by Wong Wing Kwan. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 163-172). / Text in English; abstracts in English and Chinese. / by Wong Wing Kwan. / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / ABSTRACT (in Chinese) --- p.iv / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.v / LIST OF TABLES --- p.xi / LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS --- p.xii / LIST OF APPENDIXES --- p.xiii / Chapter 1/ --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Research Impetus --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Central Research Problem --- p.2 / Chapter 1.3 --- Research Significance --- p.4 / Chapter 1.4 --- Organization of This Thesis --- p.6 / Chapter 2/ --- ON ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION -- THE THEORETICAL AND GLOBAL CONTEXT --- p.9 / Chapter 2.1 --- The Environmental Crisis --- p.9 / Chapter 2.11 --- The dominating perspective --- p.10 / Chapter 2.12 --- Problems overlooked --- p.11 / Chapter 2.13 --- Environmental problems as problems of social injustice --- p.14 / Chapter 2.14 --- Locating the power relations --- p.15 / Chapter 2.141 --- The dominating definition of life quality --- p.15 / Chapter 2.142 --- The global economic order--- a platform of power asymmetry --- p.17 / Chapter 2.143 --- "Global development agenda--- ""catching-up"" as the basis for sustainability" --- p.18 / Chapter 2.2 --- Environmental Education: A Critique of the Established Views --- p.22 / Chapter 2.21 --- Seeking definitions --- p.23 / Chapter 2.22 --- "From definition to practice- the split of mind, body and heart" --- p.24 / Chapter 2.23 --- The domination of mainstream science and technologyin environmental education --- p.27 / Chapter 2.3 --- Environmental Education in the Form of Empowerment --- p.30 / Chapter 2.4 --- Chapter Summary --- p.37 / Chapter 3/ --- ON ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION -- THE LOCAL CONTEXT --- p.38 / Chapter 3.1 --- Environmental Agenda in Hong Kong --- p.38 / Chapter 3.11 --- Role of the government --- p.38 / Chapter 3.12 --- Role of private corporations --- p.42 / Chapter 3.13 --- Role of green groups --- p.44 / Chapter 3.14 --- Role of scientists and experts --- p.47 / Chapter 3.15 --- Dangerous liaisons --- p.48 / Chapter 3.2 --- Environmental Education in Hong Kong - An Overview --- p.49 / Chapter 3.21 --- Environmental education targeted at public awareness --- p.50 / Chapter 3.22 --- Environmental education in formal schooling --- p.52 / Chapter 3.23 --- Local researches on environmental awareness and environmental education --- p.53 / Chapter 3.3 --- Chapter Summary --- p.55 / Chapter 4/ --- RESEARCH DESIGN --- p.58 / Chapter 4.1 --- Research Design --- p.58 / Chapter 4.11 --- The nature of critical qualitative research --- p.58 / Chapter 4.12 --- The nature of case-study --- p.60 / Chapter 4.13 --- Selection of cases --- p.61 / Chapter 4.2 --- Case Profiles --- p.63 / Chapter 4.21 --- Tim Po Primary School --- p.63 / Chapter 4.22 --- Sing Tak Primary School --- p.64 / Chapter 4.23 --- Fung Lan Primary School --- p.65 / Chapter 4.3 --- Data Collection --- p.67 / Chapter 4.31 --- Written and printed texts --- p.68 / Chapter 4.32 --- Interviews --- p.69 / Chapter 4.33 --- Observation --- p.72 / Chapter 4.34 --- Research validity and data triangulation --- p.74 / Chapter 4.4 --- Data Recording and Analysis --- p.75 / Chapter 4.41 --- Data recording --- p.75 / Chapter 4.42 --- Data analysis --- p.75 / Chapter 4.5 --- Research Limitations --- p.77 / Chapter 4.6 --- Chapter Summary --- p.79 / Chapter 5/ --- INSIDE STORIES -- ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS --- p.80 / Chapter 5.1 --- The Case of Tim Po Primary School (TPS) --- p.80 / Chapter 5.11 --- Environmental education in formal curriculum --- p.80 / Chapter 5.12 --- Environmental Education in informal curriculum --- p.90 / Chapter 5.2 --- The Case of Sing Tak Primary School (STS) --- p.92 / Chapter 5.21 --- Environmental education in formal curriculum --- p.92 / Chapter 5.22 --- Environmental education in informal curriculum --- p.94 / Chapter 5.3 --- The case of Fung Lan School (FLS) --- p.100 / Chapter 5.31 --- Environmental education in formal curriculum --- p.100 / Chapter 5.32 --- Environmental education in informal curriculum --- p.102 / Chapter 5.33 --- Environmental education beyond curriculum --- p.102 / Chapter 5.4 --- Chapter Summary --- p.106 / Chapter 6/ --- BEHIND THE STORIES - -FORCES AND DYNAMICS --- p.108 / Chapter 6.1 --- Seeing Environmental Education through the Eyes of Teachers --- p.108 / Chapter 6.11 --- Conceptualizing the environmental problematique --- p.108 / Chapter 6.111 --- Central problems --- p.109 / Chapter 