Showing papers in "The Journal of Environmental Education in 2010"

The Mediation Effect of Outdoor Recreation Participation on Environmental Attitude-Behavior Correspondence

Abstract: Outdoor recreation participation has increased over the past decades and is projected for further growth. Given the increase, it is important to assess recreationists’ environmental values, activity style, general, and site-specific attitudes and behaviors to promote environmental stewardship, and to develop effective strategies in natural resource management and public policy. This study explored recreationists’ environmental attitude-behavior relationship and the impact of outdoor recreation activity orientation (as a mediator variable) on attitude-behavior correspondence. Overall, attitudes exhibited stronger direct relationships with behaviors, when compared to the effect of participation on behaviors. The influence of activity participation on attitude-behavior correspondence was not significantly demonstrative. The association between participation in outdoor recreation and environmentalism is complex, and there is a need for additional research to better understand the relationship.

Aboriginal Environmental Wisdom, Stewardship, and Sustainability: Lessons From the Walpole Island First Nations, Ontario, Canada

Abstract: Generally speaking, environmental education teaching, research, and practice have been informed by the traditions of western, Euro-centric culture. In this context indigenous perspectives are often marginalized, maligned, and perceived to be unscientific and therefore inferior. This essay adds to the growing body of literature exploring aboriginal indigenous environmental epistemologies and responsible human interactions with the natural environment. The paper provides a Canadian context as it examines the environmental philosophy and attitude of a Canadian First Nations community to the natural environment grounded in the lived experiences of adults, children and elders from the Walpole Island First Nation. We make the argument that while not a panacea, Aboriginal environmental epistemologies hold lessons for teaching environmental stewardship and sustainability behavior in mainstream classrooms.

The 2-MEV Scale in the United States: A Measure of Children's Environmental Attitudes Based on the Theory of Ecological Attitude

Abstract: The Environmental (2-MEV) Scale questionnaire was developed in Europe to measure adolescents’ attitudes and gauge the effectiveness of educational programs It also formed the basis for the Theory of Ecological Attitudes In the present four-year study, the 2-MEV Scale was modified for use with 9–12-year-old children in the United States Initial results led to wording revisions and elimination of some items Confirmatory Factor Analyses indicated that the remaining items fit the Theory of Ecological Attitude well The Revised 2-MEV Scale was able to measure statistically significant changes in the environmental attitudes of participants in earth education programs but not in a control group The Revised ENV Scale can be used to evaluate programs and to investigate the relationship between environmental attitudes and other variables

Environmental Action as Context for Youth Development.

Abstract: This study explored the practices of teachers, nonformal science educators, community organizers, youth program managers, and other educators facilitating youth participation in local environmental action, as well as the experiences of some of the youth involved. We conducted narrative interviews with 33 educators facilitating youth environmental action in communities throughout the United States and group interviews with 46 youth participating in nine environmental action programs in New York State. Through interpretation of educators' stories and youths' reflections, we discovered strong parallels with theory and empirical research in the youth development literature suggesting environmental action is a valuable context for positive youth development.

ESD Pedagogy: A Guide for the Perplexed

Abstract: This article addresses issues regarding implementation of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) within formal education systems. In particular, it seeks to identify the basic essential components of ESD pedagogy. The authors present a theoretical pedagogical framework based on accumulated theory and experience in the field. The framework aspires to encompass the majority of prevailing pedagogies within a simple set of four basic principles. It will be argued that the four principal pedagogies are basic and indispensable prerequisites for achieving the goals of ESD, and the lack of one is sufficient to undermine the ESD's pedagogical construct.

Reflecting on Environmental Education: Where Is Our Place in the Green Movement?

Abstract: Recently the environmental movement has seen much success and progress under a newly-framed green paradigm. Yet, despite the proliferation of national attention to, and public interest in, the go-green mentality, environmental education still seems to be stuck within the old environmental paradigm. This critical essay shares lessons that environmental education can learn through incorporating a human benefits approach. Ultimately, this essay calls for a reflection on environmental education's presence within the budding sustainability movement and calls for the “humanization” of environmental education discourse and pedagogical practice.

