Showing papers on "Environmental education published in 2000"
TL;DR: The main focus of environmental education programs has been to change environmental behavior through increasing environmental knowledge as discussed by the authors, however, as many environmental studies have failed to apply success-oriented methods to the real world.
Abstract: The main focus of environmental education programs has been to change environmental behavior through increasing environmental knowledge. As many environmental studies have failed to apply successfu...
538 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the results of experiences from outdoor activities involving 11- and 12-year-old pupils in Rovaniemi and Vaasa, Finland were discussed, and it was found that the former seemed to have a...
Abstract: Different environmental education programs (field trips, hiking, camps, adventure activities) aim to develop pupils' affective relationship to the natural environment, their environmental sensitivity, and outdoor behavior, as well as their social relationships, through personal experiences. This study discusses the results of experiences from outdoor activities involving 11- and 12-year-old pupils in Rovaniemi and Vaasa, Finland. The qualitative research methods comprised case studies involving questionnaires, individual interviews, drawings, photographs of landscapes, and participant observations during camps. Nature experiences developed the pupils' self-confidence and feelings of safety, in particular, which in turn increased their willingness to participate in future outdoor activities. In this way, nature began to have new meanings for them on a personal level. Comparing pupils who were experienced in outdoor activities with pupils who were not, it was found that the former seemed to have a ...
335 citations
01 Dec 2000
TL;DR: Place-Based Curriculum and Instruction: Outdoor and Environmental Education Approaches as mentioned in this paper, is a place-based curriculum and instruction approach for out-of-distribution education.
Abstract: Place-Based Curriculum and Instruction: Outdoor and Environmental Education Approaches. ERIC Digest..................................... 2 OUTDOOR EDUCATION, ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND PLACE-BASED EDUCATION:.......................................... 2 WHAT ARE THE ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PLACE-BASED EDUCATION?......................................... 3 WHY IS PLACE-BASED EDUCATION IMPORTANT?................... 4 WHAT ARE SOME SOURCES OF PLACE-BASED CURRICULUM? 4 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE DIRECTIONS.............................................................. 6 REFERENCES.................................................................. 7
239 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a hypothesized causal model based on Hine's (1986) model on responsible environmental behavior was developed and the data from 523 visitors to the urban forest trail in the Kwang-Reung Arboretum, Korea, during September 1995 were used for testing the suggested causal model.
Abstract: Attitude models have been widely applied to natural resource management to ensure responsible environmental behavior. For a variety of applications, the causality among selected antecedents, such as knowledge of environmental issues, locus of control, attitude, personal responsibility, and intention to act on responsible environmental behavior has not yet been tested empirically. A hypothesized causal model based on Hine's (1986) model on responsible environmental behavior was developed. The data from 523 visitors to the urban forest trail in the Kwang-Reung Arboretum, Korea, during September 1995 were used for testing the suggested causal model. Path analysis using the LISREL program tested the model fit and statistical effects of variables. In terms of the effects on intention to act, locus of control and attitude are more important than knowledge and personal responsibility. Our findings suggest that in order to enhance responsible environmental behavior, environmental education and interpreta...
214 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors tried to visualise the way in which children and young people think about a specific topic, namely the environment, and make the thinking of children about the environment understandable.
Abstract: This article attempts to visualise the way in which children and young people think about a specific topic, namely the environment. The aim is to make the thinking of children and young people avai ...
213 citations
TL;DR: This article surveyed 715 institutions of teacher education using a mail questionnaire and found that most schools have few requirements related to environmental education, and in the majority of schools environmental education is not institutionalized.
Abstract: The status of the environmental education component of preservice teacher education programs is unknown nationally. This study surveyed 715 institutions of teacher education using a mail questionnaire. The response rate was approximately 63%. The results indicate that most schools have few requirements related to environmental education, and in the majority of schools environmental education is not institutionalized.
160 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the New Environmental Paradigm scale has been used to measure the relationship between people and the rest of nature, including the intrinsic value of nature and the moral duties of humans to other human beings, within a reliable and unidimensional attitude scale.
