Showing papers on "Environmental education published in 2004"

Case studies, make‐your‐case studies, and case stories: a critique of case‐study methodology in sustainability in higher education

Abstract: In this paper we raise serious concerns about existing case‐study research on sustainability in higher education. Our key concern is that the research does not live up to its potential for improvin...

Coming Full Circle: Indigenous Knowledge, Environment, and Our Future

Abstract: Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) as a construct of broader society is a relatively recent phenomenon, and the field that supports the acquisition of environmental knowledge from Aboriginal people has rapidly grown over the last two decades.' In part, TEK has emerged from the growing recognition that Indigenous people all over the world developed sustainable environmental knowledge and practices that can be used to address problems that face global society.2 David Suzuki, scientist and environmentalist, writes, "My experience with Aboriginal people convinced me... of the power and relevance of their knowledge and worldview in a time of imminent global ecocatastrophe."3 The international community has also recognized the important role Indigenous people and their knowledge can play in global society. In 1987 the Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development (or the Brundtland Report) recognized the important role of Indigenous people in sustainable development. Five years later, at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) was signed, one of two legally binding agreements. The CBD reiterated the important role of Indigenous people and their knowledge for achieving sustainable environmental and resource management.4 Canada has responded to the challenges brought forth by the Convention on Biodiversity and the Brundtland Report and is incorporating TEK into various environmental decision-making processes. The field of TEK is well on its way to becoming firmly entrenched in the discourse on environmental management and decision making in Canada, particularly in the north where it is part of public policy.5 The practice and application of TEK research in Canada, and the specific research methods

Higher Education and the Challenge of Sustainability. Problematics, Promise, and Practice

Abstract: Foreword by Richard M. Clugston Preface Acknowledgements Part One: Problematics 1 The Problematics of Sustainability in Higher Education: An Introduction Peter Blaze Corcoran and Arjen E.J. Wals 2. The Evolution of Sustainability Declarations in Higher Education Tarah Wright 3. Sustainability as Emergence: The Need for Engaged Discourse Richard Bawden 4 Critical Realism: A Philosophical Framework for Higher Education for Sustainability John Huckle 5. Higher Education, Sustainability, and the Role of Systemic Learning Stephen Sterling 6. Assessing Sustainability: Criteria, Tools, and Implications Michael Shriberg 7. The Problematics of Sustainability in Higher Education: A Synthesis Peter Blaze Corcoran and Arjen E.J. Wals Part Two: Promise 8. The Promise of Sustainability in Higher Education: An Introduction Arjen E.J. Wals and Peter Blaze Corcoran 9. Environmental Education for Sustainability: A Force for Change in Higher Education Daniella Tilbury 10. The Contribution of Environmental Justice to Sustainability in Higher Education Julian Agyeman and Craig Crouch 11. Learning Our Way to a Sustainable and Desirable World: Ideas Inspired by Arne Naess and Deep Ecology Harold Glasser 12. The Contribution of Ecofeminist Perspectives to Sustainability in Higher Education Annette Gough 13. Sustainability and Transformative Educational Vision Edmund O'Sullivan 14. Teaching Interactive Approaches to Natural Resource Management: A Key Ingredient in the Development of Sustainability in Higher Education Niels Roeling 15. Living Sustainably through Higher Education: A Whole Systems Design Approach to Organizational Change James Pittman 16. Disciplinary Explorations of Sustainable Development in Higher Education Geertje Appel, Irene Dankelman and Kirsten Kuipers 17. The Promise of Sustainability in Higher Education: A Synthesis Arjen E.J. Wals and Peter BlazeCorcoran Part Three: Practice 18. The Practice of Sustainability in Higher Education: An Introduction Kim Walker, Arjen E.J. Wals and Peter Blaze Corcoran 19. Education and Sustainable Development in United Kingdom Universities: A Critical Exploration William Scott and Stephen Gough 20. Lighting Many Fires: South Carolina's Sustainable Universities Initiative Wynn Calder and Rick Clugston 21. Integrating Education for the Environment and Sustainability into Higher Education at Middlebury College Nan Jenks-Jay 22. Sustainability in Higher Education through Distance Learning: The Master of Arts in Environmental Education at Nottingham Treat University Malcolm Plant 23. A Pedagogy of Place: The Environmental Technology Center at Sonoma State University Rocky Rohwedder 24. Policy Development for Sustainability in Higher Education: The Auditing Instrument for Sustainability in Higher Education Niko Roorda 25. Curriculum Deliberation amongst Adult Learners in South African Community Contexts at Rhodes University Heila Lotz-Sisitka 26. Incorporating Sustainability in the Education of Natural Resource Managers Curriculum Innovation at the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University of Denmark Susanne Leth and Nadarajah Sriskandarajah 27. The Practice of Sustainability in Higher Education: A Synthesis Arjen E.J. Wals, Kim Walker and Peter Blaze Corcoran Resource Links - Rogier van Mansvelt Afterword - Hans van Ginkel Abut the Editors

