| Abstract: | Fungi occupy an ecologically vital yet culturally ambiguous position in many South Asian communities, where inherited narratives of toxicity and danger frequently mediate children’s interactions with these organisms. This study examines how an experiential, fungi-focused environmental education program delivered by the Eco Vigyan Foundation (EVF) across 13 schools in Himachal Pradesh, India, influenced ecological knowledge, affective orientations, and pro-environmental behaviours among students and teachers, and whether these changes extended into household contexts. A descriptive pre-post survey design was employed, with data collected from students, teachers, and parents before and after program implementation. The study adopts an integrative theoretical framework drawing on Knowledge-Attitude-Practice model, Identity-Based Environmental Education, Social Learning Theory, and ethnomycological perspectives to examine the mechanisms through which behavioural change is initiated, sustained, and diffused. Findings indicate that the program generated substantial improvements in fungal ecology knowledge, near-elimination of mysophobia, and strong pro-environmental identity formation across both student and teacher cohorts. Evidence of intergenerational learning was also observed, with children frequently communicating ecological knowledge and observational practices within their households. The findings of the present study contribute to the growing body of evidence supporting experiential and culturally grounded approaches to environmental education, and highlight the potential of school-based programmes to function as behavioural learning ecosystems extending well beyond the classroom into families and communities. |
