An Environmental Education Needs Assessment of K–12 Teachers in Kentucky

Abstract

As a result of a legislative mandate to establish an environmental education center in each of the 8 state universities in Kentucky, a project was initiated at Northern Kentucky University to prepare for the establishment of a center in the northern region of the state. An environmental education needs assessment of K–12 teachers was conducted as a part of this effort. Forty-five teachers participated in the survey component of the needs assessment, and 7 of these teachers participated in a follow-up focus group meeting. The priority environmental education program and training needs of teachers were identified through an analysis of the results. This project is a model for conducting environmental education needs assessment with a variety of populations at the local, regional, and state levels.