EXPLORING THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN TRADITIONAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN RURAL COMMUNITIES

Abstract

Previous research has underscored the critical role of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) in ecological management across the globe. However, little is known about the relationship between traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and environmental education in rural communities. The present paper examined the correlation between TEK and EE in rural communities in Cross River State, Nigeria. One hundred and sixty-six participants drawn from the public participated in the study. They completed a self-report measure of TEK and EE with demographic information. Pearson's product-moment correlation was performed to determine the correlation between the variables. The result revealed a statistically significant positive correlation between TEK and EE, r (164) = .42, p < .001. Most importantly, observation of the R² revealed that TEK explained about 21% of the variation in EE. In conclusion, this study underscores the positive correlation between TEK and Environmental Education in rural Nigerian communities, advocating for integrating traditional knowledge systems into formal education to foster sustainable development.