Edukacja ekologiczna w perspektywie zrównoważonego rozwoju

Abstract

Human ecology is a science of mutual relations between human population and natural habitat. It uses complex approach to research many aspects of human life, especially human dynamic relations with the closest environment: family, home, nature and local community, and creating healthy environment for everyday life. There is a new challenge for pedagogy, i.e. forming human ecological awareness defined as knowledge of environment. There is also an issue of competencies and active practices for environmental protection. Ecological pedagogy, in its assumptions, does not support the idea of anthropocentrism conceived as human being’s dominance over nature; its idea is education for coexistence and human protection of nature in order to maintain it for next generations and achieve sustainable development. The aim of this article is to draw attention to the level of ecological awareness of the society, including teachers, as well as specific features of education for sustainable development as social practices.