Abstract: The relationship between people and the rest of nature is central to the debate concerning the management of natural resources. An understanding of how environmental concern is reflected in people's attittudes and value systems is important for the development of responsive environmental management. Effective attitude measures already exist, most notably the New Environmental Paradigm scale. Since this measure was produced, however, certain issues not addressed by the scale have become increasingly important within the environmental debate. These include concepts such as the intrinsic value of nature, or the moral duties of humans to the rest of nature-issues that surface repeatedly in the environmental literature. The study has shown that it is possible to include references to the intrinsic value of nature, as well as the moral duties people have to the rest of nature and to other human beings, within a reliable and unidimensional attitude scale.
144 citations
TL;DR: A model of a mixed formal-informal science-technology-society (STS) curriculum that incorporates collaborative projects with case studies, field trips, and formal class sessions has been developed, implemented, and assessed as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: A model of a mixed formal–informal science–technology–society (STS) curriculum that incorporates collaborative projects with case studies, field trips, and formal class sessions has been developed, implemented, and assessed. The contribution of this study is threefold. One is a contribution to the growing body of knowledge on informal education. This is achieved through the establishment of constructivist relationships between formal and informal learning activities. The second contribution is the development of an innovative, collaborative, project-based approach in environmental education, in which the community at large is involved. The third contribution concerns the development, implementation, and validation of an integrated formal/informal assessment system that is tailored to the unique learning environment. Assessment of students' learning outcomes—the formal learning—is done through case studies dealing with real-life problems in the students' neighborhood or region. Experts evaluate the collaborative projects—the informal learning—in an exhibition setting. The innovative approach of integrating and assessing projects with case studies was found to be effective and attractive to students, teachers, and parents. It is therefore recommended that collaborative projects be implemented in schools to enhance the value of out-of-school experiences. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Sci Ed84:95–113, 2000.
126 citations
TL;DR: In the Thessaloniki Declaration as discussed by the authors, only 2 of 29 statements made in the Declaration were the term environmental education mentioned, and only one of those references suggested that environmental education be referred to as education for environment and sustainability.
Abstract: In December of 1997, an international conference was held in Thessaloniki, Greece, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Tbilisi Doctrine and to reorient education for sustainability in the 21st century. The culmination of this event was the Thessaloniki Declaration—a charter for the future of education for sustainability. In only 2 of the 29 statements made in the Declaration was the term environmental education mentioned. One of those references suggested that environmental education be referred to as education for environment and sustainability. The author believes that this scant use of the term environmental education indicates that the term is finding decreasing support in the international community. The author reviews reasons why environmental education's position is in peril and offers a status report on the current criticisms and weaknesses of environmental education. The author outlines several important strategies that must be implemented to preserve the name and the concept of env...
124 citations
TL;DR: Many students today are profoundly interested in the sustainability of their world as discussed by the authors, and they have a unique opportunity to start at the ground floor of the exciting and expanding field of green chemistry.
Abstract: Many students today are profoundly interested in the sustainability of their world. With growing public concern over global warming and greenhouse gases, students want to understand how human actions affect the health of our planet. Students are deeply concerned about pollution. They practice recycling. Moreover, they want to secure a healthy Earth for future generations. As students of chemistry, they have a unique opportunity to start at the ground floor of the exciting and expanding field of green chemistry.
TL;DR: The authors used in-depth interviews to explore the understanding of a non-random sample of 12 practising primary school teachers in four areas: biodiversity, the carbon cycle, ozone and global warming.
Abstract: In the light of an increased emphasis on environmental education in revisions of the National Curriculum to be introduced in September 2000, this study used in-depth interviews to explore the understanding of a non-random sample of 12 practising primary school teachers in four areas: biodiversity, the carbon cycle, ozone and global warming. A methodological innovation in this research was the prior identification of basic scientific explanations of each area for a primary teachers, and the use of these as benchmarks for judging understanding. The study was able to identify those underpinning science concepts which were well understood, and those which were not so well understood. Some missing concepts and misconceptions are also reported. Although the findings cannot be generalised to all primary teachers, the fairly strong science backgrounds of eight teachers in the sample suggest that some of the difficulties reported may be found more widely. It is suggested that both the basic explanations and the di...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors attempted to determine how a variety of knowledges (declarative, procedural, and schematic) transferred when third-grade children were given problem situations.
