Showing papers on "Environmental education published in 1994"

Earth in Mind: On Education, Environment, and the Human Prospect

Abstract: Review: Earth in Mind: On Education, Environment and the Human Prospect By David W. Orr Reviewed by Sandra Meredith Centre for Research in Innovation Management Orr, David W. EARTH IN MIND: ON EDUCATION, ENVIRONMENT AND THE HUMAN PROSPECT, Washington DC.: Island Press 1994. 213 pp. US $16.95 Paper ISBN: 1-55963-259-X. Recycled, acid-free paper. Just as I was struggling to write a conference paper on the subject of the greening of higher education, attempting to strike a radical note, EARTH IN MIND: ON EDUCATION, ENVIRONMENT AND THE HUMAN PROSPECT appeared on my desk. I had already established a link between education and the future of the global environment, but I was having difficulty finding language strong enough to describe the radical changes I think are necessary in today's learning systems. Fortunately, David Orr's book struck fearlessly at the core of the issues and supplied me with the language I needed. The first part of EARTH IN MIND assumes an ecological perspective and challenges the conventional wisdom that all education is good. Each piece in this set of essays highlights different aspects of education. The first question posed is 'what is education for'? Orr sees it as no guarantee of decency, prudence, or wisdom (8), dispelling the myth that with enough knowledge and technology, we can 'manage planet earth.' Recognizing that higher education has sought to extend human domination of the natural world is the first step to changing its direction. According to Orr, it is better to reshape ourselves to fit a finite planet than to attempt to reshape the planet to fit our infinite wants (9). Orr's comparison of 'formal education' to the notion of 'calling' in the example of Albert Speer and Aldo Leopold underscores the dangers inherent in certain educational systems. Speer's apolitical education, unlinked to values, direction, or a questioning of the order of things, left him defenseless against Nazi propaganda. In contrast, Leopold's scientific education, founded on his calling to appreciate nature and a profound values system, provided him with a purposeful, productive career.

The Ecological city : preserving and restoring urban biodiversity

Abstract: Interdisciplinary in content as well as approach, this collection of original essays takes a fresh look at the ecology of urban communities. Written by experts from a variety of professions--academic researchers, private and public program managers, and citizen activists--the book explores issues of geography, ecology, landscape architecture, urban forestry, law, and environmental education. Contributions include broad overviews of common problems a well as detailed case studies of specific programs. Although several contributors are natural scientists, the book focuses on matters of public policy and public-private collaboration. The aim is not only to assess the impact of increasing urbanization on biodiversity, but also to propose new ways of preserving and restoring the balance between the natural and the built environment through planning and design.

The handbook of environmental education

Abstract: The handbook of environmental education , The handbook of environmental education , کتابخانه دیجیتال جندی شاپور اهواز

Overcoming Racism in Environmental Decisionmaking

Abstract: (1994). Overcoming Racism in Environmental Decisionmaking. Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development: Vol. 36, No. 4, pp. 10-44.

Environmental Education at Summer Nature Camp

Abstract: Residential environmental education camps provide a setting that can result in beneficial changes in participants' self-esteem, interpersonal relationships, and feelings of connection with the natural world, as well as stimulating greater interest in future low-impact recreation experiences in natural areas. When students learn how ecosystems function and about environmental action strategies that contribute to their maintenance, they develop more environmentally responsible behaviors. Wolf Creek Nature Camp is an environmental education program that integrates awareness of the natural environment, knowledge of environmental concepts and issues, and action on environmental problems. The 2-week program raises campers' self-esteem; increases their interest in, and curiosity about, nature, and fosters outdoor skills. Enhanced self-esteem is a major influence on their desire to take further environmental action.

Environmental Education as a Model for Constructivist Teaching.

Abstract: Current literature related to science instruction often includes a discussion of the philosophy of constructivism. The authors describe four main components of a constructivist science lesson or unit. A review of commonly used environmental education materials was conducted to look for these components. Parallels between teaching strategies used in environmental education and constructivist methods are discussed.

Evaluating Conservation Education Programs at a South American Zoo

Abstract: Zoological parks, nature centers, natural history museums, and related institutions are valuable resources for urban environmental education in developing countries. To determine the effectiveness of conservation education strategies currently in use at such institutions in Colombia, the authors implemented and compared several program formats. A zoo workshop in wildlife conservation targeting elementary school teachers was designed, evaluated, and contrasted with existing programs, including a zoo visit preceded by a slide show, an unstructured visit to the zoo, and a control group. The authors assessed responses from 1,015 fourth-grade students in 26 randomly selected schools in Cali, Colombia. Students in the four experimental groups completed a pretreatment and a posttreatment questionnaire comprising an achievement test with 18 multiple-choice knowledge questions and a 16-statement, 5-point attitude scale. Test results indicated that knowledge and attitude scores of students whose teachers p...

Seeking Directions for Change: the personalisation and politicisation of science education

Abstract: This article concerns the ways in which science education can and should respond to a variety of contemporary concerns and crises: economic, educational, socio‐political and environmental. In acknowledging the need to develop a curriculum that pays much more attention to technology and environmental education, a case is made for reorganising and reorienting science education in such a way that attention is directed towards questions of personalisation and politicisation. Some implications for curriculum development strategies and teacher education are discussed.

