Showing papers in "The Journal of Environmental Education in 2001"
TL;DR: In this paper, the influence of place attachment and place identity on environmentally responsible behavior was examined using a structural equation model, and it was shown that place identity mediated the relationship between place dependence and responsible behavior.
Abstract: This article illustrates how an attachment to a local natural resource can influence environmentally responsible behavior (ERB) in an individual's everyday life. Our study showed that 4 general (e.g., talking with others about environmental issues) and 3 specific (e.g., sorting recyclable trash) behavioral indicators reflected a single environmentally responsible latent construct. Following previous research, we operationalized place attachment using 2 concepts: (a) place dependence (i.e., a functional attachment) and (b) place identity (i.e., an emotional attachment). The influence of these two concepts on ERB was examined using a structural equation model. Data for this analysis were obtained from a survey of youth, 14-17 years of age (N = 182), who participated in local natural resource work programs. Results supported the predicted relationships. As hypothesized, place identity mediated the relationship between place dependence and responsible behavior. Place dependence influenced place ident...
943 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explored the effectiveness of such programs in terms of both student learning outcomes and the intergenerational influence that results when students discuss their learning experiences with their parents and other community members.
Abstract: Educators have invested considerable effort in developing environmental education programs that address students' knowledge, attitudes, and action competence regarding environmental issues. The authors explore the effectiveness of such programs in terms of both student learning outcomes and the intergenerational influence that results when students discuss their learning experiences with their parents and other community members. Six environmental education programs involving 284 students in Queensland schools, from Grades 5-12, were investigated. Students and their parents were surveyed and interviewed regarding their perceptions about the program, the program's influence on their environmental learning, and the extent and nature of discussions that the program stimulated between students and their parents. The authors draw conclusions about key features that should be incorporated into environmental education programs to encourage and empower students to bring about environmental change in thei...
216 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors provide an example of how this instrument can be applied by comparing knowledge levels am... and provide a tested, valid survey instrument to measure ecological knowledge, one component of environmental literacy.
Abstract: Environmental literacy has been defined in numerous ways and attempts have been made to measure how environmentally literate people are. Many attempts to measure literacy have instead measured people's knowledge about pollution and their attitudes toward the environment. According to many environmental education experts, knowledge and attitudes are important components of environmental literacy, especially if the goal of environmental education is to change behavior. However, the experts also indicate that, to change an individual's behavior, knowledge about the environment must be associated with environmental sensitivity, personal beliefs, and decisionmaking and problem-solving skills. The research presented in this article contributes to environmental literacy research by offering a tested, valid survey instrument to measure ecological knowledge—one component of environmental literacy. In this article, we provide an example of how this instrument can be applied by comparing knowledge levels am...
144 citations
TL;DR: The experience of 8 teenage participants of a 12-day adventure trip was investigated through participant observation and semistructured posttrip interviews as discussed by the authors, which revealed that the participants conceptualized nature as a place out there, a reality fundamentally different from their home reality of civilization.
Abstract: The experience of 8 teenage participants of a 12-day adventure trip was investigated through participant observation and semistructured posttrip interviews. The teen participants conceptualized nature as a place out there—a reality fundamentally different and removed from their home reality of civilization. The teens understood nature as undisturbed, natural, unfamiliar, without people or human material development, relaxing, not busy, and with a sense of freedom. The teens strongly suggested nature does not exist at home. It appears that, with this construction of nature, the teens felt diminished motivation to take care of their home environment.
99 citations
TL;DR: This paper examined the differences in environmental attitudes and ecological beliefs among 1st-year university students in different disciplines and found that students studying disciplines traditionally associated with economic rationalism and with social and political conservatism would be less pro-environmental than students in disciplines conventionally considered liberal.
Abstract: The authors examined the differences in environmental attitudes and ecological beliefs among 1st-year university students in different disciplines The authors predicted that students studying disciplines traditionally associated with economic rationalism (ie, commerce and business studies) and with social and political conservatism (ie, law) would be less pro-environmental than students in disciplines conventionally considered liberal The findings suggest that, although most university students hold positive attitudes toward the environment, different disciplines attract students of a particular attitudinal orientation
70 citations
TL;DR: The authors summarizes and evaluates dissimilar perspectives about what this means and how it should be approached in the context of practical approaches to education about or for the environment, and concludes that if American schools are to serve the general welfare of a democratic society, they must effectively promote education for responsible citizenship.
