Transformative environmental education: a collective rehearsal for reality

Räthzel, Nora; Uzzell, David

doi:10.1080/13504620802567015

Cited by 71 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Orr (1992) (Littledyke, 2009;Rathzel & Uzzell, 2009;Sipos, Battisti & Grimm, 2008;Sterling, 2001). Transformative learning environments require the teacher to become a facilitator of learning, acknowledging students as active participants (Rathzel & Uzzell, 2009).…”

Section: Transformative Pedagogiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Transformative learning environments require the teacher to become a facilitator of learning, acknowledging students as active participants (Rathzel & Uzzell, 2009). Transformative education employs constructivist approaches that are engaging, meaningful and participative, because in order for change to be sustainable, it must be owned by the participants (Sterling, 2001).…”

Section: Transformative Pedagogiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Gentle cultivation for those students who have become hardened against science may allow them to learn like swales and, ultimately, use their science and sustainability learning to act like swales: re-invigorating overused landscapes, and redesigning for a truly sustainable future. Rathzel and Uzzell (2009) insist that learning to live sustainably on the planet is non-negotiable. Such learning would aim to promote ecological literacy (Orr, 1992), which I argued in Section 2.3.3 is enhanced by advances in scientific literacy (Figure 2.4).…”

Section: How Does a Permaculture Approach To Junior Secondary Sciencementioning

confidence: 99%

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Toward Ecological Literacy: A Permaculture Approach to Junior Secondary Science

Lebo¹,

Eames²,

Coll³

et al. 2013

Aust. J. environ. educ.

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Environmental, economic, and social trends suggest the need for more sustainable ways of thinking and patterns of behaviour. Such a shift would require humanity to function at high levels of ecological literacy, which relies on a certain amount of scientific literacy. However, troubling evidence indicates an international pattern of student disengagement with science at the secondary level. Evidence also suggests that it is difficult to integrate environmental or sustainability education at this level, both within New Zealand and elsewhere. This research was aimed at examining the use of a novel approach, using permaculture, in junior secondary science (Years 9 and 10) to enhance students’ ecological and scientific literacy, as well as their attitudes toward studying science in school.Permaculture is an ecological design system based on science and ethics. A permaculture approach to science education involves eco-design thinking, as well as the use of local permaculture properties and practitioners, and the science behind common permaculture practices. The approach is also meant to be relevant and engaging, and to promote systems thinking. This study involved the design and delivery of an intervention based on permaculture principles to one Year 10 science class in New Zealand.Research took the form of a naturalistic, interpretive, mixed methods case study, which included the use of questionnaires, interviews, and observations. Data collection focused on the impacts of a permaculture approach on the teaching and learning of science, on students’ ecological literacy, and on students’ attitudes toward learning science in school. Pre- and post-intervention questionnaires probed students’ opinions on the environment, science, and learning science in school, and tested their sustainable thinking and systems thinking with concept mapping and SOLO Taxonomy exercises. Classroom observations took place over the course of 12 weeks, on average 3 days per week, totalling 31 days. Before and after some classroom visits, I had informal conversations with the teacher, along with three formal interviews before, during and after the intervention. Three focus groups of students were interviewed immediately following the intervention.Findings show that a permaculture approach to junior secondary science can impact positively on students’ understanding of science and sustainability, and may impact on their attitudes toward studying science in school. It also appeared to impact positively on the science teacher'sattitude toward including sustainability in his teaching practice, and on his own sustainability learning. Regarding both students and teachers, a permaculture approach appears to have been effective to cultivate attitudes and trellis learning.The teacher and the students responded favourably to many aspects of the intervention, including the overall focus on the environment, the field trips, and some classroom learning activities. The teacher reported appreciating the way the intervention contextualised science with real world examples. Most students reported appreciating the experiential aspects of the intervention, as well as the relevance that a permaculture approach to science education provided. Findings indicate that advances in ecological and scientific literacy varied among students. Some students appeared to: improve their use of science and sustainability vocabulary; become more aware of select socio-scientific issues; better recognise scientific and ecological limits and possibilities. Some students also showed advances in sustainable thinking and systems thinking. Although many students expressed concern about issues such as pollution, wildlife, and genetic engineering — and prioritised protecting the environment over making money — there appeared to be a disconnect between these feelings and a sense of personal responsibility to act. Most students reported enjoying learning science with a focus on the environment, with one cohort indicating much greater enjoyment of the permaculture approach than their usual level of enjoyment of learning science in school.Trends in environmental degradation, population growth, energy inflation, and economic stagnation — especially pronounced since the beginning of this inquiry in 2008 — indicate that the world of the future will require ecologically literate citizens who can design and create truly sustainable systems for all human endeavors. Cultivating such citizens, and trellising their science and sustainability learning has implications for science education. This thesis identifies an innovative approach for junior secondary science in New Zealand that provides a way towards a more sustainable future.