Understanding cultural differences in the antecedents of pro-environmental behavior: A comparative analysis of business students in the United States and Chile

Abstract: We surveyed business students in the U. S. (n = 256) and Chile (n = 310). The survey included measures drawn from studies of pro-environmental behavior using Schwartz's norm activation theory (Schwartz, 1977), the theory of reasoned action (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980), and a values-beliefs-norms model created by Stern, Dietz, Abel, Guagnano, and Kalof (1999). Our results show Chilean business students are more altruistic than business students in the United States and Chilean students felt stronger pressures from their peers to engage in pro-environmental behaviors. Chilean business students also expressed higher levels of awareness of environmental problems, a greater sense of obligation to protect the environment, a stronger willingness to limit property rights, and stronger intentions to engage in pro-environmental behavior.

Evaluating a Constructivist and Culturally Responsive Approach to Environmental Education for Diverse Audiences

Abstract: The NorthBay Adventure Center offers five-day residential programs that meld environmental and character education using experiential techniques and multi-media messaging This article explores the influences of these programs on urban and non-urban middle-school participants in three areas: character development and leadership; environmental responsibility, and attitudes toward school The authors found significant positive short-term effects on all outcomes of interest Three-month delayed posttests indicate retention of significant gains in character development and leadership and environmental responsibility, while gains in school-related outcomes faded Urban students responded more positively to the NorthBay program than did students from suburban and rural areas

Elementary Teachers’ Beliefs About, Perceived Competencies for, and Reported Use of Scientific Inquiry to Promote Student Learning About and for the Environment

Abstract: This exploratory study investigated elementary teachers’ beliefs about, perceived competencies for, and reported use of scientific inquiry to promote students’ learning about environmental issues and for environmental decision making and action. Data were collected through a questionnaire administered to a simple random sample of elementary teachers in and around a Midwestern university community (n = 121, r = 52%). Respondents did not differentiate between inquiry practices that promote student learning about and for the environment. While respondents believed that they should engage in these practices, they were less confident in their ability to do so, and reported spending little time engaging in these practices. Results also suggest, however, that methods courses and professional development can support elementary teachers’ use of inquiry-based teaching about and for the environment.

Developing an Instrument for Identifying Secondary Teachers’ Beliefs About Education for Sustainable Development in China

Abstract: Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) has been recently recognized as an important area in the new Chinese educational reform. As teachers play a pivotal role, knowing and developing an effective and easy-to-use instrument for tapping teachers’ beliefs is essential. This article reports an attempt to develop an instrument with mixed methods. The finalized instruments comprise two subscales with satisfactory reliability indices obtained. Sustainability values (VSD) consists of four dimensions: respect and care for the community of life; ecological integrity; social and economic justice; and democracy, nonviolence, and peace. Teaching beliefs of ESD (TESD) consists of three dimensions: relevance to daily life; students’ need in the future; and integrated teaching. With these validated instruments, future research and potential problems will be less strenuous.

Imagination and the Cognitive Tools of Place-Making

Abstract: In environmental and ecological education, a rich literature builds on the premise that place, the local natural context in which one lives, can be an emotionally engaging context for learning and the source of life-long concern for nature. A theory of imaginative education can help uncover new tools and strategies for place-based educators. Conversely, a focus on the imaginative dimensions of place-making sheds new light on the nature of imaginative development, with important implications for educational theory and practice.

Australian Waste Wise Schools Program: Its Past, Present, and Future.

Abstract: The Waste Wise Schools program has a longstanding history in Australia. It is an action-based program that encourages schools to move toward zero waste through their curriculum and operating practices. This article provides a review of the program, finding that it has had notable success in reducing schools’ waste through a “reduce, reuse, and recycle” (or “three Rs”) approach. Since the program's conception, an evaluation process has continually occurred alongside the actual program. This report presents the most recent program evaluation results: a 2007 statewide survey that was administered to 1,015 primary (elementary) and secondary teachers. The article outlines the past, present, and future directions of the Waste Wise Schools program and, in doing so, discusses the broader implications for school-based environmental education programs. In particular and of most significance, the findings reveal a growing sustainability culture in Australian schools and communities.

