Environmental Education Approaches Research Articles

Analysis of Students' Understanding of the Carbon Cycle through the GCCDI Approach in Environmental Chemistry Education

This study aims to analyze the understanding of first and second-year Chemistry Education students about the global carbon cycle. The design of this research is descriptive research, using the Global Carbon Cycle Diagnostic Instrument (GCCDI) instrument with 11 questions. The subjects of this study were first- and second-year undergraduate students of Chemistry Education at Bengkulu University, with a total of 15 students in each group. The students' understanding was analyzed qualitatively through the survey method. The data were analyzed and categorized into four groups: understand, misconception, doubt, and do not understand for the GCCDI. The students' understanding was categorized into simple, medium, and complex schemes for the survey method. The results indicated that, for first- and second-year students, respectively, the category of understanding comprised 53.31% and 58% of responses, the misconception category accounted for 22.38% and 27.24%, the doubtful category represented 4.8% and 6.65%, and the category of "does not understand" comprised 19% and 7.85%. The survey method was employed to analyze the responses of first- and second-year students on three schemes: simple (40% and 20%), medium (26.6% and 33.3%), and complex (33.3% and 46.6%). The low level of understanding of the carbon cycle indicates the need for more effective learning approaches, such as in-depth curriculum development, the use of interactive learning methods, and the integration of technology to improve students' understanding of the carbon cycle concept in the broader context of science.

Prophetic Approach in Environmental Education and Community Empowerment: A Case Study of Sustainable Pesantren Development

Purpose: This study explores the application of the prophetic approach in community empowerment for the development of sustainable Pesantren. It aims to investigate how environmental education, integrated with Islamic teachings, can enhance human awareness and commitment to environmental preservation within the context of Pesantren. Method: The study is based on a case study of Pondok Pesantren Islam Modern (PPMI) Assalaam, utilizing qualitative research methods. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, document analysis, and direct observation. The analysis focuses on understanding the implementation of environmental education programs and the prophetic approach to community empowerment at PPMI Assalaam. Result and Conclusion: The concept of Green Pesantren at PPMI Assalaam involves integrating environmental education with Islamic teachings and social values, leading to a balanced education approach. Two main programs, the Adiwiyata Program and the Ekopesantren Program, are implemented to promote environmental awareness and sustainable practices within the Pesantren community. The study finds that environmental awareness among the community members influences their beliefs, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, contributing to environmental preservation efforts. Additionally, community empowerment at PPMI Assalaam is based on environmental consciousness, community empowerment principles, and the prophetic approach, emphasizing not only physical and social development but also spiritual growth and deeper connections with God. This holistic approach enriches empowerment theory with transcendent elements, providing a profounder understanding of human development and societal change. Implication of the Research: The findings of this study have implications for environmental education and community empowerment initiatives within Pesantren and similar religious educational institutions. By integrating the prophetic approach, Pesantren can enhance their efforts in promoting environmental awareness and sustainable practices among students and the broader community. Moreover, the study suggests that a holistic approach to community empowerment, encompassing spiritual and transcendent dimensions, can lead to more meaningful and sustainable societal change. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the understanding of how the prophetic approach can be applied to environmental education and community empowerment within the context of Pesantren. By integrating Islamic teachings with environmental principles, Pesantren can play a significant role in fostering environmental stewardship and sustainable development. Additionally, the study highlights the importance of considering spiritual dimensions in empowerment theory, offering new insights into holistic approaches to community development.

‘I know how to say it, but I still don’t know it in my hands’: examining practices and epistemology in Forest Education

In recent years, Forest Education has gained increasing traction around the world. Yet its unique features, as well as their relations with other outdoor environmental education approaches, remain undertheorized. This study explores the pedagogical practices of one emerging strand of Forest Education, and the epistemology underpinning it, in order to better position it with respect to other environmental education approaches. The study is based on ethnographic fieldwork that included participatory observations and interviews in a leading Israeli Forest Education organization. We identified four key pedagogical practices: outdoor play, primitive skills and crafts, sensing, and dwelling. These, we argue, reflect an epistemology in which knowledge and learning are situated in the immediate embodied context and sensory experiences, and are intended to facilitate a meaningful connection with nature. This epistemology prioritizes such modes of learning over abstraction, generalization and transfer, which are often central to science-oriented environmental education approaches.