Abstract: As environmental educators continue to develop guidelines for curriculum, instruction, and professional development, it is important to consider the issue of transfer. This issue is particularly a concern in early childhood education, where the formation of environmental learning and attitudes is just beginning. The researcher attempted to determine how a variety of knowledges (declarative, procedural, and schematic) transferred when third-grade children were given problem situations. Data were analyzed using a multivariate analysis of covariance, and statistically significant results provide insight into further considerations for enhancing instruction in environmental education.
TL;DR: In this paper, a study of teachers' attitudes and approaches to biodiversity education in the UK was conducted using participatory appraisal methods with 'focus' groups of teachers and found that teachers considered biodiversity to be an important issue and although the formal science curriculum had a contribution to make it was also a matter that the whole institution could address.
Abstract: Reduction in biodiversity has been established as a global environmental issue, mainly over the last 10 years. However, there is disagreement amongst experts whether it is a natural phenomenon or strongly influenced by human activity. This article considers biodiversity as a controversial issue in the education of students of 11-18 years of age in schools, particularly in relation to science education. It includes a study of teachers' attitudes and approaches to biodiversity education in the UK and was undertaken using participatory appraisal methods with 'focus' groups of teachers. It was shown that the teachers in the study were frequently well informed, they considered biodiversity to be an important issue and although the formal science curriculum had a contribution to make it was also a matter that the whole institution could address. Suggestions for evaluating the possible indicators and outcomes of effective biodiversity education were made. In conclusion it was shown that while programmes included...
TL;DR: The authors examined teacher receptivity to curriculum change embodied in the new environmental education guidelines in Hong Kong and found that such variables as the perceived non-monetary cost-benefit of implementing the guidelines, perceived practicality, perceived school and other support, and issues of concern were predictors for teachers' behavioural intentions towards promoting environmental education.
Abstract: This study examines teacher receptivity to the curriculum change embodied in the new environmental education guidelines in Hong Kong. A questionnaire survey, based on a 'receptivity to change' instrument, was distributed and case studies conducted. The analyses revealed that such variables as the perceived non-monetary cost-benefit of implementing the guidelines, perceived practicality, perceived school and other support, and issues of concern were predictors for teachers' behavioural intentions towards promoting environmental education. The qualitative part of the research also found that, in addition to the factor of perceived non-monetary costbenefit, the dominance of organizational factors may work to shape teachers' receptivity to environmental education.
Book•
01 Jan 2000
TL;DR: In this article, the main issues arising from an internet discussion on the changing perspectives on environmental education in the light of the global initiative on sustainable development are discussed in five rounds how they see the field evolving.
Abstract: This novel publication includes summaries of the main issues arising from an internet discussion on the changing perspectives on environmental education in the light of the global initiative on sustainable development. Fifty experts from around the world discussed in five rounds how they see the field evolving. The accompanying CD-ROM allows you to delve into the points made by each participant. It also contains a top-10 list of books and sites on the subject. It explains how the web site discussion was managed, for those interested in learning more about mobilizing knowledge using the opportunities of the worldwide web.
TL;DR: In this paper, teaching for environmental literacy has been studied in the context of education strategies, issues, and ideas, with an emphasis on the environment and the curriculum of the curriculum.
Abstract: (2000). Teaching for Environmental Literacy. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas: Vol. 74, No. 1, pp. 23-24.
TL;DR: The authors argued that the critical pedagogy of education for the environment provides a professionally-ethical way of teaching which contrasts with the allegations of indoctrination in the critique, and pointed out how it may be Jickling and Spork's lack of reflexivity over their own ideology of education which leads them to construct such a partial interpretation of education-for-the-environment.
