Search

Research in environmental education adopts a broad concept of environmental literacy, recognizing the multifaceted nature that encompasses cognitive, affective, and behavioral components. However, minimal research has examined how these components interact with each other across various cities. The present study aims to fill this gap by investigating the interplay between the components of environmental literacy, such as affiliation with nature, environmental knowledge, and environmental behavior. More importantly, the study explores how these relationships vary across different cities that differ in sustainable development levels. Children (N = 979, M[subscript age] = 11.13) from 29 cities in China completed measures of affiliation with nature, environmental literacy, and pro-environmental behavior (PEB). We classified the cities into high versus low sustainable development levels using the Low-Carbon and Green Index--a comprehensive measure of sustainable development, including energy consumption, carbon emissions, and public policy. A moderated mediation analysis revealed that environmental knowledge mediated the relation between affiliation with nature and PEB only in cities with higher sustainable levels. As a result, environmental education should be tailored to a city's sustainable development level to better encourage pro-environmental behavior.

The purpose of the present research is to determine science teachers' and biology teachers' awareness levels of environmental ethics in relation to different variables. The "Environmental Ethics Awareness Scale" developed by Özer and Keles (2016) was used in the research. The research is consisted of 237 people, including 130 science teachers and 107 biology teachers working in different school of Turkey. Independent t test, one way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Kruskal-Wallis analysis and Tukey significance test were used to determine the statistical significance of the obtained data in the research using relational screening model. According to research findings; it is understood that education level, graduation achievement, on the tenure of office and the having environment lesson does not make a meaningful difference for science teachers and biology teachers. However, gender and the institution that worked were significant differences (p<0.05) in the environmental awareness of science teachers.

Without depreciating the importance of environmental regulations directed to university environmental managements systems in this country, nowadays, the instruments of international importance like the Sustainable Development Goals or ONU's 2030 Agenda; as well as those of domestic nature, like sustainability indicators proposed by the Mexican Consortium of University Environmental Programs for Sustainable Development (Complexus) to measure the contribution of Higher Education Institutions to sustainability (HES), and those indicated by the Interinstitutional Committees for Higher Education Evaluation (CIEES) and the organisms that make up the Council for the Accreditation of Higher Education (COPAES), pose great challenges to universities as institutions that form human capital who are aware of their relationship with nature. This forces the university to rebuild its sustainability view based on the premise that all activities relative to its substantive functions are related to socio-environmental issues on the region. Due to this, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC), coherent to its environmental management institutional plan, defined in the Institutional Development Plan, must structure a series of indicators which allow the evaluation of its sustainability policy. The purpose of this research is to develop an environmental management model bound to performance indicators that allow UABC to progressively assume the task of answering the environmental challenges posed by its surroundings, trying to strengthen its curricula, in order for its programs to be more relevant and appropriate with social, economic, cultural, and environmental priorities.

Light pollution has emerged with the industrial development in recent decades. It is becoming a significant environmental issue for cities today and it will probably become more important in the near future. However, very little research has been carried out on this issue in the field of science teaching, despite there being a general agreement that education has an important contribution to make in the protection of the environment. This research analyses this problem in secondary education, through the official curriculum and textbooks published for the Valencian Region (Spain). We have based the research on the "Content analysis" method. Light pollution, despite being included in the Spanish compulsory secondary education curriculum, is an issue that is barely touched on in the majority of the first and second year Natural Science textbooks analysed.

