Showing papers on "Environmental education published in 1984"

Identifying mediating factors of moral reasoning in science education

Abstract: The purpose of this research was to examine how science content knowledge, moral reasoning ability, attitudes, and past experiences mediate the formation of moral judgments on environmental dilemmas. The study was conducted in two phases using environmental science majors and nonscience majors of college age. Phase One determined if environmental science majors exhibited higher levels of moral reasoning on nontechnical environmental social issues than on general social issues and examined the extent to which possible mediating factors accounted for differences in moral reasoning. Phase Two was qualitative in nature, the purpose of which was to observe and identify trends in conversations between subjects as to how certain mediating factors are revealed as people form moral judgments. The framework on which this study was constructed incorporates a progressive educational position; a position that views science education as being interdisciplinary, and a social means to a social end.

A National Survey of Curriculum Needs as Perceived by Professional Environmental Educators

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to assess perceived environmental education (EE) curriculum needs in the United States (K-16) The Environmental Education Curriculum Needs Assessment Questionnaire (EECNAQ) was developed, validated, and direct-mailed to 169 randomly selected professional environmental educators (586% return rate) The EECNAQ elicited perceptions about the desired status and the current state of EE curricula, the need for curriculum development, the anticipated use of curricula teachers, and the need for inservice teacher education These five major questions were posed relative to fifteen goals which reflected the Tbilisi objectives and four levels of environmental literacy The findings reveal a consensus among the professional participants that the EE goals are important ones, that they are not being met to a large extent in existing curricula, that extensive needs exist for both goal-oriented curricula and teacher education, and that the goaloriented curricula would be used by t

Political Aspsects of Ecologically Sustainable Development

Abstract: In less than two decades, the concepts of limits to growth and of the necessity of an ecologically sustainable economic order have gained international recognition. These concepts are not yet understood by most people or most governments, but belief in the necessity for planning for a sustainable future is growing. Several lines of strategy are necessary to obtain a truly global commitment to sustainable programmes of development that will simultaneously protect The Biosphere. Among those now undertaken are the World Conservation Strategy, the international environmental education movement formalized at Tbilisi in 1977, and the World Campaign for The Biosphere. Educational efforts are necessary but insufficient to move the world into an ecologically sustainable mode of behaviour. Political action that reflects moral conviction roused by scientific information will also be necessary. Safeguarding the environmental future and The Biosphere requires a social commitment of a moral, quasi-religious character.

Exploring the Living Planet with David Attenborough.

Abstract: (1984). Exploring the living planet with David Attenborough. Journal of Geography in Higher Education: Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 93-113.

Integration of Ausubelian Learning Theory and Educational Computing

Abstract: Jane Ann Heinze-Fry is a Ph.D. candidate in science and environmental education at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853. She holds an A.B. in biology and German from Bucknell University and an M.S. in environmental education from the University of Michigan. She taught life science at seventh and tenth graders at Campbell Central School, Campbell N.Y for seven years. She has also served as co-chair of the Environmental Education Committee of the Science Teachers Association of New York State, and as a member of planning committees for regional outdoor and environmental education workshops. Theodore Crovello is with the Biology Department of The University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556 (see page 140 for more details). Josep)h D. Novak iswih.heDpatmnto E ctin Conl UiesiyIta, NY* 14853. Computers and learning theory are two of today's most rapidly developing subjects in education. Our goal is to explore their interaction, to consider some of the possible benefits when Ausubelian learning approaches are integrated into computer assisted education.

A Teacher Training Model and Educational Guidelines for Environmental Values Education

Abstract: :Researchers and practitioners in environmental education have widely recognized the importance of facilitating the growth of positive environmental values among learners. Environmental Values Education (EVE) is included in environmental education programs, whether it is consciously planned or is an implicit part of the learner's experience. There are, however, many constraints to developing a well-planned EVE program and integrating this into the general curriculum; foremost among these is the need for teacher training in the theory and methods of EVE. Coursework and practical training for teachers is needed in several areas. When choosing appropriate strategies for teaching environmental ethics, each teacher will need to become familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of each approach, his or her own capabilities and need for further theoretical and practical training and the needs of learners and the nature of the situation at hand. Each learner's level of moral development is an especially i...

Education Experiences Contribute to Cognitive Development

Abstract: :This paper synthesizes what the empirical literature reports regarding what can best be learned outdoors. The review suggests that the outdoors may be effective in stimulating critical thinking, increasing problem-solving skills, and developing concepts rather than rote memory. Little evidence was found to support claims for the superiority of teaching language development in the outdoors. The empirical literature offers qualified support to those who advocate the value of outdoor education in facilitating cognitive development in the areas of environmental education and general science, but the evidence must be regarded as tenuous and uncertain. Much of the research which has been reported falls short of the scientific standards necessary for it to make meaningful contributions to this debate.