Sustainability in tertiary curricula: what is stopping it happening?

Abstract: The concepts of environmental education and education for sustainability have been acknowledged by many tertiary institutions for over a decade. An appreciable number of institutions have signed agreements to educate students in all disciplines about sustainability. Although several Australian institutions of higher education have signed the Talloire Declaration, a recent survey finds little indication that their curricula have been changed to include sustainability education. Despite the apparent widespread support for the concept of student education in sustainability, there is little implementation. The experience of Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University suggests that those concerned about education and environment/sustainability need more than conviction and vision. A strategic approach – based on change management and supported by staff development – is needed to implement these sorts of changes. Rather than attempting to outline a grand plan or model for implementation, this paper identifies key issues and looks into the current experience associated with implementation approaches.

An Evaluation of Four Place-Based Education Programs

Abstract: The Place-Based Education Evaluation Collaborative (PEEC) was formed to invest in the development of place-based education models of professional development and whole school improvement through more rigorous evaluation. An external evaluation team conducted a cross-program study, analyzing the effects of 4 place-based education programs on teachers, students, schools, and communities. This article reports on 2 aspects of the study: (a) a cross-program analysis of the 4 programs strengths and challenges, and (b) an analysis of trends in teacher practice change across the programs. Data sources included 163 adult interviews (teachers, administrators, program staff, and community members), 85 student interviews, and 41 field observations. Recommendations for program development and emergent themes for further research are reported.

The Effects of an Environmental Education Program on Responsible Environmental Behavior and Associated Environmental Literacy Variables in Taiwanese College Students.

Abstract: This study assessed the effects of an environmental education (EE) course on college students' responsible environmental behavior and associated environmental literacy variables. This undergraduate course emphasized issue investigating-evaluation and action training. A nonequivalent control group design was used. The results of this study showed that the course significantly promoted the students' responsible environmental behavior, locus of control, environmental responsibility, intention to act, perceived knowledge of environmental issues, and perceived knowledge of and skills in using environmental action strategies. These effects were still maintained 2 months after the conclusion of the course. Implications for program development and instructional practice are presented, and recommendations for further research are provided.

A Foucauldian Analysis of Environmental Education: Toward the Socioecological Challenge of the Earth Charter

Abstract: This article examines recent trends in environmental education (EE) and argues that its institutionalization within general education works against its own socially and ecologically transformative goals. EE emerged as a cultural response to international awareness that human beings were negatively impacting their environments and causing ecological and social crises. Yet the institutionalization of EE within general education has diluted it of its political purpose of acknowledging and transforming these crises. A Foucauldian lens is employed to explore how EE, seeking legitimacy within general education, constitutes itself as “disciplinary practice.” Disciplinary practices discussed include the EE trends of claiming contentarea integration, supporting academic standards and testing, and developing disciplinary standards specific to EE. As disciplinary practice, EE becomes absorbed by general education; consequently, its value as a political project is undermined. The absorption of EE as disciplin...

The Evolution of Sustainability Declarations in Higher Education

Abstract: This chapter has explored where SHE declarations have been in the past, where they are now, and provides glimpses for SHE declarations in the future. It has highlighted key themes that have emerged in SHE declarations since the early 1990s, including the ethical and moral responsibility of the university to contribute to local, regional and global sustainability; the need for public outreach and universities to become models of sustainability in their own communities; encouraging sustainable physical operations; fostering ecological literacy; the development of interdisciplinary curriculum; encouraging research related to sustainability; forging partnerships with government, non-governmental organizations and industry; and, cooperation amongst universities. The identification of these themes and patterns furthers the understanding of what universities believe are the key priorities to becoming sustainable institutions, and what paths universities believe they should take on the journey to sustainability. This provides a starting point for an exploration of the challenges to sustainability in higher education.