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Section: Transformative Pedagogiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Transformative Pedagogiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: How Does a Permaculture Approach To Junior Secondary Sciencementioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Toward Ecological Literacy: A Permaculture Approach to Junior Secondary Science

Lebo¹,

Eames²,

Coll³

et al. 2013

Aust. J. environ. educ.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…These considerations indicate that ESD must go beyond raising awareness about environmental issues in addressing sustainability challenges (Kollmuss and Agyeman, 2002;Tilbury & Wortman, 2008), and consider the environmental, social and political context of causes and consequences in order to achieve transformative change towards ecological sustainability (Fien & Tilbury, 2002;Räthzel and Uzzell, 2009;Sterling, 2001). This goal can be conceived as ecological literacy, a process of understanding the underlying ecological principles of how people relate to each other and to natural systems, and to live sustainably (Capra, 2005;Orr, 1992).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Promoting community socio-ecological sustainability through technology: A case study from Chile

Aguayo

Eames

2017

Int Rev Educ

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Abstract:The importance of community learning in effecting social change towards ecological sustainability has been recognised for some time. More recently, the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools to promote socio-ecological sustainability has been shown to have potential in community education for sustainable development (ESD). The effective design and use of technology for community learning implies an understanding of a range of cross-dimensional factors including: socio-cultural characteristics and needs of the target audience; considerations of available and culturally responsive types of technology; and non-formal pedagogical ESD strategies for community empowerment. In addition, both technology itself and social communities are dynamically evolving and complex entities. This article presents a case study which evaluated the potential of ICT for promoting ecological literacy and action competence amongst community members in southern Chile. The case study addressed the ecological deterioration of a lake, which is having deep social, economic, recreational and cultural implications locally. The authors' research involved developing a theoretical framework for the design, implementation and use of ICT for community learning for sustainability. The framework was based on key ideas from ESD, ICT and community education, and was underpinned by a systems thinking approach to account for the dynamism and complexity of such settings. Activity theory provided a frame to address overarching sociocultural elements when using technology as a mediating tool for community learning. The authors' findings suggest that the use of an ICT tool, such as a website, can enhance ecological literacy in relation to a local socio-ecological issue.

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“…While traditional environmental education initiatives mostly focus on effects, he proposes a holistic approach that integrates the four dimensions. Following this approach, Räthzel and Uzzell (2009) propose an action competence approach to avoid many problems that moralistic, value-driven environmental education approaches have. Instead they highlight the importance that learners understand of the problem to develop appropriate action strategies.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

It doesn’t matter, but: examining the impact of ambient learning displays on energy consumption and conservation at the workplace

Börner

Kalz

Specht

2014

Environmental Education Research

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This study reports an intervention to initiate environmental learning and facilitate pro-environmental behaviour. The purpose was to examine the impact of ambient learning displays on energy consumption and conservation at the workplace, more specifically the evaluation of learning outcome and behaviour change. Using a quasi-experimental design, the empirical study was conducted among employees working at a university campus. For the experimental treatments ambient learning display prototypes were varied on two design dimensions, namely representational fidelity and notification level. The results do not provide clear evidence that the design of the displays influences learning outcome or that the displays lead to pro-environmental behaviour change. Nevertheless the sole deployment of the display prototypes eased the comprehension of the information provided and lowered the need for additional information.Thus ambient learning displays provide a promising framework in the context of environmental learning and beyond.

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Transformative environmental education: a collective rehearsal for reality

Cited by 71 publications

References 14 publications

Toward Ecological Literacy: A Permaculture Approach to Junior Secondary Science

Toward Ecological Literacy: A Permaculture Approach to Junior Secondary Science

Promoting community socio-ecological sustainability through technology: A case study from Chile

It doesn’t matter, but: examining the impact of ambient learning displays on energy consumption and conservation at the workplace

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