Developing youth toward pluralistic environmental citizenship: a Taiwanese place-based curriculum case study

Abstract

Environmental and sustainability education cannot disconnect itself from politics. In order to achieve sustainable societies, we need approaches that educate students capable of coping with the political complexities of environmental issues in a civic environmental context. This study proposes a pluralistic environmental citizenship approach based on the exploration of a 13-month long curriculum case study that engaged Taiwanese youth in deliberating over a highly controversial wetland policy related to their community. By tracing five focal students’ learning trajectories in depth, this study revealed that students conceptualize their roles toward a pluralistic environmental citizenship including four elements: conception of community, conception of environment, legal and institutional knowledge, and pluralistic values. This study showcases the potential power of integrating deliberative pedagogies in place-based education and how they can enrich environmental citizenship education.