Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stevens Point, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 67-72).

Thesis (M. Ed. (Education)) - Rhodes University, 2007.

M.Ed. / This thesis follows the Grade 7-9 teachers at the three Middle schools at the Temba District of Bojanala East Region in the North West Province about their lesson planning to include an Environmental Education focus. Environmental learning principle of the NCS (R-9) has been used to trace teachers’ understanding, knowledge and skills about the “environment”, as well as to check their level of compliance with the NCS as a prescribed policy for their teaching practices. The use of the NCS as an Outcomes- Based Education and Training approach in teaching assisted me to get a clear indication of the situation that prevailed at the schools that were sampled with regard to the recontextualisation of environmental learning. The study acknowledged that the situation at schools was found to have been entrenched and influenced by the past socio-historical, socio-political, the cultural and traditional realities that have infiltrated into the curriculum approaches and hindered the existence of opportunities for best Environmental Education practices. Teachers on the ground level were found to not have sufficient knowledge of what Environmental Education is all about. It was found that they lacked the basic background information about the environment itself. They are faced with situations where classes are overcrowded, with no community involvement in school activities. Added to these challenges is the reluctance on the part of the national and local education bodies to provide teachers with the necessary support. Teachers are as a result, not coping with these appalling circumstances surrounding them and proper Environmental learning thus becomes a thing they are unable to deal with. This study recommended that teachers’ skills be harnessed for effective and progressive teaching. The Department of Education was urged to take a step to initiate a collaborative change in attitude of both the school communities and the government by providing the necessary support to teachers, as well as to allocate to schools budgets and resources to assist them to cope with the demands brought about by the new policies they are supposed to implement. The implementation of the recommendations of this thesis will bring about systematic change in attitude and behaviour, with simultaneous social change in values, as well as direct management from national and local bodies.

This project describes a four-year teacher education program conducted at the Living Desert, a botanical and wildlife park located in Palm Desert, California. The program brought 12 classroom teachers and 3 zoological educators together to expand their understanding and practice of environmental education. This project concentrates on how the program affected my educational philosophy, strategy and practice as an educator at The Living Desert, and how it shifted the focus of our department's docent (volunteer guide) education in general.

The purpose of this study was to develop and test a model which could be used to interpret and assist teaching in an environmentally directed way. Its principal aim was to establish the extent to which elements from a variety of paradigms and teaching methods could be used simultaneously when teaching in an environmentally directed way, depending on the topic and the context within which is taught. An in-depth literature review on theoretical perspectives on environmental education, paradigms relating to environmental education and teaching methods appropriate for environmental education indicated that these partially addressed the problem of the study, namely to determine how elements from a variety of paradigms and teaching methods could be used simultaneously to teach in an environmentally directed way.The theory developed from the literature review facilitated the development of the model mentioned above. An amoeba was used as a metaphor to develop a model which can help facilitate the process of teaching in an environmentally directed way. In developing the model, some examples of influential paradigms and teaching methods were used. None of the examples used for the study converged. Each contributed to the research in its own way. Some teaching methods showed common features of conversion and also addressed the problem of the study in their own ways. The amoeba model was developed from this theory. Qualitative research was further conducted to test the amoeba model. People who are knowledgeable in environmental education were selected to participate in the research. It emerged, from the findings of the research, that the amoeba model concurs positively with the hypothesis that no specific paradigm and teaching method(s) could be regarded as exclusively ideal for teaching in an environmentally directed way. Elements from a variety of paradigms and teaching methods could be used simultaneously for teaching in an environmentally directed way, depending on the topic and the context within which a topic is taught. The amoeba model thus serves as a solution to the problem of the study. Respondents further suggested that the amoeba model should be adopted for use in the South African education system. That is, the thesis should be put in the form of a workbook and teachers should be trained to teach in an environmentally directed way by using this model. / Educational Studies / D.Ed.(Didactics)

<p> Encounters with live animals are found throughout modern society in the form of zoos, aquariums, petting zoos, class pets, and wildlife education programs. These live animal encounters had only begun to be studied for the impact they might have on learners. This quasi- experimental mixed-methods study investigated the impact live animals had on biology knowledge gain in fourth- and fifth-grade students utilizing a pre- and post-program, self- designed, survey. The programs included a live animal program and an animal artifact program. The results indicated that live animals did have a slight impact on knowledge gain, but the impact was not statistically significant. Past experience with wildlife education programs had a much bigger impact on knowledge gain than the presence/absence of live animals.</p>

<p> The act of thru-hiking a long-distance trail immerses hikers in the natural world for an extended time; as such, it represents a compelling system to study the relationships between a specific appreciative activity&mdash;thru-hiking&mdash;and environmental attitudes regarding sustainability. This thesis critically explored the primary research question: How do thru-hikes change or inspire environmental attitudes in thru-hikers on long-distance trails in the United States? I employed the revised NEP scale to survey 98 thru-hikers using snowball sampling and I interviewed a subset to gain more in-depth knowledge. In addition, I textually analyzed the blogs written by thru-hikers. Findings suggest that environmental attitudes of thru-hikers already leaned in an ecocentric direction before thru-hiking and after thru-hiking, their environmental attitudes became more so. Furthermore, this thesis finds that women had more ecocentric views than men before and after thru-hiking and that more ecocentric attitude change occurred for thru-hikers in their twenties than other age groups. Thru-hikers also chose to express their environmental views through conversations and their actions. And thus, thru-hikes on long-distance trails in the United States have the potential to strengthen and/or reinforce existing ecocentric attitudes in thru-hikers.</p>

No description available.

3 pp. / Finding foods to bring on a camping or hiking trip may seem challenging. Not only do they need to be nutritious, but they must also leave minimal waste so you can leave the environment just as you found it. Whole foods (such as fruits, nuts, and vegetables) tend to be better choices than processed foods (such as single-use yogurts or pre-packaged cereal bars) since they tend to be rich in nutrients and produce minimal waste. Finding reusable and recyclable ways to package your foods may also help cut down your impact on the environment.

This thesis describes and discusses an investigation into the education provision of The Wildlife Trusts as a UK environmental non-governmental organisation (NGO), comprising 47 local Trusts. Prior to this study, The Wildlife Trusts organisation had not been examined as a whole partnership, as an NGO or as a provider of environmental education. Research questions focus upon what The Wildlife Trusts does as an organisation in terms of providing environmental education and the associated limits and potentials. Specific areas of investigation are The Wildlife Trusts' educational activities, its strengths and weaknesses and its educational culture. Such enquiry is valuable for The Wildlife Trusts itself, other NGOs, environmental educators and indeed all concerned with environmental education provision. The empirical work was conducted as a research-based case study and derives and builds upon research done for a commissioned review of The Wildlife Trusts' education provision. The thesis is influenced by Grounded Theory and draws predominantly on qualitative, but also quantitative techniques for data analysis and presentation. Interviews with Wildlife Trust personnel provided the primary source of data, supported by questionnaires, documentation obtained from Trusts and the author’s personal field notes. It is concluded that The Wildlife Trusts deliver numerous and diverse educational activities, yet neither as a unified NGO nor in sufficient partnership with other NGOs. The Wildlife Trusts is well placed to tailor activities effectively to local community audiences. It is recommended that The Wildlife Trusts overcome internally held negative attitudes towards 'education' through strengthening internal communications and developing a broader concept of 'people work'. It is argued that The Wildlife Trusts NGO has the potential to provide environmental education for all ages in both formal and informal education settings, in particular by providing outdoor and affective experiences on Trusts' reserves.