Abstract: This article analyses Education for the environment: a critique' (Jickling & Spork, 1998). It illustrates ways in which the critique is a partial analysis of education for the environment. Thus, the article addresses Jickling and Spork's concern that education for the environment is a universalising discourse that seeks to marginalise other approaches. It does this by showing how it may be Jickling and Spork's lack of reflexivity over their own ideology of education which leads them to construct such a partial interpretation of education for the environment. This article also argues that the critical pedagogy of education for the environment provides a professionally-ethical way of teaching which contrasts with the allegations of indoctrination in the critique. The article nevertheless reflects an appreciation of the opportunity to engage constructively with contesting ideas in environmental education and concludes with suggestions for further avenues of inquiry for those wishing to engage in discourse a...
TL;DR: In this paper, the limitations of the language of sustainability and implications for environmental thinking are examined, and the implications of these limitations on the meaning, curricular application, and practice of sustainability are discussed.
Abstract: Sustainability has become a focal topic and important goal for many people concerned about environmental issues. It is, therefore, important for educators, and others, to talk about sustainability with their students and colleagues—about its meaning, curricular application, and practice. However, I do not think this is sufficient. In this paper I will examine limitations of the language of sustainability and implications for environmental thinking.
TL;DR: This article identified the elements that contribute most to effective environmental education using interviews with 18 experienced environmental educators from 11 states and sent them in survey form to environmental educators across the country to evaluate the major elements of successful environmental education.
Abstract: Using the experiences and perspectives of practicing environmental educators, the author identified the elements that contribute most to effective environmental education. First, interviews were conducted with 18 experienced environmental educators from 11 states. Factors that appeared fundamental to the teachers' successes were assembled into an initial elements-of-success framework, consisting of 42 elements arranged in 3 categories: teaching conditions, teacher competencies, and teaching practices. The framework was then sent in survey form to environmental educators across the country. The survey yielded strong and consistent confirmation that environmental educators across the country believe the framework provides a valid and useful representation of the major elements that contribute to successful environmental education.
TL;DR: The uneasy relationship between science and environmental education is discussed in this paper, where the authors argue that science probably offers the strongest justification for the adoption of pro-environmental behaviours and policies, but that the relationship between Science and environmentalism is strained by conflicts over fundamental values that are apparent in interpretation of the precautionary principle.
Abstract: This article focuses upon the uneasy relationship between science and environmental education. It argues that science probably offers the strongest justification for the adoption of pro-environmental behaviours and policies, but that the relationship between science and environmentalism is strained by conflicts over fundamental values that are apparent in interpretation of the precautionary principle. An understanding of risk and scientific uncertainty is seen as an essential element of citizenship education for a sustainable society. Curriculum design needs to respond to the challenges of living in a risk society. The article argues for changes to the curriculum which lead to a scientific action competence founded in an understanding of the limits of science and an appreciation of the fact that scientists are moral agents who face ethical dilemmas in their work.
TL;DR: This article explored the claims of recent research that suggests that more affective forms of environmental education, drawing upon the contributions of the arts (e.g. creative writing, poetry, art, music and photography), can engage with children's emotions more directly than can approaches based on scientific knowledge.
Abstract: This paper explores the claims of recent research that suggests that more affective forms of environmental education, drawing upon the contributions of the arts (e.g. creative writing, poetry, art, music and photography), can engage with children's emotions more directly than can approaches based on scientific knowledge. This, in turn, may provide a better route for encouraging individuals to engage in more environmentally sustainable behaviours. The paper challenges some of these claims by considering the ways in which they draw upon socially constructed notions of childhood and nature. The development of environmental education in the UK provides the primary context within which the influence of these social constructions on affective approaches to environmental education is illustrated. These findings suggest that further research and practice are required to develop approaches to environmental education that better reflect a range of children's own environmental experiences.
TL;DR: It is indicated that teachers used school gardens infrequently, with the majority using the garden as an instructional tool no more than 10% of the time, and many teachers did indicate that school gardens were used for environmental education and experiential learning.
