Environmental Education Initiatives Research Articles

Environmental Health Education for Asbestos-Contaminated Communities in Italy: The Casale Monferrato Case Study.

Background:Environmental health education contributes towards increasing awareness of communities to prevent exposure to hazardous substances. Casale Monferrato, the operating site for the Eternit asbestos-cement factory from 1907 to 1986, is a prioritized asbestos-contaminated site for remediation in Italy. The area is prone to severe asbestos-related diseases. About 50 cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in Casale Monferrato annually; mesothelioma has been shown to be caused by occupational, environmental and domestic asbestos exposure.Objectives:The goal of this paper is to analyze the Casale Monferrato case study in terms of youth engagement in environmental health education initiatives on asbestos risk and health impact. The paper aims at underlining the lessons learned in order to share the success of this initiative with other communities living in asbestos-contaminated sites in different countries.Methods:Peer education methodology has been used through the Asbestos Classroom to involve teachers, students and other local stakeholders in training activities, in selection of the contents for educational materials and interactive tools, as well as in choosing the presentation process for the aforementioned knowledge sharing instruments.Findings:From November 2014 to June 2018, 185 high school students and teachers were trained through the Asbestos Classroom. Through December 2018, they trained 3,241 classroom visitors. The Classroom relies on an inclusive participative process in which young people play a key role in the network of relationships within their community.Conclusions:The paper corroborates the importance of engaging the educational system in communication efforts aimed at fostering collective awareness on environmental risk and health-related impacts for communities living in industrially contaminated sites. Considering the global dimension of the asbestos contamination and disease burden, this experience might be of relevance both in countries that banned asbestos and in those where asbestos is not yet prohibited.

A degradação dos cursos hídricos urbanos, uma abordagem sobre gestão e educação ambiental

The Central Amazon is the densest watershed region and its numerous under watershed have been suffering growing degradation. The anthropic occupation emerges in this scenario as a strong cause of negative impact. To reverse this reality the education and socio-environmental management were pointed as important elements. In this study we present a historical analysis of the quality of water in the watercourses in the city of Manaus (AM). In addition, interviews with managers were conducted to verify aspects related to management and environmental education initiatives to deal with the ongoing reality. The results demonstrated a serious process of degradation of the water streams even though with a presence of aquatic life. Attempts at environmental protection and educational intervention run into distinct and demobilized understandings, which little accrete to the expected fullness of sustainable management of urban water courses.

Celebrating 20 Years of Outdoor Environmental Education for Preservice Teachers at Stephen F. Austin State University

Abstract Preservice teachers at Stephen F. Austin State University have been involved in a 20-year environmental education initiative as a part of the teacher education program. Since 1998, teacher educators and community stakeholders have collaborated with Texas Project Learning Tree to train preservice teachers in environmental education activities to be implemented in the yearly outdoor science education event, Bugs, Bees, Butterflies, and Blossoms. Held on the Stephen F. Austin State University campus, area elementary school students participate in learning stations designed to facilitate investigative inquiry led by preservice teachers. A mixed methods study was implemented to evaluate the overall effectiveness. Data were collected from pre- and post-tests from traditional face-to-face and online preservice teachers. Results showed significant gains in science content knowledge and science teaching efficacy. Open-ended responses submitted by participants in the study addressed self-reflection about personal teacher identity and the overall impact of the initiative.

From intimidation to love: Taoist philosophy and love-based environmental education

For decades, a review of environmental education initiatives in and beyond schools indicates that many of them were implemented from an anthropocentric perspective. The rationale behind them is often that we must not destroy the environment because doing so is harmful for ourselves, human beings. One striking feature of the various forms of environmental education is the use of fear as a motivator, as people are warned about the frightening consequences of environmental destruction on their life. While this type of fear-based environmental education may be effective to some extent, intimidation cannot be a fundamental solution to environmental issues. We need to form a loving relationship with nature, through love-based environmental education. From intimidation to love, love-based environmental education focuses on enhancing public environmental awareness through inculcating love, respect, and gratitude toward nature, thereby helping to solve present and future environmental problems and construct an eco-friendly world.Love-based environmental education is richly embedded in Eastern philosophies such as Taoism and contemporary Western eco-ethics. In this article, we synthesize the tenets of love-based environmental education mainly through the lens of Taoist philosophy, discuss implementation approaches, and explore contemplative methods to cultivate connection with nature. Finally, we point out fear-based and love-based environmental education are not mutually exclusive. We need a combination of, or a diversity of approaches to ensure that we effectively change attitudes and behaviors of people.