Geographic Information Systems: A Tool to Support Geography and Environmental Education?

Abstract: Geographic information systems (GIS) education is at a crossroads in the United States. Since its inception in the early 1990s, GIS has diffused slowly into select groups of K-12 classrooms through the efforts of geography and environmental educators. However, many of the assumptions underpinning the initial period of enthusiasm for the technology are now being questioned. This paper reviews issues identified as barriers to dissemination in order to help shape and inform the next phase of GIS implementation. First, the existing arguments for GIS in elementary and secondary education in the United States are reviewed and evaluated. Second, considerations related to developing an improved pedagogical foundation for GIS are explored. Finally, implications and suggestions for guidelines for the next decade of dissemination and implementation of GIS are discussed.

Views of elementary and middle school Turkish students toward environmental issues

Abstract: This study was conducted in order to identify the intensity of Turkish students’ views with regard to environmental issues presented in the national curriculum and to determine how these views differ by gender, grade level, previous science achievement, socio‐economic status (SES), and school location. For this project, a 51‐item Attitude Toward Environmental Issues Scale (ATEIS) was created and utilized. In total, the scale involved 30 distinct environmental issues. These environmental issues are emphasized in the current Turkish science education curriculum. A total of 458 students in grade 4–8 classrooms completed the scale. Rasch analysis results indicated that, in general, the students felt environmental problems should be confronted in Turkey. But when students were presented with a range of survey items stating that a particular environmental issue should take precedence over economic growth, it was often very difficult for students to agree. On the other hand, when students were simply presented a...

Retrieving Nature: Education for a Post-Humanist Age

Abstract: Preface. Acknowledgements. 1. Introduction: A Tangled Web. 2. Metaphysics: Education and Environmental Concern. 3. Notions of Nature. 4. Retreat from Reality. 5. Nature as our Primordial Reality. 6. Nature's Intrinsic Value. 7. Nature and Knowing. 8. Towards an Environmental Ethos for Education. 9. Education for Sustainable Development: Sustainability as a Frame of Mind. 10. Issues for Environmental Education. 11. Education for a Post--Humanist Age: The Question of Human Dwelling. Bibliography. Index.

Teacher Preparation for Environmental Education: Faculty Perspectives on the Infusion of Environmental Education into Preservice Methods Courses.

Abstract: Based on interviews with 18 professors of education, this study provides a report on the ways in which environmental education (EE) theory and practice are currently incorporated into preservice elementary education science and social studies methods courses. It further reports per- ceptions of faculty about the barriers to incorporating EE in preservice programs and their ideas about action steps toward a more widespread use of EE as an integrating context for teaching pre- service science and social studies methods courses. he power of the preservice curriculum is its multiplier effect. Where one teacher has the potential to impact the number of students taught throughout a career, a methods course has the potential to impact many future teachers and, ultimately, a far greater number of students. This study investigates the role that environmental education (EE) does and can play as an underlying philosophy and methodology in preservice science and social studies methods courses. The perspectives and practices of faculty who use EE to teach their elementary education methods courses are discussed and compared. Research shows that such courses and requirements are more the exception than the rule. A 1996

Rising to the Challenge: Education for Sustainability in Australia

Abstract: 1status, needs and innovations at the national level within Australia. ESD is relevant to all major social groups and so this paper includes developments in a number of settings including, formal education, further and higher education, industry and community contexts. This paper has been informed by the recent findings of a national review of EE’s contribution to sustainability in Australia. It incorporates the latest trends and recent national initiatives which are playing a significant role in developing frameworks in ESD nationally.

