Teaching of Environmental Education

Environmental education projects are an ideal way to diversify your curriculum, try group teaching strategies, and bring the real world into the classroom in a strong academic context. Research shows that real-life hands-on learning effectively reaches and teaches children.

Experiential Practice:
Outdoor, Environmental, and Adventure Education

Outdoor education follows the experiential philosophy of learning by doing. It takes place primarily, but not exclusively, through involvement with the natural environment. In outdoor education, the emphasis for a subject of learning is placed on relationships concerning people and natural resources. Environmental education have been identified as two branches of outdoor education: adventure education emphasizing intra- and inter-personal relationships, while environmental education emphasizes ecological principles and ekistic relationships.

Using a Problem Solving, Action Oriented Approach to Environmental Education

Imagine children cleaning up rivers or beaches in your community. Or starting recycling programs, conducting water and air quality tests, research over the Internet, establishing a wetland nursery, or saving trees in your neighborhood. Now, imagine what they learned by planning and carrying out these activities! The multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary nature of environmental education immediately became apparent. Students conducted scientific research by collecting water samples, worked closely with scientists and local labs to analyze the results, then applied their mathematical skills to graph and tabulate the data. Students enhanced their writing skills by writing letters to the editor, press releases, and research reports. They utilized technology to create computer diagrams or "computer films" to communicate their research data. They used telecommunications to collect information about their chosen issue, exchange data with peers from other states and countries, and as a way to get others involved in their projects.

Traditional Thinking versus Research Findings in the Field of Environmental Education

At the "World Conference on Education for All - Meeting Basic Learning Needs", sponsored by UNESCO, UNEP, and UNICEF in the Spring of 1990, Hungerford and Volk presented the findings of their research on the development of responsible environmental behavior in citizens on an individual basis and in societal groups. Embedded within this approach is empowerment as a crucial tool for creating behavioral change. Traditionally, it was believed that people's behavior towards the environment could be changed by making them more aware. Instead, Hungerford and Volk suggested that the following attributes are required:
Knowledge of an issue is a prerequisite to action.
Individuals must possess knowledge of those courses of action which are available and which will be most effective in a given situation.
Individuals benefit from skill development by appropriately applying knowledge of action strategies to a given issue.
This approach is based largely on "The Hines Model of Responsible Environmental Behavior", which goes beyond the linear model for changing behavior: "increased knowledge leads to favorable attitudes...which in turn leads to action promoting better environmental quality" (Ramsey and Rickson, 1977).
The Hines Model stresses two important variables which were considered in the development of the approach outlined in the Grounds and Gardens curriculum. First of all, people are more willing to do something about an environmental problem if they feel it is an issue of importance. Most often this is a local issue of concern in their community -- something that impacts them directly. Secondly, the model emphasizes that people will become empowered to do something about a problem if they have training and knowledge in problem solving strategies and action skills. (Hines, J.M., et al., 1986).
In their research, Volk and Hungerford looked at how responsible environmental behavior might be actualized through environmental education. Many of the answers lie in the objectives for environmental education as defined over two decades ago at the 1977 Tblisi Intergovernmental Conference on Environmental Education:
Awareness --to help social groups and individuals acquire an awareness and sensitivity to the total environment and its allied problems.
Sensitivity- --to help social groups and individuals gain a variety of experiences in, and acquire a set of values and feelings of concern for the environment and it associated issues and problems.
Attitudes --to help social groups and individuals acquire a set of values and feelings of concern for the environment and motivation for actively participating in environmental improvement and protection.
Skills -- to help individuals acquire skills for identifying on solving environmental issues and problems.
Participation --to provide individuals with an opportunity to be actively involved at all levels in working toward resolution of environmental issues and problems.(You can find a complete listing of the goals and objectives Tblisi conference declaration 1978.)
This framework provides the perfect vehicle for integrating environmental education across all content areas. While it may seem a rather ambitious task -- it is feasible and essential. Traditionally, it was believed that we can change behavior by making people more knowledgeable about the environment and its associated issues. The underlying assumption is that the more we know, the more aware we are, and that we then become motivated to act toward the environment in more responsible ways. I tried that and as a result, scared quite a few ten, eleven and twelve year olds. They were overwhelmed and did not posses the skills to create change in their behavior, let alone affect positive change in their community or the world at large. They in fact, felt powerless.
It becomes increasingly apparent that a responsible and effective way is to use "framing" techniques for our environmental education programs. Framing moves beyond the arbitrary boundaries of traditional disciplines by creating a framework which allows learning to be related and integrated within a student's life (Heimlich, 1992). Using a problem-solving, action-oriented, project approach, teachers and students can identify and investigate issues and problems of concern to them. Using a wide array of strategies and skills to research specific environmental issues and problems, analyze and interpret these problems, propose creative solutions, and act on those solutions achieves many of the goals stated in the Tblisis conference declaration.