Green schools in Taiwan – Effects on student sustainability consciousness

Abstract In recent decades, the Taiwanese government has worked actively to implement the concept of a sustainable Taiwan. As an important step in their strategy, the Ministry of Education has decided to promote the Green School Partnership Project in Taiwan (GPPT). However, academic research and critical reflection on the effects of this environmental and sustainability education initiative are lacking. Therefore, this study focuses on filling this gap by means of a nationwide generalizable effect study. The sampling allowed comparisons between the sixth, ninth, and twelfth grades in GPPT and non-GPPT schools and considered the geographic location (north, center, and south of Taiwan) as well as socio-economic area of the schools. A total of 1741 students participated, answering a questionnaire that focused on student sustainability consciousness (SC) and its components (i.e., knowingness, attitudes, and behaviors in relation to sustainability). Data were analyzed through structural equation modeling. Our findings make an important empirical contribution, indicating that GPPT schools and non-GPPT schools have a similar effect on the SC of students, i.e. schools engaged in the GPPT do not enhance student SC. In addition, the gender gap regarding SC increased consistently with each increasing grade level, yielding higher mean values for the girls than for the boys. Furthermore, an adolescent dip occurred in the student SC, especially with regard to student sustainability behavior. Given these findings, implications for developing GPPT are discussed; this research could provide valuable information about the educational transformation process to enhance environmental and sustainability behavior among students in Taiwan.

How Young “Early Birds” Prefer Preservation, Appreciation and Utilization of Nature

Since the 1990s, the Two Major Environmental Value model (2-MEV) has been applied to measure adolescent environmental attitudes by covering two higher order factors: (i) Preservation of Nature (PRE) which measures protection preferences and (ii) Utilization of Nature (UTL) which quantifies preferences towards exploitation of nature. In addition to the 2-MEV scale, we monitored the Appreciation of Nature (APR) which, in contrast to the UTL, monitors the enjoyable utilization of nature. Finally, we employed the Morningness–Eveningness Scale for Children (MESC) which monitors the diurnal preferences and associates with personality and behavioral traits. In this study, we analyzed data from 429 Irish students (14.65 years; ±1.89 SD) with the aim of reconfirming the factor structure of the 2-MEV+APR and monitoring the relationship between the MESC and the environmental values (PRE, UTL, APR). Our findings identified a significant association between PRE and APR with MESC. In addition, we observed a gender difference. Our results suggest that morningness preference students are more likely to be protective of and appreciative towards nature. Recommendations for outreach programs as well as conclusions for environmental education initiatives in general are discussed.

Primary school students’ awareness about cetaceans in Greece

In Greece, research about Environmental Education in elementary schools is scarce and geographically limited. A total of 1,157 questionnaires focused on the marine environment and, especially, on cetaceans (dolphins and whales), were conducted among 5th and 6th grade primary school students from 25 Greek towns. Results revealed that the awareness of Greek primary school students toward the marine environment is mostly effective, although some misconceptions were detected. Cetaceans when compared with other environmental topics in the primary school environmental education curricula is not yet developed. Not only valuable baseline information is provided, but also significant gaps of knowledge were also identified, which should be considered in order to increase success of future environmental education initiatives.

