study objectives. Data were analyzed using SPSS/AMOS 26 through confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. The model fit indices showed an acceptable level (x2=1433.242, p=0.000, x2/df=2.615, RMSEA=0.081), although NFI=0.743, TLI=0.823, and CFI=0.837 fell below the recommended thresholds. Path analysis revealed that altruistic and biospheric values had significant effects on the new ecological paradigm (NEP), whereas egoistic values did not. Furthermore, NEP significantly predicted awareness of consequences (AC), which in turn influenced ascription of responsibility (AR), leading to personal norms (PN). Personal norms were found to significantly predict environmental consumer behavior (β=0.241, p<0.001), learning behavior (β=0.493, p=0.000), and interaction behavior (β=0.386, p=0.000). These findings confirm the sequential path of the value-belief-norm model and highlight the role of personal norms as a key antecedent of environmental behaviors among middle school students. The study provides empirical evidence for extending VBN theory to youth populations and offers foundational insights for designing value-oriented environmental education programs.