Copperbelt Province is one of the ten provinces of Zambia. It has public and private schools which have been faced with escalating levels of environmental problems due to growth in human population and economic growth. The environmental problems which are matters of concern in the schools include, unsound waste management, loss of vegetation cover, runoffs, and water and air pollution. The integrated environmental management approach could help reduce and curb the escalating levels of environmental degradation. The study was aimed at generating information on the levels to which the IEM intervention has been implemented in the public and private schools of Kitwe and Kalulushi districts in the Copperbelt. It focused on the existence of integrated environmental management activities and related IEM plans. It also ascertained the understanding of the IEM approach, the national environmental legislations and compliance. In addition, the research focused on finding out how schools are managing the problems of waste and runoffs. A purposive non- random sampling approach was used to obtain data from the study area, focusing on key stakeholder representatives from ZEMA, local authorities, DEBS, and the teachers from primary and secondary schools.The study showed that participants have a narrow and limited knowledge of the IEM. Integrated environmental management plans were not in existence. There was also lack of understanding of the national environmental legislations and sound waste management. The results also implied that there is little or no collaboration between the schools, local authorities and ZEMA. Important documents regarding national legislations regarding environmental management (such as the EMA. No. 12 of 2011) have not been availed to the public and private schools. It is evident that the stakeholders need to narrow the gap existing between them.

Climate change regulation, being imbued with multiscalar complexities, economic concerns, and numerous constitutional implications, presents a rich pedagogical context for teaching business regulation. However, environmental law, as an instructional topic, can be quite complex and daunting to present to students. The topic presents issues of international scale and is often rife with complex scientific debate and solutions. The class assignments presented in this article seek to diffuse the complexity by offering a combination of interactive, web-based activities and reflective, written assignments intended to incrementally advance students through the study of climate change regulation. Through these assignments, students will improve their understanding of the underlying national and international debate, federal and state regulatory tensions, and predicted harms and proposed solutions. The article presents a case study that begins with an interactive, web-based activity that explores public opinion regarding scientific claims and proper regulatory responses to climate change. Part II addresses the complexities of climate change regulation. Part III continues by offering an overview of climate change policymaking efforts at the global, national, and state levels, providing context for both the U.N. negotiation assignment and the incentive for national Clean Air Act (CAA) citizen suits. Part IV examines the citizen suit provisions of the CAA, explaining the legislative purpose for granting citizens a regulatory role in monitoring agency action and polluter violations. This part also provides a straightforward explanation of the types of citizen suit defendants, claims and remedies, in a format easily adaptable for class lecture. Part V proceeds to a discussion of the Supreme Court's ruling in Massachusetts. Part VI describes the teaching assignments, and the conclusion is presented in Part VII.

Through building the environmental monitoring curriculum system for application-oriented talents, the comprehensive design and practice were constructed from the syllabus, textbooks, web-based courses, top-quality courses, test paper bank, open laboratory and scientific research etc. The aims are to promote environmental science professional, strengthen the analysis ability, broaden the students' field of vision, optimize the environmental science major teaching, and improve multilevel integrated design and practical analysis, which ultimately cultivate the students capable of solid knowledge, theory and skills in environmental science.

Aspects of environmental crisis (industrialization, explosive growth of population and urbanization) have a negative effect on the environment. However, they also impact the mentality of population (for example, urbanization has lead to the decreasing numbers of adults and children having a direct contact with the natural environment). Environmental education and education for sustainable development has developed from the concern of destruction of environment and anthropocentric mentality. Experts are convinced that education based on environmental ethics leads to a quality future. The author analyses the currently valid Curriculum for kindergartens in Slovenia from the aspect of sustainable development. In the second empirical part of the article, the author presents the research that was conducted in order to get the answer to that how the Slovenian kindergartens include sustainable development into daily praxis. (Contains 3 tables.)