Toward Constructivist Research in Environmental Education

Abstract: A review of environmental education literature reveals a paucity of constructivist-based research. To support the case for this approach, the author reviews theoretical aspects of science education research of this type. It first situates different approaches to educational research in relation to different epistemologies and then reviews constructs used in constructivist science education research. Issues associated with the adoption of this epistemology—topics deemed worthy of research, importance given to the learner's pre-instructional knowledge, and perspectives on learning and understanding—are considered. The article concludes with proposals for constructivist research in environmental education across the educational commonplaces.

A guide to curriculum planning in environmental education

Abstract: DOCUMENT RESUME

Nobody Planted It, It Just Grew! Young Adolescents' Perceptions and Experiences of Nature in the Context of Urban Environmental Education

Abstract: This article discusses young adolescents' perceptions of nature in the context of urban environmental education. The role of nature experiences in environmental education, the concept of nature from a historical perspective, students' perceptions and experiences of nature, and their implications for environmental education are also discussed. The first part of the article is based on a literature review, whereas the second part is the result of a three-year qualitative study that took place in four middle schools located in the Detroit metropolitan area. A main thesis is that it is crucial for environmental educators to elicit and build upon students' perceptions and experiences of nature, especially when these students grow up in predominately urban settings.

Environmental Education in Wisconsin: A Teacher Survey

Abstract: This study assessed Wisconsin teachers' perceived competencies in, attitudes toward, and class time devoted to teaching about the environment. A valid and reliable survey instrument was developed and mailed to 1,545 randomly selected elementary and secondary education teachers. Results imply that lack of training in environmental education (EE) is a major reason teachers do not infuse these concepts. Analysis revealed that teachers perceived they were most competent in educating students about the environment in the cognitive domain, and less so in affective education and in environmental action strategies. Although teachers' attitudes toward EE were positive, they reported that they spend less than ½ hour per week per subject teaching about the environment.

Subjects and themes in the secondary‐school curriculum

Abstract: Although the 1988 Education Reform Act legislated for a National Curriculum for England and Wales defined in subject terms, the National Curriculum Council suggested that schools should also concern themselves with a number of cross‐curricular elements. It offered non‐statutory guidance on the implementation of five cross‐curricular themes ‐‐ economic and industrial understanding, careers education and guidance, health education, citizenship (community understanding in Wales) and environmental education. In Northern Ireland, six similar educational themes were specified in the 1989 Education Reform Order. This paper reports on a study of the implementation of these cross‐curricular themes in secondary schools in England and Wales and in post‐primary schools in Northern Ireland. It draws upon a postal survey of these schools and intensive fieldwork in a subsample of ten schools. It identifies differences in the ways in which the various themes have been implemented and suggests that those themes t...

Conservation Awareness through an Environmental Education Programme in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil

Abstract: Few environmental education programmes established in parks in Brazil have been formally evaluated. This paper describes the study of a school programme that was established to use formative evaluation to select and improve programme strategies, and employs summative evaluation to assess the effectiveness of the programme as a whole. The programme consisted of pre-visit strategies, such as a slide show and information given to teachers; on-site activities, which comprised Nature trails and a visitor centre; and post-visit materials furnished to the students at their schools. For the evaluation procedure, child students (N=144) from fifth to eighth grades were randomly assigned to treatment or control groups and answered a written questionnaire on three different occasions — pre-test, post-test, and memory-retention test. The results were statistically analysed and significant differences were assessed between the two groups (F=98.29, p≤0.05). A Scheffe Test demonstrated correlations and located significant differences among the variables. A reliability test was done on the written questionnaire (r=.77). Informally, the programme contributed to the conservation of the Park as it encouraged community involvement in helping to solve specific problems.The results of the Black Lion-tamarin environmental education programme suggest that such programmes in Nature parks and reserves can be effective and should be established far more widely. Awareness education programmes should be encouraged, especially in underdeveloped countries which still hold great portions of the planet's biodiversity. This education programme was beneficial to both students and members of the local community, who learned about the Park and became proud of it as their natural legacy, as well as to the Park itself of which the protection became enhanced through awareness and community involvement. The Black Liontamarin programme serves as an effective example to other sites with similar contexts and constraints.

Environmental Issues: Cornell Students' Willingness to Take Action, 1990

Abstract: The environmental movement began in 1970 with public concern over pollution issues, but it has since broadened considerably. Public support for environmental protection is generally high, yet the depth of this concern has been questioned by some who note the limited number of behavioral responses aimed at solving environmental problems. In this article, the relative importance to university students of various environmental issues and the acceptability of potential solutions or tradeoffs necessary for attaining environmental benefits was explored. A New Environmental Paradigm (NEP) growth and technology scale was applied to explore the relationship between attitudes toward economic growth and technological solutions and the importance of environmental issues and acceptability of potential solutions or trade-offs for solving environmental problems.

A checklist for the critical evaluation of informal environmental learning experiences

Abstract: nExamines the relationship between informal environmental interpretive experiences and formal environmental education. Similarities and differences are delineated and implications are drawn for the use of interpretive experiences in environmental education school curricula. The Informal Environmental Learning Checklist (IEL) is presented as a means of enabling teachers and interpreters to evaluate and alter informal learning experiences to meet student needs.

Reconceptualizing Environmental Education: Five Possibilities

Abstract: (1994). Reconceptualizing Environmental Education: Five Possibilities. The Journal of Environmental Education: Vol. 25, No. 4, pp. 4-8.