Integrating SD into engineering courses at the Delft University of Technology: the individual interaction method

Abstract: When sustainable development (SD) is only taught in specific courses, it is questionable if engineering students are able to integrate it into their engineering practices and technical designs. For this reason, sustainability should also be integrated into regular engineering courses, e.g. design courses, materials courses or processing technology. The SD education plan adopted by the board of Delft University of Technology (DUT) in 1998 was based on this philosophy. It consists of three interconnected activities for all engineering curricula: the implementation of an elementary course “Technology in sustainable development”; the development of a graduation program in sustainable development for students who want to specialize; and the integration of sustainable development in all regular courses, wherever applicable. This paper describes various activities that the project group carried out to stimulate and support the third strategy: SD integration. It turned out that top‐down attempts to influence the content of courses often triggered resistance among lecturers, as they feared the intermingling of laymen into their scientific/engineering discipline. Interaction was important but was often impossible by lack of mutual understanding. Participation in a national project aimed to stimulate discussion by making disciplinary sustainability reviews of academic/engineering disciplines. This approach was promising as it created the base for serious discussions. However, the reports often ended in the bureaucracies of the departments. More positive results were achieved with a semi‐consultant approach directed at discussing SD issues with individual lecturers. Many lecturers were willing to discuss their courses, and were interested in practical ideas to integrate sustainability. This interactive approach is promising because it does not conflict with academic culture and keeps the lecturer in charge of his own course.

Environmental and health education viewed from an action‐oriented perspective: a case from Denmark

Abstract: The paper describes the action‐competence approach used in environmental and heath education in Denmark. This approach implies students' genuine participation and actions, as well as interdisciplinarity. The concept of action is often described in vague terms with the implication that the action concept is ambiguous in educational practice and discussion. Here I distinguish ‘action’ from ‘behavioural change’ and ‘activity’. I outline different forms of action and explore the issue of knowledge about environmental and health issues from an action‐oriented perspective. Three case studies illustrate the approach.

Primary children's views on science and environmental issues: examples of environmental cognitive and moral development

Abstract: Children from seven classes representing the year groups in a primary school were interviewed in groups of three or four to find out their understanding and views on issues related to the environment and science The large majority showed considerable interest and concern about environmental issues related to their experience and understanding, drawn from school and influences outside of the school, though most showed limitations and contradictions in their understanding of the issues The children's understanding of science was mainly limited to their experience of the subject at school and few showed any understanding of the impact of science on society or the environment Examples of children's cognitive and moral development of environmental issues are presented, including features of phases in the development, as identified from the interviews The implications for teaching science and environmental education are discussed

Outdoor Adventure in Promoting Relationships with Nature

Abstract: Critical outdoor education seeks to promote improved human to nature relationships. As academics and teachers strive to develop theory and practice appropriate for such outcomes, the traditional role of adventure activities is being scrutinized. This paper draws on a two year qualitative study which traced changes in human/nature relationships reported by a group a university students as a consequence of involvement in an outdoor education programme. From the many outcomes of the study, the following discussion extracts and concentrates on the role outdoor adventure activities can play in shaping connectedness to nature within outdoor education. Results suggest that adventure can be a very powerful tool for green outdoor education and that deskilling activities as a means of enhancing environmental outcomes may be counterproductive for some students.

Teaching Students to Make Better Decisions About the Environment: Lessons From the Decision Sciences

Abstract: One of the fundamental goals of environmental education (EE) is to equip students with the skills to make more thoughtful decisions about environmental issues. Many examples of environmental and science education curricula work to address this goal by providing students with up-to-date information about a myriad of environmental issues from a variety of scientific disciplines. As noted by previous researchers in EE, an emphasis on scientific information, however, does not help to overcome many of the barriers to improved decision making. To help students become better environmental decision makers, educators must also work to incorporate lessons about decision making in conventional EE curricula. This article provides an overview of findings from the decision sciences and behavioral decision research to highlight some of the most common impediments to high-quality decision making. The authors end with suggestions for curriculum development that might help to improve students' decision-making skills regard...

Inquiry in Interaction: How Local Adaptations of Curricula Shape Classroom Communities

Abstract: In this study, we seek a better understanding of how individuals and their daily interactions shape and reshape social structures that constitute a classroom community. Moreover, we provide insight into how discourse and classroom interactions shape the nature of a learning community, as well as which aspects of the classroom culture may be consequential for learning. The participants in this study include two teachers who are implementing a new environmental science program, Global Learning through Observation to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE), and interacting with 54 children in an urban middle school. Both qualitative and quantitative data are analyzed and presented. To gain a better understanding of the inquiry teaching within classroom communities, we compare and contrast the discourse and interactions of the two teachers during three parallel environmental science lessons. The focus of our analysis includes (1) how the community identifies the object or goal of its activity; and (2) how the rights, rules, and roles for members are established and inhabited in interaction. Quantitative analyses of student pre- and posttests suggest greater learning for students in one classroom over the other, providing support for the influence of the classroom community and interactional choices of the teacher on student learning. Implications of the findings from this study are discussed in the context of curricular design, professional development, and educational reform. 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 00: 00-00, 2004