Growing a digital iceberg for a polar bear: effects of a gamified mobile app on university students’ pro-environmental behaviours

PurposePro-environmental education incorporates digital technologies to enhance the level of pro-environmental behaviours (PEB) in young adults. Guided by gamified learning and self-directed informal learning theories, this study aims to examine the potential for the use of a gamified mobile app to increase students’ PEB. Also, it explores whether various pre-existing environmental attitudes and beliefs can moderate the effects.Design/methodology/approachThis quasi-experimental study proposed an eight-weeks intervention for undergraduate students based on using a mobile app. The authors evaluated the post-intervention differences in PEB between the intervention group and a control group. The effects of multiple moderators were also tested.FindingsUsing the mobile app for eight weeks significantly improves the levels of PEB in the intervention group compared to the control group. None of the proposed interactions showed significant moderator effects.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first one to verify the potential moderators accounting for the success of an environmental education approach using a mobile app. Also, it provides strong empirical support for the use of such educational strategy. Based on these findings, the authors suggest the use of gamified mobile apps as suitable tools for pro-environmental education, especially when targeting young adult or student populations. Moreover, using mobile apps providing self-directed informal learning, combined with gamification, can be used to enhance other desirable behaviours.

Environmental Literacy for Waste Management in an Academic Community: A Case Study

Excessive waste production has been one of the main causes for the environmental imbalances caused by humanity on the Planet. Minimize this problem demands for the promotion of the environmental literacy on waste management and, to do that, an investment in more and better environmental education. However, first, we need to know the level of environmental literacy each community has developed so far and what is missing to reach an adequate performance. As so, environmental education could be conveniently oriented with a most effective approach and with an adequate match between the defined goals and those really needed. Present study evaluates environmental literacy for waste management in the academic community of the University of Madeira (Portugal), characterizing knowledge, attitude and behaviour among students, teachers, and other staff. Results show a good performance for knowledge, even better for attitude, but only sufficient for behaviours. Additionally, it identifies those knowledges and behaviours that need to be prioritized in future environmental education approaches, besides clarifying that the effectiveness on implementing waste management best practices is most dependent on social, physical, and organizational transformations than on knowledge and attitude.

How To Integrate Environmental Education: Analysis of Teachers’ Perspectives in Integrated Islamic Science Schools

The serious environmental issues require a variety of teaching and learning approaches towards environmental solutions. Environmental education is crucial in solving the environmental issues and enhance ethical behaviour towards the environment. However, since environmental education is conducted across the curriculum, the application of environmental education depends on the creativity of the teacher. Therefore, this study aims to explore the implementation approaches of environmental education in Integrated Islamic Science Schools based on the teachers’ perspectives. This qualitative study was conducted using interview from 9 teachers from two Integrated Islamic Science School; four science teachers, four Islamic education teachers and an advisory teacher of Geography and Environmental Club. Data from teacher's interview transcriptions has been analyzed according to the theme of environmental education approach that were implemented by teachers. The findings show that the implementations of environmental education in the Integrated Islamic Science Schools have been implemented through formal and informal education. The integration of environmental education was also supported by the administrators through learning activities in the classroom and co-curriculum. This efforts hopefully will foster student's awareness in changing the environmental behavior.

Infiltration Approach of Green Environmental Protection Education in the View of Sustainable Development

In today’s world, global ecological environment problems are increasingly serious, and human beings have gradually realized the importance of protecting the ecological environment. With the continuous deepening of the concept of sustainable development, the concept of green education has also aroused great attention in the education sector; moreover, its concept has gradually been applied to education and teaching. However, there are many problems in the application of green education. For example, the current green education system is not sound, the importance of green education in schools is not obvious, and there is no effective green teacher training program. In order to improve the current application of green education, this paper proposes to integrate the concept of sustainable development into the teaching of green environmental protection education. Through the construction of a sound green education system and green education classrooms, green ecological ideas would thus be infiltrated into many aspects of education and teaching. Due to the uneven distribution of educational resources in many regions, the quality of education in these regions is also uneven. In order to improve this situation, this paper also constructs an educational resource distribution model. Furthermore, this paper also analyzes the educational resource allocation model by using a differential evolution algorithm. From the experimental results, under the algorithm in this paper, the average student–teacher ratio of each county was 4.93, and the average number of books per student was 38.92. The average running time of teacher resources and book resources allocated by the model was found to be 1.47 s and 1.39 s, respectively. Under the traditional algorithm, the average student–teacher ratio in each county was 5.93, and the average number of books per student in each county was 31.8. The average running time of teacher resources and book resources allocated by the model was 2.36 s and 2.58 s, respectively. It can be seen from the above data that the algorithm in this paper can effectively optimize the allocation rationality of the educational resource allocation model and shorten the running time of resource allocation.

