Environmental Education Practice Research Articles

SECONDARY EDUCATION TEACHERS' VIEWS ON ISSUES RELATED TO WASTEWATER AND SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

This research investigated the views of secondary education teachers in Greece regarding waste management. A questionnaire was administered to 332 in-service secondary education teachers from various specialties to collect data on their views related to their ability and willingness to implement waste management topics, knowledge of waste management terms, and prioritization of waste management actions. The findings revealed that secondary education teachers expressed a moderate to low level of ability to implement educational activities related to waste management, with a wide distribution of views. They express that they felt more confident in implementing Environmental Education Programs (EEP) related to solid waste management than wastewater management. Teachers showed interest in participating in and organizing environmental programs, particularly for solid waste management. While teachers demonstrated a moderate level of basic knowledge of waste management, their understanding varied across different topics. Some terms were well-known, while others were less familiar. Teachers had a limited understanding of waste management principles and struggled to correctly prioritize waste management actions, with a significant percentage prioritizing recycling over waste minimization. These findings highlight the need for further education and training for secondary education teachers in Greece regarding waste management and environmental education. Improvements are necessary to bridge the gap between teachers' knowledge and understanding of waste management principles. This study emphasizes the importance of integrating waste management topics into teacher education programs and providing ongoing professional development opportunities. This research contributes to the literature by identifying areas for improvement in environmental education practices among secondary education teachers in Greece. The findings provide insights for curriculum development and teacher training programs. Future research should evaluate the effectiveness of environmental education initiatives aimed at enhancing teachers' knowledge and understanding of waste management principles.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0015/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Characterizing environmental education practices in Ethiopian primary schools

Considering the profound roles of teachers in the formation of environmentally literate citizenry, the study analyzed how teachers view and convey environmental topics to young children. Guided by a phenomenological framework, data were collected using semi-structured interviews with 17 teachers in four primary schools of Ethiopia. The results suggest that the teachers were of the belief that the delivery of environmental content should be hands-on, place-based, and that students taking local actions. Despite the teachers favoring learner-centered and experience-based strategies, their self-reported teaching approach tended to be teacher-dominated and classroom-based. Large class size, training and capacity, and safety issues were identified as barriers to teaching environmental topics. Changes are needed if we genuinely wish to build civically engaged and capable youths who can confront the escalating environmental crises. Implications of the findings for teacher training, school practices, and further research are discussed.

A Study on the Perception of African Elephant (Loxodonta africana) Conservation by School Children in Africa and England (UK)

Environmental education (EE) applications can support wildlife conservation practices by improving school children’s understanding of environmental issues, including endangered species conservation, such as the African savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana). This study aimed to identify and assess school children’s perceptions of elephant conservation in three schools: South Africa, Kenya, and England. Questionnaires were completed by students at one school per location, with the age range of 10–16 (n = 364). The responses were then analysed independently and collectively using descriptive statistics (n = 364). School children feared elephants where elephants were native. The importance of elephants was not acknowledged by students in South Africa and England and included a lack of awareness of how elephants benefit other species. There was an unclear understanding of the threats to elephants. Collectively, a wildlife guide as a career choice was not highly valued. The results of this study have reflected key narratives of elephant conservation from selected countries; Kenya leading in anti-poaching and anti-trade campaigns, anti-poaching campaigns by various NGOs in the U.K., and elephant management around expanding populations in South Africa, which have given significant insights into areas of improvement for environmental education practices to support wildlife conservation globally. Furthermore, this new research has identified and compared school children’s awareness of elephant conservation on a greater spatial scale than what is currently understood, compounding the importance of understanding effective wildlife conservation in education.