Are Environmental Professors Unbalanced? Evidence From the Field

Abstract: Most outcomes assessment in higher education has focused on content knowledge or skills development; however, attitudinal change is also a legitimate focus of assessment. We use the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) to test whether courses designed to meet the same university environmental literacy requirement changed student environmental attitudes, and whether these changes resulted from instructor and/or course-content effects. We found student environmental attitudes did change significantly but in different directions depending upon who taught the course. The ability to measure such changes adds to the discussion in the environmental education community on the desired nature of attitudinal change and of the responsibilities of higher education instructors.

Environmental Education Through Narrative Films: Impact of Medicine Man on Attitudes Toward Forest Preservation

Abstract: Narrative film is a multimodal, multisensual, and universal medium that has potential to reach and influence a wide range of people regarding environmental issues The author conducted an experiment to explore the impact of film portrayals of deforestation among college students One-hundred eighty-one undergraduate students were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: Experimental and Control Conditions Students in the experimental condition watched the movie Medicine Man portraying the issue of deforestation, whereas those in the control condition watched an unrelated movie with a similar length Participants in both conditions then completed a self-administered questionnaire that contained the measure of attitudes toward forest preservation The results indicated that participants in the experimental condition became more favorable toward the preservation of forests (ie, unfavorable toward deforestation) than did those in the control condition Regression analysis also revealed that perceived re

Communicating How Water Works: Results From a Community Water Education Program

Abstract: Based on feedback from attendees at an environmental summit who requested information about regional water sources, a team comprised of a local nonprofit, a state university, and a cooperative extension office created a community water education program. Undergraduate student interns worked with the author to develop a 20-minute science-based presentation that was delivered in 14 different venues in a three-county region of northwestern North Carolina. Following each presentation there was a discussion session that highlighted questions about how water works and community concerns about water availability and management. Program evaluations reflect that people believed they better understood the science related to water quantity and that the key messages in the program were important to their communities.

Students of Action? A Comparative Investigation of Secondary Science and Social Studies Students’ Action Repertoires in a Land Use Context

Abstract: Environmental education (EE) and social studies education share an interest in behavioral outcomes. This study compares behavioral outcomes—including both self-reported knowledge of actions and reported actions taken—in the context of a land use curriculum enacted in secondary science versus social studies classes with 500 students and nine teachers. Data included pre- and posttests for comparison and intervention groups, classroom observations, and student and teacher interviews. Results indicated that students tended to know and undertake individual rather than collective actions toward sustainable land use. The type of actions students identified varied by course type: when the EE curriculum was presented in science class compared to social studies, students showed less diverse knowledge of actions in support of sustainable land use.

The Environmental Action and Philosophy Matrix: An Exploratory Study of the Environmental Attitudes of Recreation Management and Environmental Studies Students

Abstract: This study is a comparative analysis of the environmental philosophies of college undergraduates enrolled in a Midwestern university. Two courses were used for the research, one from a recreation management curriculum and the other from environmental studies. The study utilized a survey instrument called the Environmental Action and Philosophy Matrix to determine the extent to which students’ environmental attitudes are based on scientific or religious rationale, as well as anthropocentric or biocentric perspectives. Findings show students to possess scientific underpinnings for their viewpoints, regardless of anthropocentric or biocentric tendencies. In addition, the environmental studies students displayed more biocentric attitudes than the recreation management students.

A Review of “Place- and Community-Based Education in Schools”

Abstract: Smith and Sobel, two leaders in the field of place- and community-based education (P-C-B E), have teamed to write a timely book about how schools can connect students to their communities. It is bo...

A Review of “The Handbook of Sustainability Literacy: Skills for a Changing World”

Abstract: The chapters in Part One of The Handbook of Sustainability Literacy: Skills for a Changing World are each written by different authors from their particular perspectives: as professors in various d...