Assessing pupils’ understanding about greenhouse effect in context of problem-based approach in environmental education: A case study from Greece

The greenhouse effect is a process that regulates the temperature of the planet. Students have misunderstandings about the greenhouse effect. The misunderstandings about the greenhouse effect may result from the direct analogy of a greenhouse as a means to maintain the heat by preventing convection and trapping warm air inside. The main research question has to do with the extent that pupils understand the greenhouse effect as an environmental problem. The sample consisted of 18 pupils of a 4th grade Primary school classroom forming case study research. The analysis of answers was mainly based on qualitative grounds, by examining the way pupils express their opinions or beliefs about this specific environmental topic. Students’ answers present that they understand enough the greenhouse effect both as a natural process and as environmental problem. They seem to present a lower understanding about its causes, but a mediocre understanding about consequences and interesting suggestions about how to solve it. As far as the use of accurate or scientific words is concerned, the statements seem to be on a low level. In conclusion, it can be supported that problem-based teaching intervention can contribute to pupils’ understanding about environmental problems such as the greenhouse effect.

Training of specialists to solve environmental problems in the system of higher technical education

The system of environmental education is widely developed in the Russian Federation. The paper presents the results of the analysis of the introduction of environmental aspects in the system of higher education in technical universities, the analysis of methods and solutions for the creation of curricula aimed at studying and overcoming environmental problems based on the experience of several decades of environmental training of specialists in technical universities. Methods of theoretical analysis, methods of observation, expert evaluation, method of systematisation of the obtained results were used; method of description was used to summarise the obtained information; method of justification, method of survey and others. Multilevel approach in the system of environmental education is presented. Polytechnic University for more than 25 years has been implementing educational programmes for training specialists in the field of environmental safety, taking into account the current problems of global ecology and sustainable development. The features of educational programmes and their focus on the formation of the necessary competencies for environmental safety, features of some disciplines, are shown. This approach makes it possible to train a new generation of specialists ready to make environmentally responsible technical decisions. The results of this study show the value of an integrated system approach in environmental education.

Environmental education in Portuguese Speaking Nations: a survey of current practices and priorities

Since the Community of Portuguese Speaking Nations (CPLP) was created in 1996, environmental education (EE) has gained recognition for enhancing multilateral cooperation on environmental protection and sustainability promotion. Conducted online in 2020 in all member states during the COVID-19 pandemic, this second Environmental Education Survey of CPLP explores the conditions and approaches of EE within the overall setting of the 2030 UN Agenda, taking the concepts of Canaparo’s geo-epistemology and Öhman and Östman’s selective traditions as the underlying framework of analysis. The survey received 196 valid responses from EE Experts and Promoters who hold positions in various institutional backgrounds. Addressing the current state of EE in all nine countries, a picture emerges of significant and ecologically prudent human intervention based on fact-based, normative, and pluralist EE approaches. Most encouraging is the overall finding that EE is vibrant, relevant for sustainable transformation, young people focussed, and in good heart.

Identifying stakeholders and discussing a strategy for the participatory management of a protected area: the case of Engenho Pequeno, in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil.

This paper identifies the potential main social actors involved in and affected by the conservation and use of the Environmental Protection Area (EPA) of Engenho Pequeno, in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, and discusses how environmental education can be shaped to engage them in participatory, socially progressive and environmentally sustainable management for that area. Therefore, semi-structured interviews were conducted with individuals and entities related to the EPA. The snowball method complemented the mapping of non-official social actors. The discussion was based on the critical approach of environmental education, polycentric governance, adaptive management, environmental advocacy and case studies about education in protected areas. Results showed nine key stakeholders to be considered in a network program for the EPA’s participatory management, including government, schools, local and nearby residents and religious groups. In the end, we recommend the hosting of a one day workshop, built around existing local and national environmental goals, as an entry point for trust building and the search for shared interests.