Abstract: If American schools are to serve the general welfare of a democratic society, they must effectively promote education for responsible citizenship. This article summarizes and evaluates dissimilar perspectives about what this means and how it should be approached in the context of practical approaches to education about or for the environment.
69 citations
TL;DR: In this article, four student-led investigations conducted as part of the NSF-funded Explorations from an Aerial Perspective program demonstrate how participatory action research can provide a framework for realizing environmental education goals.
Abstract: Four student-led investigations conducted as part of the NSF-funded Explorations from an Aerial Perspective program demonstrate how participatory action research can provide a framework for realizing environmental education goals. Students conducted the investigations–which focused on community land-use issues–in cooperation with teachers, nonformal educators, and community members. On the basis of the results of their research, the students organized activities that engendered positive changes in their local environments.
69 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the effect of recommending water conservation at the household level and the impact of using interactive teaching methods to promote conservation behaviors among students and their families in the Jordan Water Conservation Education Project.
Abstract: An evaluation was conducted to measure the impact of a curriculum implementation through the Jordan Water Conservation Education Project funded by USAID. This study examined the effect of recommending water conservation at the household level and the impact of using interactive teaching methods to promote conservation behaviors among students and their families. The evaluation used a postintervention design with random selection of participants. Comparisons were made among 671 students (424 experimental, 247 control) belonging to high school eco-clubs in central Jordan. Most students were girls in rural settings. The experimental group consisted of students whose teachers implemented an interactive curriculum and promoted household water-conservation behaviors. Teachers of students in the control group did not participate in the curriculum implementation, but those students were exposed to lectures about biodiversity issues. The results indicate that students who were exposed to the new curriculu...
68 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a descriptive, correlational study examined associations between the level of teacher (K-6) preparation in environmental education and the level implementation of EE in elementary school classrooms in Wisconsin (mandated pre-service competence) and Ohio (no preservice competence mandate).
Abstract: This descriptive, correlational study examined associations between the level of teacher (K-6) preparation in environmental education and the level of implementation of EE in elementary school classrooms in Wisconsin (mandated pre-service competence) and Ohio (no preservice competence mandate). The study also measured elementary schoolteachers' attitudes toward EE. Findings from this study indicated that Wisconsin elementary teachers received more preservice EE preparation and implemented more EE than Ohio teachers. Attitudes toward EE were similar, but the Wisconsin teachers seemed more confident about teaching EE concepts. Wisconsin responses indicate that, despite the preservice requirement, some teachers received little or no EE preparation. Wisconsin teachers achieved a higher rate of EE implementation in the elementary school classroom than Ohio teachers achieved. The authors concluded that for Grades K-6, successful implementation of EE includes teacher preparation and emphasis on teacher ...
58 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors surveyed 619 participants in a national fishing education program (Hooked on Fishing-Not on Drugs) designed for youth in Grades 6-8 and found that participants who participated in programs that included experience-based fishing were more likely to report several desired fishing and stewardship outcomes.
Abstract: The authors surveyed 619 participants in a national fishing education program (Hooked on Fishing-Not on Drugs) designed for youth in Grades 6-8. The survey of the youth assessed fishing and aquatic stewardship outcomes associated with different levels of program exposure (i.e., no program, programs without fishing, and programs with fishing). Youth who participated in programs that included experience-based fishing were more likely to report several desired fishing and stewardship outcomes. These data support the assumption that such programs are more likely to influence antecedents to environmentally responsible behavior than are programs without experience-based fishing.
41 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors evaluate an environmental education professional development course using Stake's Countenance Model as the organizational framework and demonstrate its effectiveness by facilitating a thorough examination of both quantitative and qualitative data during all phases of course execution.
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate an environmental education professional development course using Stake's Countenance Model as the organizational framework. A complex analysis of 10 course features using 8 evaluation instruments focused on congruence between what was intended to occur and what was actually observed to occur before, during, and after instruction. The Stake model demonstrated its effectiveness by facilitating a thorough examination of both quantitative and qualitative data during all phases of course execution.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss schools' relevance in developing environmental awareness in young children and explain that the primary-level national curriculum and the Mexican educational system are working toward an environmental policy.
