Environmental education

About: Environmental education is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 14551 publications have been published within this topic receiving 211056 citations. The topic is also known as: environmental learning.

Emancipatory Indigenous Knowledge Systems: implications for environmental education in South Africa

Abstract: Indigenous Knowledge also termed Traditional, Endogenous or Classical knowledge, often fails to contribute to the improvement of the quality of human life. This failure can be attributed purely to the lower status accorded to this type of knowledge in society. This knowledge is accorded low status because it belongs to a particular racial or ethnic group which often, it is assumed, lacks the necessary cultur al capital. Despite these negative perceptions of Indigenous Knowledge, there is a growing realisation that this knowledge is part of the global heritage and a national resource to be utilised for the benefit of all humanity. This article presents an argument that there is a major role to be played by Indigenous Knowledge Systems in education in general and environmental education in particular. Environmental education as stated in the Brundtland Commission, the South African Environmental Education Policy Initiative (EEPI), and the NGO Form Principles, is seen as a key process that could enhance Indigenous Knowledge in formal education. The article further argues that the production of Indigenous Knowledge is contextually grounded through social constructivist approaches. However, it has the potential to be contextually and widely used. South African Journal of Education Vol.23(4) 2003: 276-280

Promoting sustainable organizations with Sweden's Natural Step

Abstract: Executive Overview A sustainable society can persist over generations,1 being farseeing, flexible, and wise enough to nourish its physical and social systems of support. Sustainable businesses are a key element in transforming society toward sustainability.2 For firms willing to inquire into the challenge presented by sustainable development, the journey ahead may involve radical transformation not only of organizational practices, but also of the ways of thinking that led to those practices in the first place. The Natural Step, a Stockholm-based environmental education organization has partnered with a number of major businesses in Sweden to promote organizational transformation as an important element in the societal shift toward sustainable development. This article examines the Natural Step—its philosophy, history, practices successes, possible limitations, and application to firms pursuing sustainability.

Choosing the Right Subjects in Significant Life Experiences Research

Abstract: Summary Research on significant life experiences (SLE) can achieve its potential importance only when it studies the right people for the right reason. Here I scrutinize ten research reports, and conclude that many do not. Historical information is incorporated in text and footnotes to place SLE research into the intellectual history of contemporary environmental education.

Mapping School Design: A Qualitative Study of the Relations Among Facilities Design, Curriculum Delivery, and School Climate

Abstract: The author conducted a 3-week qualitative case study at the School of Environmental Studies (SES), a senior public school with an environmental studies focus. He argues that SES's physical design facilitates collaborative, multidisciplinary teaching practices especially suited to the school's environmental studies curriculum. He also shows that the school's open plan architecture positively contributes to the social climate at SES. Students who were interviewed as part of the study expressed a preference for the open plan setting over conventional classrooms because the open design helps them socially connect with a larger number of peers than would be possible in a more enclosed environment. Students consequently felt more socially accepted at SES and better enjoyed their time in school in comparison with other high schools they had attended.