Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-xbtfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-17T18:14:29.463Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Teacher Education in Environmental Education – Does it Work?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 June 2015

Bert McConnell
Bert McConnell*
Affiliation:
Christchurch College of Education, New Zealand
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

This paper summarises a research project carried out by the author on the effectiveness of pre-service teacher education in environmental education in New Zealand. Secondary pre-service teacher education students who had opted for a 20 hour course in environmental education expressed a high degree of satisfaction with the course but this begged the question of what would happen to them once they hit the reality of the classroom in a country which then had no policy or curriculum guidelines on environmental education. The author followed up eleven graduates from the 1996 course and six from 1997 to see if they were teaching, if they were teaching environmental education and how they now felt about their teacher training. The results were mixed – but some were teaching environmental education. They all continued to speak highly of their College training in environmental education and all but one would encourage others to do the course. However classroom management problems, staff cynicism and a lack of status for environmental education had created difficulties for them. Several had already given up on teaching as a career and others were considering leaving. Strategies to counter these disturbing trends are outlined as recommendations to the College and the wider education community.

The key to successful environmental education is the classroom teacher. If the teachers do not have the knowledge, skills and commitment to environmentalise their curriculum it is unlikely environmentally literate students will be produced (Wilke 1985, p. 1).

Type
Research Article
Information
Australian Journal of Environmental Education , Volume 17 , 2001 , pp. 35 - 39
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

References

Aronowitz, W. and Giroux, H. 1985, Education Under Siege: The Conservative, Liberal and Radical debate over Schooling, Bergen & Ganey, South Hadley, USA.Google Scholar
Bogdan, and Biklen, 1992, Qualifative Research for Education: An Introduction to Theory and Methods, Allyn & Bacon, Boston.Google Scholar
Chidlow, H. 1997, Environmental Education in Auckland Schools. Unpublished research paper submitted in partial fulfilment of the degree of Master of Education, Deakin University.Google Scholar
Elsey, B. 1989, Doing Research Projects: An Introductory Guide, first published in Connole, H., Smith, B. and Wiseman, R., Issues and Methods in Research, Distance Education Centre, University of South Australia, Adelaide, S.A. Google Scholar
Fien, J. and Tilbury, D. 1996, Learning for a Sustainable Environment: An Agenda for Teacher Education in Asia and the Pacific, UNESCO, Bangkok, Thailand.Google Scholar
Locke, L.F., Spirduso, W.W. and Silverman, S.J. 1993, ‘Preparation of proposals for qualitative research’, Proposals that Work, Sage Publications, New York, Ch 5, pp. 96–118 (extract).Google Scholar
Oulton, C. and Scott, W. 1995, ‘The environmentally educated teacher’, Environmental Education Research, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 213–231.Google Scholar
Rust, F.O'C. 1994, ‘The first year of teaching: It's not what they expected’, Teaching and Teacher Education, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 250–217.Google Scholar
Stevenson, R.B. 1987, ‘Schooling and environmental education: Contradiction in purpose and practice’, in Robottom, I. ed, Environmental Educational: Practice and Possibility, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria.Google Scholar
Swale, M. and Mousley, J. 1995, ‘An historical study: Researching the development of V.C.E. Mathematics, Horizons Images and Experiences: The Research Story Collection, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria.Google Scholar
UNESCO-UNEP 1975, ‘The Belgrade Charter’, Connect, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 1–9.Google Scholar
UNESCO-UNEP 1977, ‘The Tibilsi Declaration’, Connect, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 1–8.Google Scholar
UNESCO-UNEP 1990, ‘Environmentally educated teachers: the priority of priorities?’ The Journal of Environmental Education, vol. 3, pp. 11–17.Google Scholar
Wilke, R. 1985, ‘Mandating pre service environmental education teacher training: the Wisconsin experience’, Journal of Environmental Education, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 1–18.Google Scholar