Educational drama in the teaching of education for sustainability

Abstract: In this paper, I describe part of my research project that examines the use of Educational Drama in Education for Sustainability in the upper stages of the primary school (10‐ and 11‐year‐olds). Central to the research is a small‐scale qualitative research study. Here, I describe the educational focus of the study and outline the methodology. Central to the study was a series of drama lessons (taught by me) based on environmental themes. The lessons link with some of the key aims in Education for Sustainability—to help young people to develop awareness, knowledge and concepts, to encourage positive attitudes and personal lifestyle decisions and to help them to acquire action skills in and for the environment. The locus is within the Scottish education system. A number of key data were generated during the teaching and evaluation of the lessons. These take the form of field notes, children's evaluations of their work and learning, observation schedules, taped interviews with participants and observers and ...

Examining the environmental awareness of children and adolescents in the Ranomafana region, madagascar

Abstract: This paper examines children's and adolescents' environmental awareness in rural Madagascar. Two types of school survey among 8‐ to 21‐year‐old students and pupils in 18 schools were used for data collection. The objective of this comparative study was to examine the environmental awareness and knowledge of children and adolescents living under different ecological conditions. The role of education in forming environmental awareness is also considered. This research was carried out in villages nearby Ranomafana National Park located in forested areas as well as in more environmentally degraded villages further from the park. The results of the study show that children in rural areas of Madagascar are measurably aware of environmental issues and can relate them to human activities. The effect of education on environmental concern is significant, but when the effects of degradation can be felt and seen in daily life there is an increase in this awareness. Children's environmental concern and demand for acti...

Sustainability and Small to Medium Sized Enterprises--How to Engage Them.

Abstract: Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) have a major advantage over larger organisations in regard to addressing sustainability issues - their size means they are able to react very quickly to changes in the business environment. They are disadvantaged, however, by lack of information on marketplace changes that make sustainability an opportunity to innovate, and to inspire employees. While some SMEs are leaders in sustainable practices, others lack the sort of strategic mindset which views changes in the business environment as opportunities - seeing the tasks which require more change as an additional burden, rather than a source of potential advantage. The National Centre for Sustainability has worked with a group of SMEs (with sponsorship through a Research Agreement with Sensis) in a series of workshop environments. Through this work a set of indicators was developed to measure their progress towards more sustainable practices. Key members of industry associations and government agencies were engaged in an advisory capacity to ensure that the work undertaken was relevant and innovative. In addition, a comprehensive industry research study was undertaken to determine the key priorities for business and government relating to sustainability. This work provided insight into the needs and trends in sustainable practices in various sectors including manufacturing, service industry, education and government. The outcomes of the research have determined the need to develop flexible, adult centric and work-based learning models to educate for sustainability and create organisational change. This paper explores the value of innovative and engaging educational practices to create an environment which is most conducive to facilitating the implementation of economic, environmental and social aspects of work practices.

The Effects of Environment-Based Education on Students’ Achievement Motivation:

Abstract: This mixed-methodology study examined the relationship between environment-based education and high school students’ achievement motivation. Four hundred 9th- and 12th-grade students from 11 Florid...

Learning and Transformation in the Context of Hawaiian Traditional Ecological Knowledge.

Abstract: Traditional ecological knowledge is a potentially powerful medium in which to teach environmental education and has the potential for influencing transformative learning. Although many educators agree that one of the focuses of environmental education is adult transformation, this has not been extensively explored in the context of Hawaiian environmental knowledge. Specifically, there has been very little work done in immersion courses where nonnative and part-native students learn from local and indigenous experts. The purpose of this study is to explore the possibility of transformative learning in this context. This article investigates student responses to the course curriculum and instructional methodologies of an undergraduate, introductory immersion course on Hawaiian environmental knowledge. The article also explores one student’s transformation through her participation in the course and describes the conditions that were met to catalyze that transformation.

