Abstract

Air pollution is among the most important environmental issues, posing a threat to human health, especially children, who are more susceptible to the physiological and behavioural effects of the environment. Schools are an ideal setting for promoting environmental literacy and developing protective behaviours, but there is limited empirical evidence on the effectiveness of school-based air pollution education programs. This paper evaluates the impact of a school-based educational intervention on students' knowledge of air pollution and their behavioural changes in protective behaviours. A quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test design was used in this study, and both the intervention and control groups were selected from urban schools exposed to different levels of ambient air pollution. The intervention comprised a structured learning program on air pollution sources, health impacts, interpretation of the Air Quality Index (AQI), and practical self-defensive actions, delivered over four weeks through interactive lectures, visual media, and participatory activities. The intervention was informed by the need to gather data using a validated knowledge assessment scale and a behavioural adoption questionnaire, which were administered prior to the start of the intervention and upon its completion. The difference in the knowledge and behaviour was also analysed using t-tests paired and analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the effect sizes were shown to demonstrate the influence. The findings show that students' knowledge of air pollution has improved significantly, and protective behaviours, including frequent AQI checks, mask use, and avoiding high-pollution areas, have also increased. The findings have demonstrated that environmental education in schools can be adopted as an effective tool of enhancing environmental awareness, adaptive behaviours and facilitate broader public health and sustainability goals. Another necessity presented in this paper is the introduction of air pollution education into official programs, and it explains why educational establishments should be viewed as key players in maintaining environmental stability among young generations.