人類必須有個優義舒適的環境以資生活，始能顯現出萬物之靈的尊嚴和價值。人類的歷史就是一部不斷改造生活環境的歷史，但是地球自出現人類之後，由於工具的發明與火的應用改變了周圍的環境，設法控制和支配自然的結果，環境就開始被污染了。尤其在科技發達之後，「工業化」一詞成了「污染」和「環境惡化」的同意字。我們的生活環境非但未能隨著工業的進歩而改善，反而遭受到污染和破壞。本研究旨在探討國中學生對環境問題的知識與態度，首先從課程教材方面了解目前國中環境教育的內容，依據學習內容測量其知識和態度。我國環境教育多納入自然學科領域中，而偏重教學方法的研究；尤以國立台灣師範大學科學教育中心成果最為卓著。但對學生知識與態度之研究，尚付闕如；國外研究成果豐碩，可供參考的資料甚多，惟因自然環境不同，社會制度及文化背景的差異，其研究結果是否適於解釋國內狀況，尚待求證。基於以上陳述，本研究之具體目的有下列四項：
一、瞭解國民中學課程中的生態環境教育的基本教材。二、瞭解國民中學對環境問題的知識程度。三、瞭解國民中學對環境問題所抱持的態度。四、綜合研究所得，提供若干加強國中生態環境教育的建議。

The main purposes of this study are（1）to assess the content of environmental problems in junior high school science textbooks；（2）to investigate students’ knowledge of and their attitudes toward the environment；（3）to make some suggestions for improving the environmental education based upon the findings of this study.
This study has placed equal emphasis on both the method of content analysis and the survey approach.
The selected textbooks for analysis include biology, health education, and chemistry published by Taiwan Book Store and used in 1983 school year.
The environmental analysis of the content is chiefly discussed by ‘Section” unites. The focus of contents, regional features, and the attitudes of the textbook editors characterize the analysis of the textbooks.
In January, 1983, 2112 junior high school students in 22 randomly selected schools（10 from urban areas, and 12 from rural areas） in Taiwan serve as the subjects of the survey, and 1768 students have completed the questionnaire. The questionnaire based upon Syracuse Environmental Awareness Test Level III include 20 factural problems, 20 conceptual problems, and 20 items devised for assessing the students’ attitudes toward the environmental issues.
The questionnaire data collected were submitted to three─way ANOVA to test the statistical significant differences among the grade levels, sexes, and geographic backgrounds.
The following are the main findings of this study：
1. After the analysis of the eight─book series, we learn that 242 out of 1219 sections（19.85% of the total content） involve environmental problem.
2. The greatest proportion of the problem content is related to the categories of ecological relations and natural resources.
3. These textbooks touch least the problems of energy and toxic substances.5. The teaching materials involve both urban and rural problems.
6.The attitudes of the textbook writers tend to form the environmental protectionism, but some chemistry editors have the tendency to form the attitudes toward the economic development.
7. Students possess little knowledge of the environment.
8. Female students seem to have less knowledge about the environment than male students.
9. Urban students appear to have more knowledge about the environment than rural students.
10. This study indicates that the students are active in environmental problems in a positive way.
11. Male students appear to have a more positive attitude toward the environment than do female students.
12. Rural students appear to have a less positive attitude toward the environment than urban students.
13. High─grade students appear to have a more positive attitude toward the environment than to lower─grade students.
We present some suggestions based upon the conclusion as follows：
1. In order to enforce and supervise the national environmental education, the education authorities should request the specialists of all fields to form and research the environmental education.
2. It is recommended that the environmental protection departments of the government should publish more supplementary readings for students’ references and for promoting their attitudes.
3. Junior high school teachers must endeavour to emphasize the importance of the concepts of toxic substances, waste disposal and population.
4. Junior high schools should enforce the research work on the environmental curricula among teachers.
5. It is recommended that the researchers should analyze all the textbooks used in junior high schools, senior high schools, or elementary schools for the purpose of viewing the complete development of the teaching materials of the environmental education.