Developing the environmental dimension of vocational education

Abstract

Abstract This article reports an environmental education research project underway in several Dutch vocational agricultural schools. An action‐research approach was used to investigate the human development side of environmental education and to generate guidelines for school‐based curriculum development. It is argued that integrating environmental education into vocational education is more than transferring new knowledge. It also entails developing students' notions of morality and care towards the environment. Environmental education and human development should not be separated. The integration of environmental education in vocational schools requires a rethinking of both teaching and learning. Not only will teachers have to update their knowledge constantly about environmental issues and guide their students through a great variety of information resources, they will also have to deal with controversial issues in the classroom. In many cases, teachers' didactic skills may need to be upgraded to deal ...