Green teens: Investigating the role of emotional intelligence in adolescent environmentalism

Identifying the factors that drive environmentalism is critical to reduce human impact on the environment. Emotional intelligence (EI) has been shown to influence pro-environmental behaviour and environmental attitudes in adults, while such influences in adolescents are yet to be examined. The current study investigated the relationship between self-reported EI, pro-environmental attitude (PEA) and pro-environmental behaviour (PEB) in 382 Australian adolescents (12–17 years). Higher PEB was associated with higher PEA, and EI dimensions of Emotional Management and Control (EMC), and Understanding Others Emotions (UEO). Hierarchical multiple regression confirmed that PEA predicted PEB, while EMC also predicted PEB. EMC and UEO interactively moderated the relationship between PEA and PEB. This study suggests that adolescents' ability to manage, control and understand emotions affects the extent to which their PEAs predict PEBs, which has significant implications for the development of future environmental education initiatives to encourage pro-environmentalism.

Student Perceptions of a Place-Based Outdoor Environmental Education Initiative: A Case Study of the “Kids in Parks” Program

This article reports on the perceptions of students who participated in a place-based endeavor, the “kids in parks” program, in the largest national park in South Africa. Feedback from students who participated in the program from 2011 to 2017 was analyzed to identify themes. A random sample of 350 messages from students over the seven-year period was then coded according to the themes to determine frequency. The students commented mostly on the wild animals and on the fulfillment of their basic needs. Though intended aims may not be met, the program does succeed in introducing the park to students.

Remap: An online remote sensing application for land cover classification and monitoring

Abstract Recent assessments of progress towards global conservation targets have revealed a paucity of indicators suitable for assessing the changing state of ecosystems. Moreover, land managers and planners are often unable to gain timely access to the maps they need to support their routine decision‐making. This deficiency is partly due to a lack of suitable data on ecosystem change, driven mostly by the considerable technical expertise needed to develop ecosystem maps from remote sensing data. We have developed a free and open‐access online remote sensing and environmental modelling application, the Remote Ecosystem Monitoring and Assessment Pipeline (Remap; https://remap-app.org), that enables volunteers, managers and scientists with little or no experience in remote sensing to generate classifications (maps) of land cover and land use change over time. Remap utilizes the geospatial data storage and analysis capacity of Google Earth Engine and requires only spatially resolved training data that define map classes of interest (e.g. ecosystem types). The training data, which can be uploaded or annotated interactively within Remap, are used in a random forest classification of up to 13 publicly available predictor datasets to assign all pixels in a focal region to map classes. Predictor datasets available in Remap represent topographic (e.g. slope, elevation), spectral (archival Landsat image composites) and climatic variables (precipitation, temperature) that are relevant to the distribution of ecosystems and land cover classes. The ability of Remap to develop and export high‐quality classified maps in a very short (<10 min) time frame represents a considerable advance towards globally accessible and free application of remote sensing technology. By enabling access to data and simplifying remote sensing classifications, Remap can catalyse the monitoring of land use and change to support environmental conservation, including developing inventories of biodiversity, identifying hotspots of ecosystem diversity, ecosystem‐based spatial conservation planning, mapping ecosystem loss at local scales and supporting environmental education initiatives.

Archipelagos of learning: environmental education on islands

SUMMARYThis article appreciatively reviews environmental education practice on islands through the lens of four key strands of environmental education discourse: biodiversity, conservation and science-framed education; place-based, indigenized and bioregional education; climate change and disaster risk reduction education; and education for sustainable development. Arising from these strands and their interface, six questions are asked of the examples of island practice reviewed. A final section asks what is distinctive about environmental education on islands and comes up with five principal findings. First, it is observed that environmental education initiatives on islands are markedly eclectic in their rich blending of practice from within the different strands. Second, it is noted that environmental education practice on different islands, especially in the Pacific, is marked by a return to indigenous, community-based learning. Third, the emergence of a distinctive pedagogy is remarked upon, especially the greater weighting given to relational, socio-affective and action-orientated learning. Fourth, the paucity of inter-island cosmopolitan dialogue is noted and questions are asked about how to ensure island learners steeped in learning about place can be brought to connect with the global environmental problematic. Fifth, the frequency of cross-curricular, interdisciplinary, even trans-disciplinary framing of environmental education initiatives is identified as bringing distinctiveness to island practice.