Landscape changes in the city of Barbacena – Minas Gerais recorded in photographs as a didactic resource for Environmental Education processes: A proposal in the light of Historical-Critical Pedagogy

The present study proposes a critical pedagogical practice in Environmental Education, using as a teaching resource photographic sequences from the city of Barbacena-Minas Gerais, which captured the transformations in its urban environment, with the purpose of awakening in students a critical perception of their reality. local and then think about global issues. For this, the methodological perspectives of Tozoni-Reis (2009) were used about the guidelines in Environmental Education research and the analyzes of the selected photographs were constructed from the method described by Panofsky (1979) contemplating denotative and interpretive elements of the images. Based on analyzes and discussions based on the basic theoretical framework of this study, a proposal was built to be carried out by teachers working in Environmental Education in the light of the path proposed by Saviani (1983) for teaching processes supported by Historical-Critical Pedagogy. It was concluded that the proposed theoretical and practical path opens several possibilities for the generation of critical and sensitive stimuli considering scientific and popular knowledge. In addition, it will enable ties and approximation with the identity of values of the students' community, representing a singularity of community values, memories and singularities, contemplating Emotional and rational skills and building cultural resistances in counterpoint to global reality

“I had a spider in my mouth”: What makes students happy in outdoor environmental education programs

The study contributes to program design and evaluation practice in outdoor environmental education by identifying instructional strategies crucial for student satisfaction. Student satisfaction is a major factor in the overall success of outdoor environmental education programs. While the impact of these programs on student knowledge, attitudes, and behavior has been assessed often, student satisfaction has been subject of much less research. This study analyzes student satisfaction with four outdoor environmental education programs in the Czech Republic. The authors collected qualitative (N = 68) and quantitative (N = 323) data from the program participants after they had completed their respective programs. According to the results, the students appreciate a clearly defined program with meaningful activities. Also important is the role of the program leader and the students’ having the opportunity to influence the activities during their free time in the program. Student satisfaction can in some cases be decreased by challenging weather and by demanding social interactions with their peers.

Diagnosis of Water Quality in an Urban Wetland

Purpose: The objective was to evaluate the water quality based on physical and chemical parameters in different quadrants of an urban wetland and correlate variables that may show possible natural and anthropogenic polluting sources. Theoretical framework: Wetlands are essential ecosystems for the maintenance of ecological balance, biodiversity of organisms, and water reserves. Studies on water quality in urban wetlands are important for understanding their preservation level, elucidating the need for possible conservationist actions. Method/design/approach: The wetland area was divided into four quadrants; water samples were collected for analysis of physical and chemical. When possible, the results were compared with the limits established by the CONAMA Resolution 357/2005 (class 1), which deals with surface waters, and with the literature. Results and conclusion: The Quadrant 3, which presented riparian forest, invasive species, and high deposition of solid waste, showed a greater degree of environmental impact. Changes in several physical and chemical parameters indicate that the impairment of water quality in the evaluated wetland is mainly due to the anthropogenic action of the surrounding population. Research implications: The analysis of wetland water quality as an indicator of socio-environmental actions can be implemented and stimulate public power actions, ensuring its preservation. Originality/value: Studies in urban wetlands are rare. The irregular occupation on the banks denotes a socio-environmental issue. Wetlands are a valuable resource for environmental education practices in schools.

Products Evaluation of Environmental Education Curriculum/Program Implementation in the University of Calabar, Nigeria

This study evaluates the implementation of the environmental education curriculum in the Department of Environmental Education, University of Calabar, Nigeria. Using the expost facto research design, nine objectives were pursued. These include: 6 strategic objectives, the curriculum content, career prospects of graduates, and lecturer’s pedagogic knowledge and problems militating against the effective implementation of Environmental Education (E.E). A sample of 969 graduates of Environmental Education from 1997-2021, were the respondents. The researchers used an open and closed ended questionnaire with a modified four-point Likert scale response options that they designed as an instrument to collect information. Simple percentages were used for data analysis. The results of the analyses show that the curriculum content of Environmental Education as in force today is not adequate. The knowledge and awareness acquired when they studied E.E. did not help them enough to solve their community environmental problems. However, Environmental Education built their skills and prepared them well to actively participate in solving current environmental problems. Some of the lecturers who taught these respondents at undergraduate levels have the requisite pedagogic knowledge of the subject matter but, the government who is a signatory to the implementation of Environmental Education is not serious about engaging these graduates. Overall, Thirteen problems were identified as factors hampering the effective implementation of Environmental Education curriculum, and 13 feasible solutions were proffered by the respondents. It was concluded that Environmental Education in the University of Calabar has achieved some level of success, despite the fact that there are some issues that needs to be addressed to get the complete success anticipated by the crafter of the program’s objectives. It was recommended among others that a regulatory body should be created to regulate the practice of Environmental Education in Nigeria.