Environmental education: a decade of failure but some hope for the future

Abstract: The world is experiencing a number of major problems (overpopulation, too-rapid urbanisation, uncontrolled technology, habitat destruction etc.) which are threatening the future of human life on earth. To document the alleged causes of environmental degradation as such a list of discrete problems as is done by many writers (Palme, 1972; Burnet, 1979 etc.) can lead to an erroneous supposition that provided a systematic solution can be found for each problem, then the future is likely to be less threatened. This supposition is incorrect because the crisis has arisen from the threat posed by the whole, that is, the irrevocable links which exist between each of these problem areas such as those listed above. Resolving one problem satisfactorily on a global scale will not provide solutions for the other problem areas. The solution must lie with an approach which might not only solve many present problems but also prevent new problems from arising. Such a remedy reflects on the ecological nature of the problem, recognising that “everything is connected to everything else” (Commoner, 1972a). From around 1970, this role has been allocated specifically to education. Perelman (1976) saw a need to develop ecological pedagogy, an educational process that is ecological not only in its subject matter but in its structure and dynamics as well. Both Ehrlich (1971) and Commoner (1972b) saw education as a necessary component of any solution. Boyden (1970) argued that educational institutions must be placed at the top of the list of agents whose task is to reverse the trend towards environmental degradation. He noted that a key task for present adult generations is to provide youth with an environmental education (EE) that will prepare them emotionally and intellectually for the role of protecting the biosphere. Stapp (1970, 24) remarked on the need for well-informed educators: “If individuals are to be prepared to make the kind of environmental decisions that our nation will face in the future, schools must embark on a comprehensive program that will span the curriculum (K-12).”

A theoretical framework for research into environmental education

Abstract: The essential question in environmental education is the individual's relationship to his environment, including both that part of his environment which is natural and that part which is man-made. The nature of this relationship is manifested in the way in which the individual acts with regard to his environment and by what choices and decisions he makes in order to come to terms with it. The crucial factors in these decisions are his values, which at the same time represent his cognitive, socio-emotional and ethical development. As an interdisciplinary subject, environmental education draws attention to the technique of examining matters from a variety of viewpoints. Since the consequences of man's decisions regarding his environment are apparent both in the sphere of human life and in the world of nature, these decisions involve ecological and economic, social, political, aesthetic and ethical considerations. Environmental education contains both cognitive and affective aspects, the association between which is examined on the basis of the theoretical premises established in this paper.

Development of a Conceptual Structure for Aquatic Education and Its Application to Existing Aquatic Curricula and Needed Curriculum Development.

Abstract: (1984). Development of a Conceptual Structure for Aquatic Education and its Application to Existing Aquatic Curricula and Needed Curriculum Development. The Journal of Environmental Education: Vol. 15, No. 2, pp. 12-16.

Reflections on environmental education: past development and future concepts

Abstract: In attempting to review the recent progress and outline a few of the remaining problems in environmental education it is important, but also because of the scope of the task extremely difficult, to find a suitable structure that will provide some continuity. I have elected therefore to comment firstly on the fundamental issue of philosophy, of what we mean by environmental education and what we acknowledge as practical examples; secondly to discuss a few prominent issues of teaching and learning in four different spheres of education: primary and secondary schools, higher education (universities and colleges of advanced education), technical and further education (TAFE), and non-formal education; and lastly to comment on two general issues in environmental education that relate to the entire field, the first to participation and the need to identify and make suitable provision for those sections of the community who have as yet had no formal contact with environmental education, and the second to the special problems and teaching demands arising from its characteristic focus on the development of attitudes and values and appropriate behavioural change. To take firstly the issue of philosophy: it appears that the level of discussion on the nature and objectives of environmental education has advanced considerably in the past decade. The sometimes bitter and generally unproductive arguments of the early 1970s about what was and was not related to environmental education seem now to have largely disappeared, being replaced by a more or less common dialogue about the nature and purpose of environmental education and ways in which it can be further developed. Nevertheless, despite this general and encouraging trend there still exist some significant areas of disagreement and confusion. One example concerns the distinction between environmental education as a movement or collective enterprise and as a description of individual activities or programmes. This distinction is an important one because of different expectations — in the former case that it necessarily reflects an interdisciplinary character and has a clear emphasis on problem-solving and decision-making activities; but this is not to say that a particular programme which fails to reflect these emphases has nothing to contribute to environmental education.

Children's literature in the school health education program.

Abstract: Children's literature covers a wide range of topics, themes and issues that can help children in the elementary school health education program develop an awareness of personal and public health. A model for selecting and evaluating fictional stories and informational books that deal with topics included in the health education curriculum, giving particular attention to book selections that treat nutrition and environmental issues, is presented in this paper.

Comparison of Students' and Non-Student Residents' Attitudes toward Local Energy Developments: Environmentalism versus Economic Interests

Abstract: This study examines differences between university students and permanent residents of an Appalachian community in their attitudes toward the environment and toward proposed local energy related developments. Survey data showed that townspeople (non-student residents) were somewhat more supportive of the proposed energy developments than were students, however students were typified more by detachment from the issues than by opposition to them. It is suggested that differences between students and townspeople in support for local energy developments is not due to environmental attitudes but may be due to economic ties to the local area.