Environmental Education and Preservice Teacher Preparation: A National Study

Abstract: A national study of colleges and universities offering teacher-preparation programs was undertaken to ascertain how environmental education (EE) might be better incorporated into their curricula. Six questions guided the descriptive, explorative mail survery relating to satisfaction and fit into EE with current program offerings, what environmental issues are included in curricula, barriers to EE in the curricula, awareness and use of EE resources, perceived resource needs, and relationship between barriers and EE course concepts. Although 30.3% of the respondents were private institutions, 74.8% were public and .08% were private/public. Findings support and extend prior research in the area and lead to several conclusions.

Indigenous knowledge in environmental education processes: Perspectives on a growing research arena

Abstract: What, then, is the problem? Indigenous knowledge has not, or not entirely disappeared from the collective memory. It has not lost any parcel of its age old efficiency either. Besides, it should not be considered a problem that it coexists today with so called modern science (i.e. an imported, supposedly rational system of knowledge and know-how). The real problem is elsewhere: about the very form of this coexistence. (Hountondji, 2002, p. 24, emphasis original)

Outdoor adventure in Australian outdoor education: is it a case of roast for Christmas dinner?

Abstract: Outdoor adventure activities, typically originating from other countries, form the basis of most Australian outdoor education programs. Research on adventure-based outdoor education in Australia and elsewhere has tended to focus on determining the benefits of participating in such programs. Less attention has been paid to a critical examination of the educational rationale for the use of adventure activities in outdoor education contexts. This paper draws on contemporary outdoor education literature, particularly socially and culturally critical perspectives, to highlight educational issues and questions about the nature and role of adventure activities in outdoor education. It draws particular attention to issues related to social justice and environmental education objectives and suggests a need for further scrutiny of the congruence between theory and practice. ********* I recall many Christmases in Victoria, Australia, where, on hot, 30+C days, our family sat down to a large roast dinner followed by plum pudding. By the time we had finished eating all this hot food we could hardly move and spent the rest of the afternoon sitting around digesting it. This always seemed a strange practice to me and on questioning my mother about it I usually received the explanation that it was tradition, or that this is what we do at Christmas. She wasn't at all enthused about my suggestion that we change this tradition to eat lighter, 'summer' foods for Christmas dinner. I always wondered why we persisted with a practice that seemed so inappropriate in the Australian context, and why it was so difficult to change something as simple as the lunch menu? I have similar questions about some outdoor education practice. Why, for example, do we structure many of our programs around activities that involve driving for hours to access particular environments? Why do we do cross-country skiing or whitewater paddling in the flattest, driest continent (apart from Antarctica) in the world? Why do we seek out cliffs for abseiling or climbing? What are people learning from these experiences? Why doesn't more outdoor education occur in or near the areas where we live? Why are most of our programs shaped around particular adventure activities rather than other outdoor activities? Are Australian outdoor education programs shaped mainly by British and northern hemisphere 'traditions', like Christmas dinner, or are there more robust educational rationales for conducting such activities? These are the kinds of questions explored in this paper. The intention is to consider educational issues relating to the use of outdoor adventure activities in Australian outdoor education by drawing on literature that critiques such practice. The paper does not attempt to examine literature relating to adventure education outcomes or to the use of outdoor adventure for recreational, developmental or therapeutic purposes. This paper poses questions rather than answers in the hope that it will engender further discussion, and perhaps research, on this topic. Outdoor adventure in outdoor education To adventure in the natural environment is consciously to take up a challenge that will demand the best of our capabilities--physically, mentally and emotionally. It is a state of mind that will initially accept unpleasant feelings of fear, uncertainty and discomfort, and the need for luck, because we instinctively know that if we are successful, these will be counterbalanced by opposite feelings of exhilaration and joy (Mortlock, 1987, p. 19). Aspects of Mortlock's definition of adventure may be questionable. For example, does outdoor adventure necessarily demand the best of our capabilities and, to what degree is luck necessary or desirable? However, this definition resonates with others such as Priest's (1999a) where the common elements are uncertainty due to some level of risk and the challenge of applying one's competence to overcome the risk and uncertainty. …

Teaching beliefs of non‐formal environmental educators: a perspective from state and local parks in the United States

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the teaching beliefs of non‐formal environmental educators who work in state and local parks. Findings reveal that teaching beliefs are much more complex than purported in the literature. Three broad insights are offered: including roles and responsibilities of the non‐formal environmental educator, various approaches, and conceptions and characteristics of non‐formal environmental education. The implications are important for training future non‐formal environmental educators in local and state parks.