환경교육강사의 교육 경험에 관한 연구

Environmental education aims to solve a variety of problems around all kinds of pending environmental issues. In South Korea, environmental education has developed in a dual system between school environmental education provided by environment teachers as part of the school's subject curriculums and social environmental education provided by environmental education instruction in the community outside the school. Today school environmental education has shrunk considerably while needs for environmental education in the community grow day by day. In this situation, environmental education instructors outside the school provide students with environmental education by visiting schools themselves as well as in the community outside the school, covering most of practical environmental education for students. In the area of education, there have been no full researches on environmental education outside the school and especially environmental education instructors providing the education. This study thus set out to investigate the educational experiences of environmental education instructors by selecting four environmental education instructors as research participants and conducting an in-depth interview with them in June~September, 2021.
 The findings show that environmental education instructors took various chances to begin providing education and there was a high degree of diversity in the content of education and the aspects of growth through educational experiences among the instructors. These findings once again demonstrated the value of diversity that environmental education should guarantee. The environmental education instructors all made many efforts to provide the right education on all sorts of discriminating environmental matters while pursuing diversity. A high level of spontaneity demonstrated by the instructors in the process became an important foothold for their self-growth. The uniqueness of individual environmental education instructors was reflected on environmental education in various ways, and their enriched educational experiences added further diversity to their unique educational capabilities. These findings raise a need for social and educational supports to help the content and methods of environmental education develop in a productive manner in harmony with the uniqueness of environmental education instructors. It is also needed to provide institutional supports for the management of environmental education to guarantee diversity and flexibility like today and, at the same time, ensure systematic long-term education.

Expert Teachers’ Perceptions of Their Students’ Environmental Literacy and the Practice of Environmental Education

Abstract Effective environmental education (EE) is urgent as climate change and environmental degradation are proceeding. More theoretical models to enhance the effectiveness of environmental education are constantly presented, but a comprehensive view from teachers’ perspectives is absent. This paper presents unique results from expert ENO Schoolnet Association’s (ENO) expert EE teacher group interviews from the World Summit of Students for Climate Event (WSSC). These educators represent over 40 nations. The group interviews explore the teachers’ perceptions of their students’ environmental literacy and teaching of EE. The data were analyzed with content analysis. The results point out that these expert EE teachers feel that most students fail to achieve operational environmental literacy. This paper examines the potential school-related and student-related barriers preventing this operational literacy. Furthermore, the EE provided by the teachers usually lacks behavioral literacy methods. At the same time, the teachers feel that these methods should be emphasized to ensure the effectiveness of EE. In the future, it would be useful to study environmental clubs’ potential to overcome some of the barriers and promote pro-environmental actions.

EDUCAÇÃO AMBIENTAL E O USO SUSTENTÁVEL DA ÁGUA NA AMAZÔNIA: UMA ANÁLISE DAS PERCEPÇÕES AMBIENTAIS DE ALUNOS DO ENSINO FUNDAMENTAL II NA ESCOLA MUNICIPAL FRANCISCO GUEDES DE QUEIROZ SITUADA NA CIDADE DE MANAUS-AM/BRASIL