Abstract: While gardening is the number one hobby in the United States, elementary schools are just beginning to explore the use of school gardens as a means to enhance classroom learning. School gardens can reinforce classroom instruction by offering opportunities for experiential learning. The benefits of experiential learning allow for a better understanding of concepts as the hands-on approach provides meaningful and tangible experiences. While many teachers have anecdotally attested to the benefits of school gardens, there is little empirical evidence documenting their impact. In Fall 1997, the University of Florida hosted a competition for the best elementary school garden in Florida. Results from a research questionnaire completed by participating teachers indicated that teachers used school gardens infrequently, with the majority using the garden as an instructional tool no more than 10% of the time. Many teachers did, however, indicate that school gardens were used for environmental education (97.1%) and experiential learning (72.9%), and 84.3 % of teachers said that related activities enhanced student learning. Findings also indicate that the teachers surveyed had relatively new gardens and teachers lacked, or were unaware of educational resources to assist with garden learning. This paper describes and interprets the results of the teacher questionnaire.
TL;DR: The Independent Commission on Environmental Education (ICE) as mentioned in this paper reviewed some 100 K-12 environmental education teaching materials used in America's classrooms and made recommendations to improve the quality of these materials.
Abstract: The Independent Commission on Environmental Education, a panel of scientists, economists, and educators, reviewed some 100 K-12 environmental education teaching materials used in America's classrooms. Its report has received considerable attention. This essay discusses the commission's formation, goals, findings, and recommendations, with special emphasis on areas within the report that have been a source of discussion within the environmental education field.
Journal Article•
TL;DR: In this article, the role of eco-feminist narratives for environmental learning and teaching is explored, with particular attention to the role played by women in the creation of these narratives.
Abstract: In this essay I explore some of the ways in which nature is known through stories and imagination, with particular attention to the role of ecofeminist narrative for environmental learning and teaching. I wonder how we tell stories that acknowledge other beings as subjects of lives that we share, lives that intersect and are interdependent in profound ways? How do we ensure that these “other” voices are audible and that we co-author environmental stories to live, teach, and learn by? I take up feminist questions of responsibility and accountability for knowledge claims, in order to explore ethical and political issues of agency, vision, and narrative imagination. My contention is that the intertwining of ecofeminist narrative ethics with purposeful attention to developing human imaginative capacities has precious possibilities to offer environmental learning and teaching.
TL;DR: The need to have science imbedded at the core of the education for sustainability paradigm and the need to increase and enhance teacher education to better be able to develop the necessary interdisciplinary thinking and transformative learning for the new millenium is discussed in this paper.
Abstract: Our schools and educators face a compelling responsibility to serve society by fostering the transformations needed to set us on a path to sustainable development in the 21st century. Education for sustainability is a new paradigm for a life long learning process that leads to an informed and involved citizenry having the creative problem solving skills, scientific, technological, and social literacy, and commitment to engage in responsible actions that will help ensure an environmentally sound, socially just, and economically prosperous future for all. This paper and the preceding paper, from a soon to be published book, Education for a Sustainable Future: A Paradigm of Hope, edited by Keith A. Wheeler, focus on the need to have science imbedded at the core of the education for sustainability paradigm and the need to increase and enhance teacher education to better be able to develop the necessary interdisciplinary thinking and transformative learning for the new millenium.
TL;DR: Selby as mentioned in this paper argues that greening schools can be located among the lighter shades of green, especially if not nested within a multidimensional strategy for curriculum and school reform, drawing its inspiration from fundamental ecological principles and a radical reconceptualization of humankind's relationship with the environment.
Abstract: David Selby is professor and director of the International Institute for Global Education and acting associate dean (research) at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto. I N RECENT YEARS, THE IDEA OF “GREENING” schools has achieved fairly common currency. School curricula incorporate environmental themes and topics. Mission statements are tinged with green (albeit a faded green in these days of “back to basics” and economic retrenchment). Composters are commonplace. Indigenous vegetation is replacing concrete in many a schoolyard as school ground naturalization proceeds apace. Recycling is replacing the throwaway ethic. Significant as such developments are, they can easily seduce us into believing that they amount to a sufficient educational response to the environmental crisis we face. On a spectrum of greenness, they could be located among the lighter shades of green, especially if not nested within a multidimensional strategy for curriculum and school reform, drawing its inspiration from fundamental ecological principles and a radical reconceptualization of humankind’s relationship with the environment.