Diagnosis of the environmental skills of five-year-old students in Lambayeque


 
 
 Introduction: The environment is important for the proper development of human beings, so it is very necessary to instruct them, from an early age, under the approach of environmental education. The level of skills that they obtain from the acquisition of this type of knowledge will be key to taking action against environmental deterioration in the future. Objective: To diagnose the level of development of environmental skills within the teaching-learning process in five-year-old students of early education public schools of the city of Lambayeque. Materials and methods: The inductive-deductive method, the analytical-synthetic method and the statistical method were used. A questionary was applied to the research sample to obtain the results. Results: A mostly low level is recognized in the four dimensions of environmental skills. Conclusion: The surveyed students present a low level in the development of environmental skills.
 
 

Environmental ethics perspective in fostering environmental awareness in the bandung eco-camp community

Humans have a reciprocal relationship with the environment. Humans need the environment to sustain life. Thus the environment needs humans for its sustainability. However, some humans have the wrong attitude towards the environment, that cause environmental damage. To achieve a sustainable environmental balance and addressing the increasingly massive environmental damage, a change in humans' perspective is required. This study aims to foster environmental awareness through a non-formal environmental education approach in the Bandung-Indonesia Eco Camp community from an environmental ethics perspective. Good environmental knowledge should be manifested in the attitudes and actions of daily living habits. This study uses relevant secondary data through literature and documents to analyze the cultivation of environmental habituation in the non-formal education community. Data were analyzed using a descriptive qualitative analysis approach. Based on the research results, found that environmental ethics internalization as a moral foundation made humans aware of their interactions with the environment. Humans think, behave, and act ethically and philosophically towards nature making the potential for environmental damage smaller. This article contributes to the discussion of environmental knowledge changing the way humans perceive the environment.

Diálogos sobre educação ambiental com escolares: um enfoque na educação ambiental crítica

A educação ambiental se apresenta como uma importante forma de intervenção social, buscando um diálogo constante entre sociedade, meio ambiente, cultura, política e economia, auxiliando no desenvolvimento de um pensar crítico e reflexivo dos sujeitos, para as (con)vivências sociais. Partindo da necessidade da abordagem de uma educação ambiental crítica, este artigo busca analisar e discutir um momento dialógico com alunos do sexto ano de uma escola estadual de um município da região noroeste do estado do Rio Grande do Sul, evidenciando a importância das trocas de saberes, vivências e experiências, com vistas a transformar o modo de agir e pensar na sociedade. A metodologia baseia-se numa abordagem qualitativa, por meio de um estudo de caso, cuja a análise dos dados pautou-se na Análise Textual Discursiva. Durante a atividade dialógica, o professor-mediador proferiu diversos questionamentos aos alunos, os quais responderam conforme os seus conhecimentos. Foi possível perceber com as respostas dos alunos uma abordagem conservadora de educação ambiental, relacionando meio ambiente aos rios, florestas e animais. Por meio desta atividade, observa-se a importância do professor no contexto escolar, visando (des)construir conceitos e permitir um (re)pensar nas questões emergentes que estão presentes na contemporaneidade.

The Effect of Environmental Values on German Primary School Students’ Knowledge on Water Supply

Permanent access to safe drinking water is guaranteed in most industrialized countries, while climate change is turning it into a serious global issue. Knowing how to use the valuable resource water consciously and sustainably requires well-informed and ecologically aware citizens. Environmental education approaches should help develop long-term environmental knowledge, pro-environmental attitudes, and behavior with the overall goal of promoting environmental citizenship. The present study, thus, examines the influence of environmental values on students’ environmental knowledge in a German primary school sample (9–10-year-old students) by providing an authentic, out-of-school learning experience on the topic of fresh water supply. Our approach goes beyond mere correlation analyses by using structural equation modeling (SEM) to measure effects between the two variables. Environmental values were monitored using the Two Major Environmental Values Model (2-MEV) with its two dimensions, Preservation and Utilization of nature. Following a quasi-experimental design, we assessed the learners’ knowledge before (T0), directly after (T1), and six weeks after (T2) module participation. Confirmatory factor analysis verified the two-factor-structure of the 2-MEV. Preservation turned out as a direct positive predictor of pre-knowledge (T0) but did not show any significant effect on post-knowledge (T1) and knowledge retention (T2). Utilization displayed a larger albeit negative direct effect on knowledge across all testing times, especially for pre- and post-knowledge. Our findings shed light on the significant impact of anthropocentric attitudes on knowledge acquisition within primary school samples and provided valuable insights into feasible environmental learning approaches.

