The social and environmental challenges of the coming decades will require that individuals possess environmental literacy: the understanding of natural systems combined with a sense of care for the earth, and the confidence and competency to act on its behalf. At the same time, disengaged youth need education environments that foster belonging and promote affective outcomes. The youth conservation corps model provides a natural context for engaging academically at-risk youth in environmental science education, while fostering connection to nature and student self-efficacy in ways that are experiential, relevant, and relationship-based. The focus of this study was a conservation corps program that integrates habitat restoration fieldwork and environmental science curriculum. The participants of this study were eight high school seniors who participated in the program for credit toward their high school diplomas. Data were collected through both quantitative and qualitative measures. Students completed a pre-test to assess their understanding and application of conceptual knowledge in ecosystem relationships and biodiversity. Upon completion of a six-week curriculum, they completed a post-test assessing knowledge in the same areas, two retrospective pre-post surveys measuring connection to nature and self-efficacy, and a post-evaluation measuring affective outcomes. Individual interviews were conducted in order to provide further insights and to identify elements of the program that contributed to positive outcomes. Results showed statistically significant increases in all outcome areas as well as positive student evaluation of affective outcomes. The outdoor and experiential components of the program were found to contribute most significantly to the positive outcomes.

The investigation used the Ecological Footprint as an educational tool to assist Environmental Management and Water Care learners at Technikon Northern Gauteng, Soshanguve learners in gaining insight in their consumption of natural renewable and non-renewable resources and generation of wastes. In addition, it also aimed to assist them in understanding the ecological impacts of their behavior on the available international and national productive land and thus on planet earth. The results of the investigation indicated a significant decrease in the post-test questionnaire knowledge, attitude, and behaviour scores of the learner group. The implication however was clear; the Ecological Footprint did not directly have an effect on the attitude and behaviour of the learners but indirectly influenced the knowledge base of the learners, which then should have an impact on their attitude and behaviour over time. The Ecological Footprint could thus be an educational tool that could be incorporated into the curricula of the two academic programs at TNG, viz Water Care and Environmental Management for increasing knowledge and improving the attitude and behaviour of learners towards a more sustainable lifestyle. / Educational Studies / M.Ed.(Environmental Education)

Esta dissertação apresenta uma proposta para desenvolver e implementar situações de ensino-aprendizagem, utilizando a compostagem e a agroecologia como dinamizadores da Educação Ambiental continuada no currículo escolar, em duas escolas municipais de Pinhais, Paraná. Buscando formar futuros cidadãos responsáveis e comprometidos com os destinos e a qualidade ambiental da comunidade em que vivem, foram desenvolvidos temas de aplicação prática da compostagem e dos princípios de Agroecologia como dinamizadores da Educação Ambiental. Estes temas foram explorados de forma transversal visando a abordagem holística da relação homem, natureza e sociedade. Os temas tratados foram: compostagem - utilizando três técnicas diferentes; metodologias de ensino- aprendizagem aplicadas como germinação de feijões; cuidando do presente da mamãe – vasos de temperos; e organizando a horta escolar. Cada metodologia foi desenvolvida com as turmas do ensino fundamental de 1o ao 5o ano, em duas escolas municipais de Pinhais, totalizando 805 alunos e 49 professores atuando e participando do processo. Foi realizado um levantamento dos conteúdos curriculares e suas respectivas áreas do conhecimento, do ensino fundamental do município de Pinhais, a fim de identificar as relações entre os temas transversais e de como poderiam estar sendo trabalhados de forma multi e interdisciplinar. Como resultado identificou-se que a técnica de compostagem utilizando gaiolas foi a que melhor se adaptou à dinâmica escolar. Quanto as dinâmicas aplicados propostas pela pesquisa, após analisadas e comparadas com os conteúdos curriculares e áreas do conhecimento, demonstraram uma grande possibilidade de aplicação interdisciplinar. Isto demonstrou que o tema abordado de forma transversal possui aderência com o currículo e permite a dinamização da Educação Ambiental neste sentido. Quanto ao tema organizando a horta escolar, verificou-se que se faz necessário ter um servidor que esteja voltado a planejar, implantar, cuidar e organizar os temas transversais e suas práticas, para que os projetos possam de fato ser executados na escola. Da forma como a estrutura está posta atualmente, os professores não possuem condições de desenvolver projetos e temas transversais para a Educação Ambiental, por apresentarem uma sobre carga horária grande para vencer os conteúdos curriculares tradicionais, e por se sentirem inseguros em relação aos temas ambientais e suas implicações de desenvolvimento prático. / This dissertation present one proposal to develop and implement teaching situations, using composting and agro ecology as a dynamic way to environmental education in the school resume, in two municipal schools from Pinhais, Paraná. Searching to form future citizens responsible and compromised with the destiny and the environmental quality of the community that they live, have been develop themes of practice application of composting and the principles of agro ecology as dynamic ways to the environmental education. This themes were explore in a transversal way looking the holistic approaching of the men relation, nature and society. The treated themes were: composing – using tree different techniques; teaching methodology – apply learning as beans germination; caring about the mothers present – vessels of spice; and organization the school gardem. Each methodology was develop with the elementary school classes, in two municipal schools from Pinhais, totalizing 805 students and 49 teachers acting in the process. Have been realized a survey about the resume contends and their respective knowledge area, in the elementary teaching in the municipality of Pinhais, trying to found the relations between the transversal themes and how it could be work in an interdisciplinary way . As a result was noted that the composing techniques using cages have been the ones that have better adapted to the school dynamic, and presented results Satisfactory in relation of C/N of 11/1, in six months of composing. About the propose dynamics apply by the research, after analyze and compared with the resume contents and areas of knowledge, had demonstrate a big possibility of interdisciplinary application. This had demonstrate that the addressed theme in a transversal way has adherence as the Resume and allow a dynamic environmental education in this way. About the theme organizing the garden, it is noticed that is necessary to have a server that is face to planning , implementing, taking care and organizing the transversal themes e it practices, so the projects could in fact run in the school. In the way that the structure is post annually, the teachers don ́t have conditions to develop projects and transversal themes to the environmental education, for presenting one about huge workload to win the traditional resume contends, and for feel insecure in relation to the environmental themes and it implication of practical development.