It is no coincidence that many of the "Grand Challenges for Engineering" (National Academy of Engineering, 2007-2010)--such as carbon sequestration--address environmental problems that were precipitated by human inventiveness and engineering achievements. Although people recognize their dependence upon environmental processes to provide essential resources and ecosystem services, such as food and air purification, their understanding of the interconnections between the environment and technological activities has often been insufficient to predict technological impacts upon the environment. As evidence mounts that technological actions threaten the viability of ecosystems and public health, it is imperative that all citizens improve their environmental literacy and technology assessment skills if they are to break this untenable cycle and make progress toward sustainability. Practicing technology educators need professional development opportunities to enhance both their environmental and technological literacy. The EnviroTech Project, made possible by a grant by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and Ball State University, aimed to address this need. EnviroTech was a web-enabled professional development project, which occurred in the spring of 2009. This document describes the results of EnviroTech in terms of the impact it had upon a cohort of 19 practicing technology teachers. The mission of EnviroTech was to develop (1) understandings of environmental processes and systems; (2) skills for identifying, analyzing, and assessing the impacts of technology upon the environment; and (3) skills in the use of guided inquiry, an instructional strategy where teachers structure and scaffold the examination of problems and gaps in knowledge. (Contains 2 figures and 5 tables.)

A green public sphere is important for the free environmental communication in a country. However, this concept is relatively new to the public in China. Here we show that the PM2.5 event in 2011 play an important role in the formation of a green public sphere in China. First, we reviewed the PM2.5 event in China and the basic theory of green public sphere. Next, we investigated the role of the PM2.5 event in the formation of a green public sphere in China. Finally, we concluded that a green public sphere has complicated structures and is multilayered.

The purpose of this paper is to describe how the environment and environmental issues are conceptualized and positioned in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) to examine underlying assumptions about the environment. The NGSS are a recent set of science standards in the USA, organized and led by Achieve Inc., that propose science education goals based on the National Research Council report, A Framework for K-12 Science Education. Drawing from critical discourse analysis, we present a detailed textual analysis of the NGSS to identify the positioning of the environment with respect to humans and human activity. This analysis shows patterns in the ways that the environment is conceptualized and inscribed in the standards as an entity separate from people through both exclusion and ambiguity. We also discuss findings about how agency is more often ascribed to actions or activities rather than people and when solutions to environmental issues are included, the focus is on technoscientific solutions. Finally, we provide implications for considering scientific and environmental literacy, education for action, and the role of standards documents in shaping educational practice.

This study analyzes relationships between socio-demographic factors (age, sex, education, and household income) and environmental awareness related to the eco-policy in Toyota City, Japan. Previous research has shown that citizens' environmental awareness improved significantly after the city was designated as an environmental model city by the Japanese government in 2009. However, this research did not consider socio-demographic factors, which may be linked to variations in environmental awareness. Using a questionnaire survey, this study addresses this research gap. The findings suggest that education and household income are significantly associated with environmental awareness. Some recommendations for promoting eco-policy are discussed.

This study tested the effect of four short videos appealing to environmental values on home irrigation users' intent to use good irrigation and fertilization practices. The videos were largely ineffective, and there was only a small effect on one of the behaviors within the fertilizer loss treatment group. Implications point to a need for environmental education professionals to develop strategies to address environmental issues fatigue and conduct audience research that informs communications and educational programs. Environmental education professionals should encourage water protection with nonenvironmental appeals, possibly by connecting to personal or social values.

Environmental degradation, including the depletion of natural resources, the distortion of environmental aesthetics, diminished physical infrastructure, and the poisoning of essential environmental supplies involving air, water, and soil abridge environmental quality, particularly for those who are impoverished, possess qualities that do not fit acceptable racial or ethnic stereotypes, face physical barriers preventing social integration, or who are encapsulated in communities in which societal disinvestment weakens quality of environment. Visual methods for documenting environmental degradation are useful in identifying and assessing this social issue from the perspectives of people and groups that face marginalization. Such methods are useful for sensitizing social work students to environmental degradation, heightening students' understanding of environmental injustice, and alerting them to how environmental quality is an essential aim of social work practice.

This study investigated newspaper coverage of Florida red tide blooms in four metropolitan areas of Southwest Florida during a 25-year period, 1987-2012. We focused on how journalists framed red tide stories with respect to environmental risk, health risk, and economic risk. We determined risk to be a key factor in this news coverage, being an aspect of coverage of red tide itself in terms of environmental risk, tourism risk, and public health risk. The study found that red tide news coverage is most often framed as an environmental story.