The process of industrialization and urbanization development has led to environmental degradation and a gradual decline in the quality of life of the world's population. In the Amazon, this process acquires fundamental importance, especially in the context of water resources in urban spaces and one of the most necessary actions to build water management mechanisms is educational action. In this sense, environmental education reflects the importance of assigning relevance to individual and collective participation in maintaining the natural cycle of life in all its construction and application dynamics. In this way, educational institutions have the responsibility to train and guide students and communities to better understand their cultural concepts and expand the meaning of actions in the context of environmental education practices. Considering this context, the theme selected for this research was the sustainable use of water, with the main objective of analyzing the environmental perceptions of elementary school students in Manaus, Amazonas, on this theme in the Amazon. The descriptive research had a qualitative-quantitative approach and was carried out through digital platforms with students from the Francisco Guedes de Queiroz Municipal School. The work developed comprised a total of 89 students from the 6th and 7th year and a smaller group with 5 students from the 6th year. A questionnaire was applied, with structured, objective and subjective questions, sent by the Google Forms platform to the cell phones of the students' guardians. The results showed that students' perception on the subject is still limited, but it already reflects a view on the need for environmental protection. Environmental Education activities are fundamental for the insertion of themes experienced by students in the construction of knowledge and citizenship. This theme emphasizes the current need for environmental education in a systematized environment, which arouses the interest of students, bringing benefits to society, and which aims to form a responsible citizen. Therefore, in order to carry out environmental education in everyday school life, teaching and learning must be based on real knowledge, on the experience and coexistence of students, and seek to develop critical awareness and skills in the school community.

The structure of the institutional model of formation of youth ecological culture: regional aspects

Aim. To develop a justification of the structure of the institutional model for the formation of environmental culture of young people as a holistic structure that integrates the various actors in this process, as well as the available resources and implemented technologies to achieve the aims of sustainable regional development.Material and Methods. The empirical justification of the proposed model was based on 14 focus group interviews conducted in the Krasnodar region in 2022 with representatives of young people, expert sessions with representatives of institutional structures involved in the implementation of practices to form the ecological culture of young people (12 expert sessions), online questioning of young people (sample size 1600 respondents). The case-study method was used to analyse eco-oriented practices in the field of youth and educational policy.Results. The authors identified and characterised the main subjects involved in the formation of the ecological culture of young people, the set of technologies used (information and communication, game and project) and the resources and principles that determine the effectiveness of environmental education and educational practices. The authors propose a structure of the institutional model of the process and the results of formation and development of youth ecological culture, revealing its cognitive, value, emotional and activity components in the context of sustainable regional development.Conclusion. The universal nature of the structure of the proposed model allows us to extrapolate the main results in the system of pedagogical support of the development of youth ecological culture in the activities of educational providers, as well as creating a basis for their institutionalisation in the activities of the executive authorities and bodies working with young people, not only in the Krasnodar Territory but also in other regions of the Russian Federation.

대학생의 환경소양 관련 변인의 특성 탐색 및 계열과 성별에 따른 차이 분석

Objectives In this study, the university students’ characteristics about environmental skills, environmental affection, and environmental behavior were explored to derive implications for the design and practice of environmental education.
 Methods The survey consists of three dimensions of environmental skills, environmental affection, and environmental behavior. The environmental affection dimension consists of subcategories of environmental attitudes and environmental hope, and the environmental behavior dimension consists of subcategories of environmental practice and environmental participation. The survey was conducted to 57 university students in Gyeonggi-do, and the results were collected. Responses to questions by category, correlation between categories, differences in responses by major, and by gender were analyzed.
 Results As a results of analyzing the responses by category, environmental attitude in the environmental affection dimension, showed a relatively high value compared to other categories. In terms of correlation between categories, correlations were found between the two categories in affection dimensions, between the categories in skill and behavior dimensions, as well as between categories in affection and behavior dimensions. In terms of differences by major, the students majoring in humanities and social science showed higher levels of environmental attitude in the affection dimension than those majoring in science and engineering, and female students showed higher levels of environmental participation in the behavior dimension than male students did.
 Conclusions Based on the results, an environmental education considering environmental skill, environmental affection, and environmental behavior in a balanced way was proposed, and a pedagogical suggestions for the design and practice of environmental education was discussed.