Field guide -- Map -- Nature trail plant species -- Plant identification key -- Species test plot -- Climate -- Cloud identification -- Desert soils -- Tortoise station -- Animal track and pond.

UNESCO established Sustainability Education as a top priority when it declared 2005 - 2014 to be the global decade for sustainability. Sustainability education can be implemented in outdoor programs such as nature summer camps in order to build environmental stewardship and ecological literacy in counselors and campers. This study sought to determine the extent to which an ecology and leadership training given to assistant counselors at Tryon Creek State Natural Area day camp achieved the goals of sustainability education--for the assistant counselors to learn about ecology, develop stewardship attitudes and behaviors toward the environment, and become positive role models for the campers in their care. Knowledge and environmental stewardship attitudes and behaviors of the counselors were assessed using surveys, interviews, and training journals. A statistically significant difference was found between pre and posttest scores on a survey measuring knowledge of Pacific Northwest ecology, but no significant difference was found between the pre and posttest scores on an environmental attitudes survey, possibly due to a ceiling effect. Interviews revealed that participants learned about invasive species, Oregon flora and fauna, and stream ecology over the summer. Despite the results on the attitudes survey, interviewees reported greater environmental awareness at the end of the summer as well as a greater sense of place in nature and a desire to continue working with children in an outdoor setting.

This study set out to explore the possibilities that the Critical Realist concept of a stratified ontology might have for environmental learning and materials development processes. This involved processes of ongoing contextual profiling; the use of picture-based resources and storytelling to support the engagement with the marine harvesting contexts of the villages of Hamburg and Ngqinisa, in the former Ciskei. At the heart of the study was the process of uncovering the empirical, the actual and the real in the context of a community of coastal marine harvesters whose lives and livelihoods are affected by poverty and a history of inequality, and more recently by issues such as HIV/AIDS. Their stories of existing practice changed as we engaged with picture-based narratives, gaining depth and focus in relation to sustainability issues. The learning processes associated with and emerging out of the research processes were enhanced through abductive use of metaphors and graphic illustrations, and through intra- and inter community exchanges, again using picture based narratives. As the study unfolded, the development of environmental education materials receded. Focus turned to how conceptual abstraction processes (of abduction (metaphor) and retroduction) and the stratified ontological framework allowed for learning across epistemological divides.