We provide an overview of research in sustainability education. We argue that the interconnectedness of environmental sustainability programs at K-12 schools is one metric by which sustainability education can be conceptualized. We present a new measure of whole-school sustainability, or "interconnectedness," and then use it to compare U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools. In total, we compare 59 different schools, with a total of 289 sustainability projects. Finally, we provide an analysis of differences between schools that are certified as sustainable. Using the results from our cross-school comparison, we provide recommendations and strategies that appear to promote interconnectedness or whole-school sustainability.

Colonizing processes take many forms. Although they are generally related to the use of force, they may also happen through subtler means such as education, and subconsciously, whenever educational proposals are designed to suit a wide variety of contexts. This essay suggests that environmental pedagogies should be based on a dialogical mindset and methods, where all participants are seen as subjects and there is no desire to coerce, seduce, correct, convert or persuade others. Based on the bibliographical review, the article unveils the concept of dialogue and recommends four important skills for the creation of dialogical spaces. In times when cultural standardization leads to environmental degradation, dialogical pedagogies foster a better comprehension of individuals' and collectives' identities and, by doing so, collaborate with the maintenance of socio-diversity.

One thing about which there is widespread consensus is that the earth and its inhabitants are in social and environmental peril. This is where the consensus ends, however, for there is equally widespread disagreement as to the nature and causes of the problems (more social or more environmental), the severity of the problems (for whom are they recognised and felt as problems), and the most appropriate and effective solutions necessary to deal with them. This paper argues for the adoption of a critical, feminist perspective in examining the area of Environmental Education (EE) as an "appropriate response" to this globally perceived socio-environmental crisis. The author takes a close look at what a feminist perspective on the field of EE might look like by examining a feminist view of "environment" and "environmental problem." [This paper is reproduced with modification and permission from the Deakin monograph "Environmental Education: Practice and Possibility," published by Deakin University Press, 1987.]

There is a paucity of research in Australia on the nature of young people's attitudes, knowledge and actions. This paper reports on the findings from one such study of Australian high school students. The research was based on a survey of 5,688 students form Melbourne and Brisbane. These young people identified protection of the environment as the most important problem in Australia and strongly supported the belief systems characteristic of an "environmental paradigm". Despite this, the majority displayed relatively low levels of knowledge of key environmental concepts, and were involved in little environmental action-taking outside of household activities. Differences are reported between: students from Melbourne and Brisbane: girls and boys; high performing and general schools; and teacher and students. The paper concludes with a discussion of some implications for environmental education in Australia.

Three former Soviet republics occupy Central Asia's Ferghana Valley, a region of serious transborder environmental problems, especially ones that involve water and energy. Most news organizations in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan provide little in-depth coverage of these issues. Journalists in one country usually do not seek news sources in the others. Journalists and media experts cite such reasons as avoidance of controversy, self-censorship, lack of access to information, little collaboration, inadequate professional skills, and weak minority-language media.

The school textbooks have been a useful site for inquiry into ways environmentalism is communicated. Rooted in the dominant social value of exploiting nature to satisfy human desire, shallow environmentalism treats environmental and ecological destruction by addressing immediate physical symptoms but refuses to reflect critically on the underlying cultural, political, and ideological matters. This study presents an eco-critical discourse analysis of five series of state-sanctioned English as foreign language textbooks currently used in China to discover whether and how shallow environmentalism is represented in these materials. Shallow environmentalism was analyzed as taking three forms: the first, obscuring human agency in environmental destruction; the second, overusing linear problem-solution discourse patterns; and the third, positively portraying the Chinese government's role in environmental protection. A document study of these materials found that their purpose in exploring environmental topics mainly functioned to raise awareness of environmental issues rather than encourage real active participation and transformational practice.