This article describes future trends in environmental education (EE) research based on a mixed-methods study where data were collected through a content analysis of peer-reviewed articles published in EE journals between 2005 and 2010; interviews with experts engaged in EE research and sustainability-related fields; surveys with current EE researchers; and convenings with EE researchers and practitioners. We discuss four core thematic findings: (1) EE researchers are highlighting the importance of collective and community learning and action; (2) EE researchers are placing increased emphasis on the intersection of learning within the context of social-ecological communities (e.g. links between environmental quality and human well-being); (3) a pressing need exists for research conducted with urban and diverse populations; and (4) research around social media and other information technologies is of great interest, yet currently is sparse.Keywords: environmental education research; research agenda; mixed methods; interviews; content analysis; global trends Introduction and study background The urgency and interdependency of environmental and societal issues lead many to believe that immediate actions are necessary to stem the tide of biodiversity loss, climate destabilization, resource overuse, and other concerns (Ehrlich 2010;Orr 2009;Steffen et al. 2011). Environmental education (EE) can engage people of all ages to make informed decisions about these and similar issues, and to undertake actions appropriate to their local context (NAAEE 1996;UNESCO 1978). With application in urban and rural contexts, and drawing from natural and social science, EE is a multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary field (Krasny and Dillon 2012; UNESCO 1997).In the past, EE research has focused on pathways to engagement with environmental issues through such areas as curriculum, which promotes the integration of EE into formal schooling (e.g. Bartosh, Tudor, and Ferguson 2006;Lieberman and Hoody 1998); character development, leadership, and other life skills, which may *Corresponding author. Email: nmardoin@stanford.edu Environmental Education Research, 2013 Vol. 19, No. 4, 499-520, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2012 Low and Altman (1992) described as the move from 'theory development' to 'theory consolidation,' from which we can derive lessons for practice.To build the capacity of the field and help unify what, at times, can seem to be divergent voices, EE researchers and practitioners have become increasingly interested in considering where the field is situated in light of today's cultural, technological, social, and political contexts (Stevenson et al. forthcoming;Strife 2010). This reflexivity, critical to producing relevant scholarship, may also help prepare researchers to pursue agendas that inform emerging societal trends. To this end, numerous EE researchers have suggested potential agendas for research in EE and related fields (e.g. Fleishman et al. 2011).Summaries of EE research in the 1970s (Iozz...

This article critically examines the methodology and findings of the emergent environmentalism research project as reported in Environmental EducationResearch (EER), 4(4). We challenge both the ontological stance implicit in the research as well as its explicit epistemology. We argue for a wider theoretical underpinning to the research and specifically advocate the use of identity theories to explain personal and social phenomena. We also argue for the use of theoretical frameworks that empower rather than 'capture' cultural groups.

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