Abstract: Schools–which play an important role in the formation of young children's positive attitudes toward the environment–can improve their environmental performance by working with all members of the school community. In this article, I discuss schools' relevance in developing environmental awareness in young children. This article also explains that the primary-level national curriculum and the Mexican educational system are working toward an environmental policy. A brief introduction describes some of the most significant educational changes in recent Mexican history, emphasizing the role of textbooks.
TL;DR: Kirk, Wilke, and Ruskey as mentioned in this paper conducted a study to determine changes in the status of state-level environmental education (EE) programs between 1995 and 1998, and found that the number of components had increased by 71 to a total of 334.
Abstract: This study was designed to determine changes in the status of state-level environmental education (EE) programs between 1995 and 1998. A baseline study was conducted in 1995 (Kirk, Wilke, & Ruskey, 1996) that tracked the extent to which the 50 states had achieved components that constitute a comprehensive state-level EE program (Ruskey & Wilke, 1994). In 1995, a total of 263 components were in place. By 1998 the number of components had increased by 71 to a total of 334. This article discusses the methodology involved in the 1998 study (n = 173 state EE leaders). It also reviews the increase and addition of 215 new initiatives reported due to an additional 7 component areas that were identified in 1997 and added to the 1998 survey. The article also analyzes comparative and new data and describes the implications of the results for future efforts in EE capacity building.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors report on the development of a college-level eco-educational course that attempts to capitalize on the ecological and educational strengths of ecotourism by establishing a partnership with a local community.
Abstract: The authors report on the development of a college-level eco-educational course that attempts to capitalize on the ecological and educational strengths of ecotourism by establishing a partnership with a local community. The course (a) offers an international experience; (b) emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, community interaction, experiential and service learning, and the application of lessons learned abroad and at home; and (c) is consistent with the objectives of the liberal arts institution that offered it. We focus the course on the fundamental link between environmental and cultural conservation in Latin America. Costa Rica is the current model and destination. Throughout this article suggestions are offered for establishing community partnerships for effective international eco-educational program development.
TL;DR: In this article, a Danish study of environmental education found that students' knowledge about environmental matters and their belief in their own action possibilities was positively associated with environmental awareness and environmental concern.
Abstract: (2001). Students' Knowledge About Environmental Matters and Their Belief in Their Own Action Possibilities–A Danish Study. The Journal of Environmental Education: Vol. 33, No. 1, pp. 33-36.
Journal Article•
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss the process and outcomes of the ICEE report in a Journal of Environmental Education article and conclude that the findings are a wake-up call for the field of environmental education and that better science and implementation of standards alone will satisfy detractors.
Abstract: Jeffrey Salmon (2000), executive director of the George C. Marshall Institute, recently summarized the process and outcomes of the ICEE report in a Journal of Environmental Education article. In doing so, he was careful to package this effort as an objective-that is, value free-critique of environmental education, and a sincere attempt to strengthen the field. Indeed, the ICEE report did offer many constructive ideas for improving the quality of environmental pedagogy, and revealed some serious shortcomings in existing curricula that should not be overlooked. Few can argue that the findings are a wake-up call for the field. However, Salmon's account of the ICEE effort ignores or dismisses the political motives of criticisms that led to the Commission's review, and is less than straightforward about the biases or values inherent in the review process. These oversights need to be considered in formulating an appropriate response as professionals in the EE field. Without putting criticism of the field into its political context, we run the risk of believing that better science and implementation of standards alone will satisfy detractors.
TL;DR: The authors found that positive ecological worldviews were associated with receptivity to arguments for preserving endangered species based on ethics and morality, the importance of a species to the ecosystem, and one's ability to make a difference; the type of organism that was endangered was not a factor in determining the effectiveness of a message.