The Role of Environmental Education and Green Supply Chain Practices in Achieving Sustainable Development: Evidence from Indonesia

Globally, environmental education and green supply chain (GSC) practices are considered essential elements for sustainable development, and this aspect needs new literature and policymakers' attention. Hence, the present article examines the impact of GSC practices on the sustainable development of manufacturing organizations in Indonesia. The article also investigates the moderating role of environmental education among green purchasing, IEM, and sustainable development in manufacturing organizations in Indonesia. The study applies primary data collection technologies such as survey questionnaires to gather primary data from respondents. The study also applies the smart-PLS to test the association among variables. The outcomes revealed that eco-design, green purchasing, and IEM have a positive linkage with sustainable development in manufacturing organizations in Indonesia. The outcomes also exposed the environmental education significantly moderating among green purchasing, IEM, and sustainable development in ABC organizations in Indonesia. The article guides the regulators in developing regulations regarding sustainable development using GSC practices and environmental education.

Features of the Implementation of Environmental Education in the Urban Environment

This article discusses the features of the implementation of environmental education in the urban environment. The problems associated with limited access to natural resources and the lack of ecological zones in cities are considered. It also provides a variety of approaches to environmental education, offering methods that can help teachers and students to realize the importance of environmental conservation. The article also looks at some examples of good practice in environmental education in cities.

Environmental Education Practices in Russia: Experience in the Context of History

The article presents a retrospective analysis aimed at identifying historical traditions, within which the methodology of domestic environmental education was formed. The relevance of the problem raised is connected with the need to study the historical experience of previous generations, the established traditions of nature conservation and protection, which made it possible to form the basic principles and activity practices of ecological culture and its basic component - ecological education. The presented analysis made it possible to identify the main lines of development of environmental education, which are directly related to key practices in the field of state regulation of environmental activities, ethical and environmental scientific thought and social environmental movements in their unity. At present, the experience and traditions of environmental education are becoming in demand, as they provide a real opportunity to solve modern environmental problems. Using the example of studying the processes of institutionalization of environmental education, the authors substantiate the thesis that a systematic approach in the unity of the triad “law-science-society” is the center of crystallization of a new image of environmental culture in the context of environmental education, aimed at the formation of public practices of respect for the environment.

Wczesna edukacja środowiskowa w epoce człowieka – od uczenia się o świecie do uczenia się i stawania razem ze światem

Implications of human-induced phenomena that include global warming and the drastic reduction of biodiversity adversely affect the entire biosphere, putting the existence of humans and non-human beings at risk. Shifting away from considering humans to be the centre of the world and viewing them as one of many equal elements that comprise that world is seen as the remedy for the resulting state of affairs. Education is believed to play a significant role in transforming the way people think about themselves and their position in the world. In view of the thesis presented above, the aim of this article is to demonstrate the changes occurring in the theory and practice of early environmental education, representing a specific response of its creators to the challenges of the human age. From a theoretical viewpoint, these changes involve a shift beyond ideas of anthropocentrism and turn to theories that show the world as a complex human-post-human community. At a practical level, this takes the form of what is referred to as a common worlds pedagogy. The author’s thesis is that practising a common worlds pedagogy enables children not only to learn about the world but also to learn and become with the world.

Integrating environmental education in training regimens

The article examines the effectiveness of incorporating environmental education and sustainability practices into the training regimens of 'belt wrestling' wrestlers. Experimental data reveals the development of stable equilibrium under rotational movements, primarily conducted during static and dynamic efforts. The analysis explores how the intersection of environmental education and physical training can enhance the performance and longevity of these athletes. Keywords. Environmental Education, Static and Dynamic Efforts, Wrestling 'belt wrestling', Sustainability in Sports, Balance Maintenance, Vestibular System, Motor Skills

Common-Sense Cognition in the Practice of Environmental Education of the Catholic Church

