Extracurricular Environmental Activities in Moroccan Middle Schools: Opportunities and Challenges to Promoting Effective Environmental Education

Abstract

The study aims to promote relevant and effective environmental education (EE) through extracurricular clubs. For this, we studied the state of play of environmental activities (EA) carried out by 48 environmental clubs belonging to urban and rural areas of the Regional Academy of Education Fez-Meknes, Morocco. These extracurricular environmental clubs remain so far without formal environmental education programs. In this study, we identified the bulk of programs offered by extracurricular environment clubs, including types of scheduled activities and percentages of achievement and student beneficiaries in urban and rural settings. In addition, we have identified the main barriers to achieving certain environmental activities. The significant correlations de tected between some of the variables studied allowed us to better explain the achievements and the weaknesses of these clubs. Finally, we have made recommendations to promote relevant and effective extracurricular environmental education.

Wastepreneurship: A Model in Improving Students’ Confidence and Creativity

“…Some studies show that there is relation between learning project with creativity improvement (Anazifa & Djukri, 2017;El-Batri et al, 2019;Suwarno et al, 2020). Projects activities need to be designed flexibly and give freedom for students to create.…”

Analysing students’ environmental awareness profile using strategic environmental assessment

“…49 A contextual aspect is required in environmental learning, since the scope of the problem is related to daily life, which pertains not only to knowledge but also to attitudes and skills to solve environmental issues. 50 One of the potential learning strategies that can be implemented is SSI. Culture, as a part of the social life for different generations, also requires attention.…”

Socio-Scientific Issues as a Vehicle to Promote Soft Skills and Environmental Awareness

“…Likewise, Negev et al (2008) described three categories of environmental literacy: knowledge (global studies, national issues, general ecological principles), attitudes (awareness, willingness to act, sensitivity to environmental problems and compassion for nature, sense of responsibility), and behavior (environmental, activism, consumption patterns, individual conservation, recreation involving nature). Environmental awareness has emerged as a major component of environmental literacy and the ultimate goal of environmental education (El-Batri et al, 2019;Nurwidodo et al, 2020;Saltan & Divarci, 2017).…”

“…It is hoped that increased environmental awareness will be accompanied by an active role in environmental conservation efforts. Students are expected to stimulate selfdevelopment through awareness of their responsibilities for environmental problems (Chen et al, 2020;El-Batri et al, 2019). This study uses pollution problems as an important topic in environmental science to explore the interaction between environmental awareness and PSTs' soft skills.…”