Exploring Curriculum for Science Education: Lessons from a Mexican Biosphere Reserve

Exploring science as a collective undertaking embedded in sociocultural contexts is a critical aspect of science education. This article concerns questions of curriculum design for science education for young learners, and it reports findings of a study on a conservation and environmental education initiative in Mexico’s Sierra de Huautla Biosphere Reserve. Using situational analysis to study this case, I discovered that conservation projects and the science behind them are seldom framed as situated within complex social factors; yet these factors often drive decisions about the environment and can drastically affect what is taught in science curriculums. Presenting science in all its complexity can make science curriculums ‘live’ and can help students understand science as instrumental in addressing challenges that society confronts today.

A collaborative work process for the development of coastal environmental education activities in a public school in São Sebastião (São Paulo State, Brazil)

Environmental education (EE) is a way to promote coastal literacy among elementary school students, using an integrated and interdisciplinary point of view. This study describes and analyzes the collaborative process of creation of interdisciplinary and participatory EE activities in an elementary public school in the São Sebastião municipality (Brazil), a place with rich and diverse ecosystems but subjected to great anthropogenic stressors. Activities were evaluated based on mobilization (of teachers), planning, implementation, and feedback. The main results were: (I) 13 teachers initially joined the EE project, but only 7 actually developed activities; (II) 16 activities were planned and 13 of those were implemented; and (III) feedback was essentially positive from the teachers that engaged in the project. The materials produced were displayed afterwards at a municipal educational fair. The existence of a school's environmental agenda, support from the school principal and university researchers, time availability for the teachers planning the activities, financial support, and the participation of local people were factors that fostered the EE initiative. Lack of time, low interest and engagement from school teachers, lack of discipline among school students, too many students per class, and discontinuation of the EE activities in following years were identified as difficulties to overcome. This collaborative process of approaching socio-environmental problems aimed to give students an integrated and interdisciplinary view, potentially contributing to future coastal management decision processes through public participation, to empower local social actors.

How to promote conservation behaviours: the combined role of environmental education and commitment

This study tested the influence of both environmental education (EE) and commitment interventions among teenagers for promoting energy and water conservation at home. Conservation behaviours were measured in two ways – directly and through questionnaires – prior to and after the interventions. Results indicate (1) EE participants may have saved more energy than non-participants and (2) those signing a public commitment saved more energy and water than those who did not. Results from the questionnaire measures demonstrated the importance of EE for promoting ecological self-identity and a personal norm for energy conservation. Based on these results the use of commitment interventions in EE initiatives for promoting conservation behaviours among teenagers is proposed.

Environmental geotechnics and education initiatives for recovery from the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant accident

Environmental geotechnics and education initiatives for recovery from the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant accident

The Implementation of Environmental Education in Geography (Grades 8–10) in the Caprivi Region, Namibia

UNESCO (1995) notes that education should be easily adaptable to sudden shifts in conditions in a world of rapid change since environmental challenges are dynamic. This paper is based on a study carried out in secondary schools in the Caprivi region in Namibia (currently re-named the Zambezi region). The article reports on mixed methods of approach to arrive at an in-depth understanding of the extent to which environmental education is implemented in the curriculum for Geography, specifically for grades 8–10. The data was generated through a self-assessment questionnaire that was sent to all grade 8–10 Geography educators in the region. In addition, interviews were conducted with a sample of educators and a local environmental education officer. Focus group discussions were held with learners from five schools. The findings revealed, among others, that educators had sufficient knowledge and understanding of environmental concepts and issues. However, educators had limited knowledge of environment-related skills and attitudes required, and did not use a variety of teaching approaches or alternative assessment regimes. Educators understand the significance of indigenous knowledge in geographic education, but the research findings also indicate that stakeholders’ participation in school environmental education initiatives needs to be strengthened. The article provides recommendations that might improve the implementation of environmental education in schools. Keywords : Geography, competencies/learning objectives, educational processes, outdoor activities, sustainable development, indigenous knowledge.

