CURRENT TRENDS IN

ENVIRONMEN
EFDUCATION
TAL
JEPOY P. FLORIANO
ZHAMAE N. AVILA
 introduction
Given the complex social, economic, and environmental concerns
of our time, the need for environmental and sustainability education
has never been greater. To meet this growing need, many educators
the world over are learning how to integrate systems thinking and
sustainability education into their teaching of more traditional subject
areas such as science, math, social studies, language, and the arts so
that our children learn the concepts, understand the principles,
develop the habits, and master the skills required to make sense of
and thrive in our complex and interdependent world. S
COMMUNICATION
TECHNOLOGIES
COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES

A wide variety of information and communication

technologies (ICT) and digital tools have been introduced into
environmental education, both inside and outside of the
classroom. This review presents a range of examples of how
ICT has been used by classroom environmental educators. The
authors also explore whether ICT is helping meet the goals of
environmental education and present suggestions for teachers
and researchers exploring ICT use in environmental education
(EE) curriculum
COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES

The review begins by outlining the goals of EE, using the

objectives put forward by the United Nations Educational
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) based on
international conferences held on environmental education in
1975 and 1977. Four of these objectives are to help individuals
and social groups acquire the following:
 01 02 03 04
AWARENESS ATTITUDE SKILLS PARTICIPATIO
N
COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES

Four of these objectives are to help individuals and social

groups acquire the following:
• Awareness of and sensitivity to the global environment and its
allied problems
• Attitude—a set of values and feelings of concern for the
environment, as well as the motivation to actively participate in
environmental improvement and protection
• Skills for identifying and solving environmental problems
• Participation—an opportunity to be actively involved at all
levels in working toward resolution of environmental problems
COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES

Two additional objectives for EE are that the teaching includes:

• An international and local dimension
• An interdisciplinary approach
COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES

The use of ICT inside the classroom. They point out that ICT
offers a potential alternative to field trips and outdoor learning
experiences. Specifically, these programs can provide access to
places at times when they are otherwise inaccessible. Although
these first-hand experiences are ideal, financial, time, and
security concerns all can present difficulties for teachers.
Virtual field trips could provide opportunities for students to
explore beyond the limits of their classrooms and their place in
time. For example, students could virtually explore the world
of dinosaurs, or an imagined future.
COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES

ICT can also potentially help teachers teach EE topics that are
abstract or distant from students’ everyday lives. The authors
examined 12 examples of ICT for use inside the classroom:
virtual museum, e-Junior, virtual ecological pond, and QA,
designed for grades 1– 6; Google Earth, River City, and Under
Control, designed for middle school children; acid ocean
virtual lab, for high school; and, for higher education, virtual
field trip, video podcasts, Appropedia, and EV FL. These
examples range from teaching marine ecology (virtual
museum), to the history of the 50 worst oil spills (Google
Earth), to soil degradation and environmental destruction
linked to human civilization (virtual field trip).
COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES

Another key finding was that teachers often lack the technical
support or computer skills to address issues that arise when
using the ICT software. The authors point out that most of
these ICT tools are tested with expert researchers present to
address technical problems, and little research exists on how
easy these tools are for a regular teacher to implement.
 COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES

Many information and communication technologies (ICTs) have been

developed for use in teaching environmental education (EE); some of
these tools, such as virtual field trips, are designed for classroom use,
while others are designed for collecting data and extending interactive
learning in outdoor settings. Although most of these tools have merit
for promoting environmental awareness, attitudes, skills, and
interdisciplinary thinking, only a few of them incorporate both local
and international dimensions and encourage student participation
toward resolution of environmental problems. Experimenting with
these tools when teaching EE may produce useful and insightful
outcomes, particularly when faced with constraints that make outdoor
experiences and field trips difficult to actualize.
SYSTEMS THINKING
 SYSTEMS THINKING

What is a System?
The definition of a system varies in the science and environmental and
sustainability literature and the definition that informed this guidebook is:
A system is two or more parts interacting to function as a whole within some
boundary. The elements and processes of a system interact and affect one
another, often in ways we cannot see. And in systems, the relationship among
the parts matters—if elements or parts of a system are added or taken away,
the behavior of the system changes.
 SYSTEMS THINKING

What is a System Thinking?

