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This project used a story book for young readers (aged 6-8) to explore environmental identity features and their potential impact upon its young readers. A variety of different units of analysis from the narrative practice approach were employed to explore: (a) how the story's narrative constructs the environmental identity of the main character; (b) what kind of environmental identity it promotes; and (c) whether reading a story can be considered a 'proxy' of a 'formative' childhood experience in relation to the environment. The analysis showed a gradual construction of the main character's environmental identity; moving from passivity and ignorance to agency and knowledge. However, the notion of agency was rather limited to an individualistic agency that can potentially empower young readers to act on a local level without helping them to see environmental issues in a wider societal context. Finally, the idea of reading an environmental story as a 'formative' experience is discussed in relation to the aforementioned findings and to literature relevant within sustainability education pedagogies.

The article addressed the relationship between sustainability, Eco-schools and primary school Ofsted (Office for Standards in education) reports in England. The article examined the presence of education for sustainability in primary schools' Ofsted reports and their webpages. The primary schools selected were schools that had gained the title of Eco-Ambassador schools because they had reached the ultimate distinction in the Eco-school approach (held a Green flag). The study followed an exploratory approach employing qualitative content analysis of primary schools' Ofsted reports and their web pages. Overall, the findings indicated that neither the schools nor their Ofsted reports capitalised on the work they had invested towards sustainability and the Eco-school approach; also the relationship between the primary schools' work/ethos and their Ofsted reports is not an interactive one.

This article reports the results of a research study on the impact of environmental education (EE) upon English primary school teachers, and it then discusses the findings of the study in relation to education for sustainable development, as EE is considered one of the two precursors of education for sustainable development. The article begins by considering the development of EE in the English national curriculum of primary schools and then briefly outlines and reports two major findings of the study, comparing them against the new context of education for sustainable development. Overall, the article demonstrates how EE, the national curriculum and teachers have interacted with each other, while arguing that there seems to be a parallel course among education for sustainable development and EE in the national curriculum, with no apparent crossroad to link the two and explain how education for sustainable development is partly based on EE as well. The following are appended: (1) Research questions; and (2) Demographic characteristics of sample. (Contains 3 tables.)

In this essay the author uses a sample of Greek primary school teachers to investigate environmental education awareness in three counties of northern Greece. The author begins by outlining the status of environmental education in Greek primary schools. The author then states the study's rationale by defining the term "awareness" and moves on to discuss the methodological considerations that guided the project. This is followed by a presentation of the study's findings. Here the author shows that environmental education awareness is influenced by several philosophical notions about nature and that its implementation is mediated by both local and state factors. This then allows the author to offer recommendations for enhancing the current practices of environmental education and discuss future perspectives for it in Greece.

The article addressed the relationship between sustainability, Eco-schools and primary school Ofsted (Office for Standards in education) reports in England. The article examined the presence of education for sustainability in primary schools' Ofsted reports and their webpages. The primary schools selected were schools that had gained the title of Eco-Ambassador schools because they had reached the ultimate distinction in the Eco-school approach (held a Green flag). The study followed an exploratory approach employing qualitative content analysis of primary schools' Ofsted reports and their web pages. Overall, the findings indicated that neither the schools nor their Ofsted reports capitalised on the work they had invested towards sustainability and the Eco-school approach; also the relationship between the primary schools' work/ethos and their Ofsted reports is not an interactive one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]