Topic
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.
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TL;DR: In this paper, a two-year qualitative study was conducted to trace changes in human/nature relationships reported by a group of university students as a consequence of involvement in an outdoor education program.
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.
94 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a study of 6th grade children's conceptions of nature and the environment was conducted, and it was found that environmental educators pay more attention to children's preconceived notions of environment and nature and that the theory-practice gap in environmental education may be diminished.
Abstract: This paper describes a study of sixth grade children's conceptions of nature and the environment. In so doing, it asks that environmental educators pay more attention to children's preconceived notions of environment and nature. Should this occur the theory-practice gap in environmental education may be diminished. Learners' concepts of ‘nature’ and the ‘environment’ provide a needed perspective for the development of individually and contextually appropriate teaching and learning strategies in environmental education. Without knowledge of them it is not clear whose version of environment it is which the learner is being educated ‘in’, ‘about’, ‘with’ or ‘for’.
94 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors compare two public high schools from the same school district, one that has achieved moderate energy savings and another that has reduced its electricity use by 50% over several years, finding that the greater success at one school is the result of integrated efforts at all levels within the organization, from district administrators to individual students.
Abstract: How can existing schools significantly reduce their energy use? With energy costs rising and school budgets shrinking, energy use is a substantial cost that can be reduced through conservation efforts. Using a case study methodology, the authors compare two public high schools from the same school district, one that has achieved moderate energy savings and another that has reduced its electricity use by 50% over several years. Examining the individual and organizational components of both schools’ efforts, the authors find that the greater success at one school is the result of integrated efforts at all levels within the organization, from district administrators to individual students. Success is based on structural changes, individual behavioral change, and, most important, the weaving of both into a cohesive organizational culture emphasizing conservation. This study demonstrates the potential of behavioral change and organizational culture to foster environmental education, conservation, and fiscal sa...
93 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a case study methodology was used to determine how each factor contributed to the institutions' sustainability, and six factors identified in the literature as contributing to environmental sustainability were present at all three institutions: green campus operation measures; campus administration, organization, and leadership; teaching, research, and service; campuswide actions and activities; institutional assessment of campus sustainability measures; and established methods for overcoming barriers.
Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine what factors contributed to three universities achieving environmental sustainability.Design/methodology/approach – A case study methodology was used to determine how each factor contributed to the institutions' sustainability. Site visits, fieldwork, document reviews, and interviews with administration, faculty, staff, and students from the participating institutions were employed as primary data collection strategies.Findings – The six factors identified in the literature as contributing to environmental sustainability were present at all three institutions: green campus operation measures; campus administration, organization, and leadership; teaching, research, and service; campus‐wide actions and activities; institutional assessment of campus sustainability measures; and established methods for overcoming barriers.Research limitations/implications – This study was delimited to the six factors that were identified in the literature and the three insti...
93 citations
TL;DR: McKenzie as mentioned in this paper discusses the role of nature in post-post approaches to environmental education research, but she is mostly silent about how to assess the legitimacy of such representations, and what are the limits and possibilities of such approaches when nature is taken into account.
Abstract: While McKenzie mentions in passing her concern about anthropocentrism and human oppression of the natural world, she is mostly silent about the role of ‘nature’ in post‐post approaches to environmental education research. If one takes feminist poststructuralist ideas about voice and representation seriously, surely the place of ‘nature’ in environmental education research must be interrogated? Is there space for ‘nature’ in multivocal representations of research? How might our own polyvocality include our experiences of our animality? How might we assess the legitimacy of such representations? What are the limits and possibilities of post‐post approaches to environmental education research when ‘nature’ is taken into account?
93 citations