Abstract: The ecological worldviews of 95 undergraduates were assessed via Blaikie's Ecological World View scale (1992). Positive ecological worldviews were associated with receptivity to arguments for preserving endangered species based on ethics and morality, the importance of a species to the ecosystem, and one's ability to make a difference; the type of organism that was endangered was not a factor in determining the effectiveness of a message. There was no relationship between ecological worldviews and receptivity to arguments on the basis of aesthetics or economics. Women had more positive ecological worldviews and found moral arguments to be more persuasive than did men.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examine several Internet-based resources that are used as tools for implementing standards-based reforms and promotion of environmental education goals in K-12 classrooms and encourage the EE community to recognize the time is ripe for environmental educators to embrace these developments.
Abstract: Two recent developments are likely to have a significant impact on the future of EE: (1) education reform initiatives based on the National Science Education Standards and (2) the development of promising Internet resources for teaching environmental sciences. This article urges the EE community to recognize that the time is ripe for environmental educators to embrace these developments. We examine several Internet-based resources that are used as tools for implementing standards-based reforms and promotion of EE's goals in K-12 classrooms.
TL;DR: The NatureMapping Program enables volunteers, including schools, to collect environmental data that are valuable to governments and communities for problem solving and decision making as mentioned in this paper, which has been shown to increase school-community links, motivated students, and a systemic change in curriculum through interdisciplinary inquiry.
Abstract: Environmental education for youth and adults is being redefined at resource agencies. The driving forces are education reform and citizen demands to be involved in environmental management decisions. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife examined its traditional environmental education programs and identified the need to create opportunities for citizen involvement as a means to educate while directly impacting its mission. Through a partnership with the Washington Cooperative Research Unit Gap Analysis Project, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife created the NatureMapping Program. The NatureMapping Program enables volunteers, including schools, to collect environmental data that are valuable to governments and communities for problem solving and decision making. A recent study of schools actively NatureMapping describes increased school-community links, motivated students, and a systemic change in curriculum through interdisciplinary inquiry. Resource experts have benefited f...
TL;DR: The potential guidelines for conducting and reporting environmental education research using quantitative methods of inquiry were developed during a 10-hr (1-1/2 day) workshop sponsored by the North American Commission on Environmental Education Research during the 1998 annual meeting of the National American Association for Environmental Education as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: This paper presents potential guidelines for conducting and reporting environmental education research using quantitative methods of inquiry that were developed during a 10-hr (1-1/2 day) workshop sponsored by the North American Commission on Environmental Education Research during the 1998 annual meeting of the North American Association for Environmental Education. The guidelines represent the efforts of 20 environmental education practitioners, researchers, and scholars, and are offered in the spirit of academic and intellectual collaboration and cooperation. The author hopes that, by sharing workshop outcomes with the broader environmental education research community, opportunities for comment and—if necessary—revision of the guidelines will be maximized.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe an experimental environmental education course in rural schools in India's central Himalayas, where students learn how to manage their village ecosystem to ensure maximum sustainable productivity.
Abstract: This article describes an experimental environmental education course in rural schools in India's central Himalayas. The course was designed to introduce environmental and livelihood issues into mainstream curriculum. The Uttaranchal Environment Education Centre initiated this program in 1987 with the help of national and state departments of education. This practical course focuses on land degradation, which is the region's major environmental problem. Students learn how to manage their village ecosystem to ensure maximum sustainable productivity. Currently, 1,000 teachers in 530 schools offer the course to approximately 68,000 students.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present 10 goals for risk education and discuss current risk education practices, future interests, and perceived barriers to risk education of Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin Grades 6-12 science teachers.
Abstract: If formal educators are to play a role in preparing future citizens for making decisions about health and environmental risks, then they must be willing and able to incorporate risk education. This article presents 10 goals for risk education. It also describes current risk education practices, future interests, and perceived barriers to risk education of Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin Grades 6–12 science teachers. Data were collected through a mail questionnaire (1,336 surveys were returned, adjusted return rate = 80%) and in-depth telephone interviews (completed with 45 teachers, return rate = 90%). Many teachers had covered some aspect of risk education and were interested in enhancing their efforts. Results also suggest that teachers need to be made aware of risk education resources and provided with training, particularly regarding psychological influences on risk decisions.
TL;DR: This paper conducted a preliminary investigation on Managerial Environmental Attitudes and Corporate Environmentalism: A Preliminary Investigation, and found that environmental attitudes and corporate environmentalism are correlated in a positive manner.
