Abstract
Various studies about the environment consider different factors as sources of environmental deterioration. Such studies have not paid much attention on education as the remedy for environmental sustainability. Other studies have rarely considered environmental education approaches as the reason for lack of success in environmental education arrangements. This research had a focus on the adequacy of environmental education approaches, techniques and strategies employed in Uluguru Mountains in Morogoro. Social constructivist theory by Vigortsky (1958) was employed while case study research design and qualitative approach were deemed important for this research. Data collection was done by using interview and Focus Group Discussion methods. Objectives of the research were to: investigate adequacy of Environmental Education content, methods, awareness as well as the use of indigenous environmental knowledge. The findings show that, environmental education methods implemented in Uluguru Mountains are not satisfactory enough to improve environmental conditions. Again, indigenous knowledge has been less integrated into Environmental Education. Different environmental education methods need to be improved and integrated to create sustainable learning outcomes within Environmental Education. Keywords: Adequacy, Environmental Education, Approaches, Strategies, hotspot
Highlights
Most studies in developing countries (Okwu & Daudu, 2011 cited in Israel, 2006; Hosseini, 2010; FAO, 2006; Mosimege, 2005) point out that developing an understanding of extension sources and channels used to obtain information is the pre-requisite for efficient educational approaches
Data from the Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with five elders from Bigwa, Misongeni and Choma revealed that, most of the Environmental Education content delivered during community environmental education programs was not focusing on giving alternative livelihood apart from discouraging people from cutting down forests for firewood and other uses, as one of them from the Bigwa reports, “ there has been a lot of EE taught in the communities, rarely educators did not tell them on what should be an alternative energy source
What they did was to discourage us from cutting down trees for fire wood”. Another participant from Choma reported that “during Environmental Education meetings, people with different political ideologies introduce their political affiliations; this detracts the main theme of the meeting and disturbs members who have come for the purpose of attending Environmental Education programs.”
Summary
Most studies in developing countries (Okwu & Daudu, 2011 cited in Israel, 2006; Hosseini, 2010; FAO, 2006; Mosimege, 2005) point out that developing an understanding of extension sources and channels used to obtain information is the pre-requisite for efficient educational approaches. Effective EE system and techniques have not been practiced widely in formal and informal context because it is complex and too demanding This has an implication that EE methods and awareness should be instigated to the people in order to enhance sustainable environmental conservation. In order to understand the effectiveness of EE methods used in communities, it is suggested by Marcinkowski (2010) that communities should participate in developing a mechanism for choosing the appropriate methods that fits the need of their environment. This is based on the understanding that EE methods are context specific. EE techniques and approaches employed in conserving aquatic, terrestrial and atmospheric environment may differ vastly as the environmental components themselves (FAO, 2010)
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