From the point of view of environmental protection issues, the subject of common-sense cognition appears to be an important source of knowledge. Such cognition facilitates a proper and distortion-free assessment of the current condition of the societal and natural environment, and consequently orientates man to take preventive and protective measures in the areas that require such undertakings.
 This paper presents a holistic approach to the issues related to the urgent need to cover the societal and natural space with protective measures, which are reflected in the practice of the educational mission of the Catholic Church together with her associations and charitable organisations. The aforementioned mission is related to the humanistic reflection on the environmental crisis and constitutes a practical and educational platform. Both activities of Christian communities use data taken from common-sense cognition, which is a valuable tool in obtaining and determining reliable information.

A review of Teaching and Learning for Change: Education and Sustainability in South Africa Edited by Ingrid Schudel, Zintle Songqwaru, Sirkka Tshiningayamwe and Heila Lotz-Sisitka

Achieving environmental education within the current South African school system feels akin to putting eggs into a beer crate. But such is the difficulty, delicacy and discomfort of the project of system change we are struggling within, to remake and reimagine our relationships in and with the world. South African environmental educators and researchers have been involved in this task over the past 40 years. As the book Teaching and Learning for Change: Education and sustainability in South Africa shows, the school system is animportant place to start, as a meeting point of knowledge and learning and as a site in which young South Africans spend much of their time. This book not only tells a story of efforts towards realising environmental learning within the school system over the last 10 years of the Fundisa (learning) for Change Programme but it distills the significant lessons for the context of environmental education practice, going forward.

EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AS THE BASIS FOR FORMING THE ECOLOGICAL CULTURE OF FUTURE SPECIALISTS

The article examines the problem of education for sustainable development as a basis for the formation of the ecological culture of future specialists. The possibility of synthesis of humanitarian and ecological knowledge through the eco-humanitarian paradigm of thinking has been established. The essence of such concepts as “humanization” and “humanitarianization” in relation to the educational process is defined. It has been proved that the strategy of humanization and humanitarianization of all spheres of human activity is currently becoming the main reference point of the vast majority of futurological forecasts related to the future of humanity.The essence of environmental education is considered. It has been established that environmental education as education for sustainable development is one of the leading links of global education, a system of international cooperation aimed at preserving human civilization on the planet. The humanitarian aspects of modern environmental education in combination with the global concept of sustainable development are considered. The principles and priorities of sustainable development as the most important component of the foundation for the development of the theory and practice of modern environmental education are revealed.The definition of sustainable development is given as a way of life of the world community, in which the main task is to ensure normal conditions for the population of the planet without limiting the interests of future generations. The connection between the period of sustainable development and the change in environmental awareness and environmental culture of society as a whole has been proved. The humanitarian educational paradigm is highlighted, which is aimed at revealing the spiritual, intellectual and moral potential of the individual for the benefit of the individual himself, in which environmental education plays a strategic role in the process of modernizing the educational space in the direction of its humanization.The relationship between the strategy of interaction between man and nature, ecological culture and ecological competence is revealed. It has been proved that the most important component of environmental culture is the environmental competence of an individual. It has been established that ecological competence includes such life values and attitudes, which are based on the self-worth of the surrounding living nature and the planet as a whole and the conviction of a person that he is responsible for their preservation as a result of his intelligence. The definition of the ecological competence of the individual is presented as a stable system of views and beliefs of the individual on nature, on the relationship between nature and society, on the planet as a place of existence of humanity, on man's awareness of himself as a subject of the development of nature. It has been proved that the main thing in education for sustainable development is its general cultural, active orientation, which is aimed at the formation of such personality qualities that provide it with the readiness and ability to take environmentally safe actions in the environment, and the ideal goal of environmental education is the development of ecological culture (the formation of ecological values, ecocentric worldview, ecologically oriented behavior).
 Keywords: sustainable development; formation; ecological culture; future specialists; ecological competence of the individual; education for sustainable development; ecological education.