Analysis of the representation of key topics of sustainable development in subject educational standards of Kyrgyzstan

Education for Sustainable Development is an area of activity that aims at fostering responsible members of society. The very process of personality formation within the educational environment cannot be divorced from the use of standardized technologies, procedures, techniques and teaching methods, the designation of significant areas of knowledge and the developed methods for assessing the results of the development of competencies. Subject standards, as part of the country’s educational standard, are designed to coordinate the process of assimilating meaningful information, developing skills and acquiring skills to meet the needs of representatives of the current generation, without putting at risk the capacity of generations to come in meeting their own requirements. The study analyzes the current educational standards of the Kyrgyz Republic from the point of view of comparing the approaches of standard environmental education and Education for Sustainable Development. The features of the implementation of an interdisciplinary approach in the study of economic, social and environmental aspects are revealed. Steps are proposed to improve subject standards in order to ensure both information sufficiency and the formation of behavioral practices consistent with the key accents reflected in the conventions on climate change, combating desertification and biodiversity.

Specially Protected Natural Areas as a Means of Forming the Ecological Culture of learners

Natural and territorial complexes, including specially protected objects, are important in the formation of ecological culture of the younger generation. Samara oblast (European part of Russia) has a unique system of specially protected natural territories with various characteristics of vegetation, fauna, landscapes. This provides acquaintance of learners with various ecosystems in the territory available for visiting. In order to increase the effectiveness of the process of forming environmental culture it is recommended to use a practice-oriented approach in environmental education: organization and carrying out environmental actions, expeditions, excursions, environmental trails, as well as research, project, labor, environmental protection and volunteer activities. We have developed an algorithm for conducting educational and research activities for schoolchildren and research activities for students to study the current state of specially protected natural areas.

High School Students’ Environmental Education in Taiwan: Scientific Epistemic Views, Decision-Making Style, and Recycling Intention

In this study, to facilitate the integration of environmental education in science curricula and achieve a more sustainable future, the relationships among scientific epistemic views, decision-making style, and recycling intention based on the theory of planned behavior were investigated. Three instruments (i.e. SEVs, DMS, and RI) were implemented on a sample of 515 Taiwanese high school students and revealed sufficient validity and reliability by employing exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Structural equation modeling analysis showed that students’ scientific epistemic views do not directly link to recycling intention, whereas SEVs predict decision-making styles and decision-making styles predict recycling intention. The research findings suggest that teachers might consider encouraging students to develop the ability to think deeply and holistically by adopting the scientific approach in environmental education. This research also provided important information for educators to deliver environmental education effectively under the environment of Confucian culture. Limitations of the study and future research recommendations are discussed.

Modern methodological approaches to environmental education at the university

The results of pedagogical experience on improvement of methodological approaches of environmental education at the university are presented. The formation of an environmental worldview among students is part of the practical and long-term work of the teacher. The application of a comprehensive original approach to environmental research can be carried out in one properly structured discipline with high-quality laboratory and practical exercises and coursework. The introduction of environmental disciplines into the curricula of the educational program will provide modern practical environmental knowledge that enhances the scientific professional training of students. One of the methods of improving the quality of environmental education in universities is the use of the research method of learning and the method of problem learning. The scientific level of discipline content is ensured by providing students with the opportunity to independently study and choose methods for ecological assessment of the state of ecosystems. Adaptability and interchangeability of discipline to different objects of research increases its scientific and practical status.

Development of a Multimedia Program to Promote Environmental Education of Zoology

The purpose of this study was to improve the approach of environmental education in a secondary school in Pinar del Río, Cuba. This material was created using a) literature on the theoretical−empirical background of environmental education focused on Zoology and b) a study of student perceptions of the environment using surveys and interviews. Deficiencies noted in the literature and student knowledge guided the design of a multimedia program to teach Zoology to high school students with a focus on an integrated environmental approach. The proposed program includes specialized videos and texts about both global and local fauna. The videos and activities were designed to familiarize students with the fauna and the measures that they should take to protect and help preserve the life of animals and their environments.