Abstract

The study aims to promote environmental education in Moroccan primary schools through three complementary entries; the expansion of students' representations about the environment, the qualitative improvement of knowledge and activities related to the environment. We conducted a descriptive correlational study involving four schools from different socio-economic backgrounds. The results obtained allowed us to identify the principal representations of students on the environment. Then, we founded a proposal to broaden the range of these representations. In addition, an environmental knowledge test revealed a significant positive correlation between student performance and socio-economic background. The study highlighted the positive educational impact of the contextualization of curriculum knowledge. We also made some recommendations that could improve students' activities and performance in environmental education. Consequently, reduce the negative educational impact of social inequalities.

Key words: Environment, student, representations, environmental knowledge, environmental activities