Abstract: (2001). Managerial Environmental Attitudes and Corporate Environmentalism: A Preliminary Investigation. The Journal of Environmental Education: Vol. 32, No. 4, pp. 49-50.
TL;DR: The Rouge Education Project (REP) as discussed by the authors is a school-based environmental education program that uses water monitoring, telecommunications, and student actions to improve water quality, and the results indicated that the program met its goals of increasing awareness and concern about the Rouge River and developing a supportive curriculum in science classrooms.
Abstract: The Rouge Education Project (REP) is a school-based environmental education program that uses water monitoring, telecommunications, and student actions to improve water quality. The author carried out a program evaluation to better understand the challenges generated by such a program. She examined surveys, interviews, and focus groups to determine the level of participation, goals, objectives, value of support services, and changes in teaching and environmental awareness. The results indicated that the REP met its goals of increasing awareness and concern about the Rouge River and developing a supportive curriculum in science classrooms. This article illustrates the importance of inservice workshops and curriculum resources for successful program enactment.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that more trained teachers are needed in the field of environmental education, and do we need more "trained" teachers? The Journal of Environmental Education: Vol. 32, No. 4, pp. 5-7
Abstract: (2001). Do We Need More “Trained” Teachers? The Journal of Environmental Education: Vol. 32, No. 4, pp. 5-7.
TL;DR: The Journal of Environmental Education: Vol 32, No 4, pp 30-31, 2001 as discussed by the authors reported that environmental scientists' perceptions of the science-policy linkage were negatively affected by the lack of information from government.
Abstract: (2001) Environmental Scientists' Perceptions of the Science-Policy Linkage The Journal of Environmental Education: Vol 32, No 4, pp 30-31
TL;DR: The Adventures of Lead Commander (Marlowe & Trathen, 1996) as discussed by the authors is a family-based, environmental education lead poisoning program, which was designed to educate the public and school children about lead poisoning.
Abstract: This article comments on a study designed to examine the effectiveness of the family-based, environmental education lead-poisoning program, The Adventures of Lead Commander (Marlowe & Trathen, 1996). Design and methodological weaknesses, such as the use of hair lead concentrations as a biomarker, call into question conclusions reached in the study. The effectiveness of the educational program cannot be ascertained from the data collected. It should be stressed, however, that environmental education projects such as The Adventures of Lead Commander are important in helping to educate the public and school children about lead poisoning and ways of minimizing exposure to this neurotoxin. Education and removal of lead sources are primary methods of reducing lead exposure.
Journal Article•
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explored the effectiveness of such programs in terms of both student learning outcomes and the intergenerational influence that results when students discuss their learning experiences with their parents and other community members.
Abstract: Educators have invested considerable effort in developing environmental education programs that address students' knowledge, attitudes, and action competence regarding environmental issues. The authors explore the effectiveness of such programs in terms of both student learning outcomes and the intergenerational influence that results when students discuss their learning experiences with their parents and other community members. Six environmental education programs involving 284 students in Queensland schools, from Grades 5-12, were investigated. Students and their parents were surveyed and interviewed regarding their perceptions about the program, the program's influence on their environmental learning, and the extent and nature of discussions that the program stimulated between students and their parents. The authors draw conclusions about key features that should be incorporated into environmental education programs to encourage and empower students to bring about environmental change in their homes and communities.
TL;DR: In this paper, a study aimed to determine if E/The Environmental Magazine met two goals: (1) its subscribers' need for environmental information and (2) its publishers' goal of inspiring environmentally responsible behavior.
Abstract: This study aimed to determine if E/The Environmental Magazine–the only remaining independent environmental magazine at the end of the 20th century–has met two goals: (1) its subscribers' need for environmental information and (2) its publishers' goal of inspiring environmentally responsible behavior. We applied the uses and gratifications theory, which assumes that the audience is active and goal-directed. Results indicate that the level of the magazine's influence varied according to the reader's behavior category. Subscribers also expressed positive opinions about the quality of the magazine's 1997 content and indicated that E was an important source for obtaining reliable environmental information. E's subscribers are a relatively homogeneous group. They are likely to be predisposed to environmental activity, and use the medium instrumentally for surveillance and reinforcement of personal values.