Reading our way forward: education for environmental and social justice

This study reviews recent environmental education initiatives from primary to post-secondary levels in the United States and considers the impacts of projects focused on school gardens and restaura...

Knowledge, agency and collective action as barriers to energy-saving behaviour

Energy saving is becoming a rising priority as a response to climate change and fossil fuel depletion in recent years. However, despite energy-related behaviour change being an important part of many environmental education initiatives, “energy literacy” among citizens remains patchy in both the USA and the UK, with evidence of strong positive attitudes but less consistent knowledge. Whilst it is clear that increasing knowledge does not automatically produce behaviour changes, potential questions must be asked about the logic of focusing solely on behaviour without simultaneously exploring and enhancing understanding of energy issues. This research, undertaken at a higher education institution with a strong focus on sustainability, illustrates the potential risks of targeting behaviour change and individual action at the expense of increasing knowledge, or encouraging collaborative and democratic endeavours. Results from an online survey indicate widespread misconceptions about energy which may reduce the effectiveness of energy-saving behaviours, alongside variable levels of motivation and engagement with energy issues. Respondents report a strong belief in the efficacy of personal changes, yet uncertainty about their capacity to influence business and government alongside a persistent faith in science to provide solutions to energy issues. The paper concludes by reflecting on the challenges arising from these findings for understanding agency and effectiveness in energy relationships.

The influence of recreation experiences on environmentally responsible behavior: the case of Liuqiu Island, Taiwan

Scientific understanding of the relationships between recreation experience and environmentally responsible behavior (ERB) of nature-based tourists is limited. To address this research gap, this study examines the relationship between recreation experiences (i.e. education, experiential engagement, esthetics, and escapism) and the general and site-specific ERB of tourists on Liuqiu Island in Taiwan. In total, 443 usable questionnaires were collected. The empirical results indicate that general ERB is positively and significantly affected by experiential engagement and the escapism of recreation experiences. The site-specific ERB of tourists is positively and significantly affected by the education, esthetics, and escapism of the recreation experience. We conclude that when people participate in the types of nature-based tourism described here, their recreation experiences can strengthen their sense of engagement in general and site-specific ERB, and contribute constructively to positive aspects of sustainable tourism. The management implications presented in this paper provide valuable insights for sustainable tourism. We suggest that recreation managers at nature-based tourism destinations collaborate to plan and implement recreational activities that are integrated with environmental education initiatives. This approach will encourage tourists to simultaneously engage in high-quality recreation experiences and ERB.

Transformative Processes in Environmental Education: A Case Study

This paper presents a case study on the severely degraded Boksburg Lake’s (Gauteng, South Africa) social–ecological system, and on an environmental-education initiative that aimed to support the lake’s transformation with a view to its improved social and ecological well-being. In this case study, three key characteristics of the initiative which appeared to support the transformative process are discussed, namely: 1. Learning was aligned with the local social–ecological context; 2. Human-to-human and human-to-ecological connections were encouraged; and 3. The youth played a key role in initiating and effecting transformation. Apparent consequences of this particular environmental-education approach include: local people becoming involved and invested in an environmental-education process that was highly meaningful to them; a deeper connection being nurtured among participating stakeholders, as well as between the youth and Boksburg Lake; a collective identity being adopted to bring about change; knowledge of Boksburg Lake’s social– ecological system being strengthened; acknowledgement of personal culpability in the lake’s degradation; many of the youths changing their negative environmental practices; and local stakeholders, including the youth, engaging in collective action to reclaim Boksburg Lake. Furthermore, a range of new practices emerged from the Schools for a Sustainable Environment (SSE) initiative. The literature is drawn on to explain the possible consequences of this initiative. Through this paper, it is hoped that environmentaleducation practitioners will be provided with useful conceptual tools to support their work.