Systems thinking looks at the whole of a system rather than focusing on a
single part or set of parts, in order to better understand complex phenomena.
Unlike some other modes of analysis, systems thinking looks beyond simple
cause and effect within a given situation; it goes deeper—considering
concepts such as unintended consequences, circular cause and effect (which
yield balancing and reinforcing dynamics within a system); time delays, and
boundaries of a system. These sophisticated concepts enable learners to gain
new insights and give greater access to long-term thinking, which is essential
to promoting sustainability of all kinds
 SYSTEMS THINKING

Why Systems Thinking in

Environmental Education?
Systems thinking looks at the whole of a system rather than focusing on a
single part or set of parts, in order to better understand complex phenomena.
Unlike some other modes of analysis, systems thinking looks beyond simple
cause and effect within a given situation; it goes deeper—considering
concepts such as unintended consequences, circular cause and effect (which
yield balancing and reinforcing dynamics within a system); time delays, and
boundaries of a system. These sophisticated concepts enable learners to gain
new insights and give greater access to long-term thinking, which is essential
to promoting sustainability of all kinds
SUSTAINABILITY
 SUSTAINABILITY

The role played by environmental education, or education for sustainable

development, as many call it, in pursuing and achieving sustainable
development, is an important one. Environmental education encompasses
education for, through and about the environment, with the ultimate aim of,
not only leading to short-term, but to long-lasting, awareness, changes in
behaviors and in lifestyles, which, combined, may lead towards a more
sustainable world. In this context, it entails aspects as varied as curriculum
development and planning, pre-service and in-service teacher education,
content development and a healthy combination of theoretical teaching and
field work.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN
RESOURCE AND
ENVIRONMENTAL
MANAGEMENT DECISION
MAKING
 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN RESOURCE AND
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT DECISION MAKING

Federal agencies have taken steps to include the public in a wide range
of environmental decisions. Although
some form of public participation is often required by law, agencies
usually have broad discretion about the
extent of that involvement. Approaches vary widely, from holding
public information-gathering meetings to
forming advisory groups to actively including citizens in making and
implementing decisions.
 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN RESOURCE AND
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT DECISION MAKING

Environmental issues are best handled with the participation of all

concerned citizens, at the relevant level.
At the national level, each individual shall have appropriate access to
information concerning the environment that is held by public
authorities, including information on hazardous materials and
activities in their
communities, and the opportunity to participate in decision-making
processes.
 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN RESOURCE AND
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT DECISION MAKING

There are ways to answer this question using a framework that

evaluates the outcomes of participatory processes using a set of
“social” goals. These social goals are:
1) educating the public;
2) incorporating public values, assumptions, and preferences into
decision making;
3) increasing the substantive quality of decisions;
4) fostering trust in institutions;
5) reducing conflict; and
6) making decisions cost-effectively.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN RESOURCE AND
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT DECISION MAKING

Despite some skepticism regarding its effectiveness, public

participation has become a central facet of environmental decision
making, including governments' various decisions to address climate
change. However, the existing literature tends to address the general
benefits of environmental public participation rather than examine
details of how such participation actually occurs and how it differs
among nations—even among nations all purportedly pursuing similar
public participation goals.
 ENSURING
APPROPRIATENESS
 ENSURING APPROPRIATENESS

Effective environmental education represents more than a

unidirectional transfer of information: rather, this suite of tools
develops and enhances environmental attitudes, values, and
knowledge, as well as builds skills that prepare individuals and
communities to collaboratively undertake positive environmental
action. Environmental education also facilitates connections between
actionable research findings and on-the-ground practices, creating
synergistic spaces where stakeholders collaborate to address dynamic
environmental issues over time.
 ENSURING APPROPRIATENESS

A narrative analysis indicated that environmental education programs

documenting direct impacts included: a focus on localized issues or
locally relevant dimensions of broader issues; collaboration with
scientists, resource managers, and/or community organizations;
integrated action elements; and intentional measurement/reporting
structures. Those themes suggest program development and
documentation ideas as well as further opportunities for productive
research-implementation spaces.
 THE FUTURE OF
ENVIRONMENTAL
EDUCATION
 ENSURING APPROPRIATENESS

What do you think the long-term effects of environmental

education are?

The effects of environmental education are very particular to the individual’s belief, the
context that they are living in, the context of their family home, their interests that they
have or their disposition. For example, you and I may have experienced the same
environmental education, but from where we are coming from and what our interests
are we will take differently from it.
 ENSURING APPROPRIATENESS

What do you think the long-term effects of environmental

education are?
The longer-term benefits are also about connection to the
environment. If we build that in our young people, whatever
that looks like and however that plays out, it’s something more
than just the knowledge they have. Because I think having a
connection to the environment enables you to be curious
because you actually know something about a subject to be
curious about. And it does actually invite people to build upon
these skills when they are older.
Thank You
For Listening!