6.112 --- Causes of the problems --- p.110 / Chapter 6.113 --- Dealing with the problems --- p.112 / Chapter 6.12 --- Understanding environmental education --- p.114 / Chapter 6.121 --- Environmental education as a matter of lifestyle --- p.114 / Chapter 6.122 --- "The cultivation of ""personal"" attitudes" --- p.115 / Chapter 6.123 --- Pupils' age and teachers' expectation --- p.117 / Chapter 6.13 --- Personal level constraints acting on teachers --- p.119 / Chapter 6.131 --- Lack of subject knowledge --- p.119 / Chapter 6.132 --- Teaching experience --- p.121 / Chapter 6.2 --- School Level Factors in Environmental Education --- p.123 / Chapter 6.21 --- The focus of work: the marginalized status of environmental education and General Studies --- p.123 / Chapter 6.22 --- Tight schedule --- p.127 / Chapter 6.3 --- External Forces and School Environmental Education --- p.130 / Chapter 6.31 --- School inspectors and board of directors --- p.130 / Chapter 6.32 --- The preoccupation with school reputation and academic attainment --- p.131 / Chapter 6.4 --- Chapter Summary --- p.133 / Chapter 7/ --- A GROUNDED CRITIQUE --- p.134 / Chapter 7.1 --- The Non-critical and Apolitical Environmental Agendain School Environmental Education --- p.134 / Chapter 7.11 --- The narrow definition of environmental subjectsin the syllabus of General Studies --- p.134 / Chapter 7.12 --- The anti-environment themes --- p.137 / Chapter 7.2 --- Teachers as Agency --- p.138 / Chapter 7.3 --- "The Task Oriented Environmental Education ""Show""" --- p.143 / Chapter 7.31 --- "Schools' primary concerns: environmental education and ""quality"" education" --- p.143 / Chapter 7.32 --- The reliance on external resources --- p.145 / Chapter 7.4 --- Chapter Summary: The Detachment from the Process of Empowerment --- p.149 / Chapter 8/ --- CONCLUSION: ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN THE WHIRLPOOL OF EDUCATION REFORM --- p.150 / Chapter 8.1 --- A Restatement on the True Meaning of Environmental Education --- p.150 / Chapter 8.2 --- Some Characteristics of Environmental Educationin Hong Kong Primary Schools --- p.151 / Chapter 8.3 --- Looking Beyond: Environmental Education in the Whirlpool of Education Reform --- p.152 / Chapter 8.31 --- The overarching priority of education --- p.153 / Chapter 8.32 --- "Environmental awareness as part of the entrepreneur's ""personality package""" --- p.154 / Chapter 8.33 --- The formalization of extra-curricular activities --- p.156 / Chapter 8.4 --- Final Words --- p.158 / APPENDIXES --- p.160 / REFERENCES --- p.163

This study examines the connections between a commitment to educating for citizenship in the university and pedagogical strategies used to realize the goals associated with this commitment. One of the most common themes of the political philosophy and education literature regarding citizenship has to do with communicating across our differences. I used Jodi Dean's (1996) concept of reflective solidarity to explore the possibilities of this communication, particularly in the face of claims to morality. Reflective solidarity focuses on the communicative nature of solidarity by exploring contestation across our differences as we work toward understanding. I interviewed ten educators from a variety of disciplines at the University of British Columbia to explore their experiences translating this commitment to social justice into practice. My analysis of their contributions resulted in three primary categories and numerous sub-categories of data that I referred to as (a) perspective on theory (the university as a site for citizenship education, defining educating for citizenship); (b) perspective on self (curriculum as contested space, teacher's role, selfreflective practice, solidarity through difference); and (c) perspective on other (voice, silence, listening, pluralism, safety and risk, power). All of the participants discussed the dynamics of power, voice, silence, risk, pluralism and resistance that characterize their efforts to educate in a manner that promotes social justice. The pedagogical challenge of responding to heterosexism and homophobia in the classroom was specifically identified as difficult and increasingly contentious. This theme became central as I wove together the literature, the participants' contributions and my own experiences. As a response to Dean's inattention to the context of the communicative relationships at the core of reflective solidarity, I propose the idea of reflective accountability. Reflective accountability challenges critical educators to think deeply about the sometimes taken-for-granted aspects of educating for social justice. Reflective accountability necessitates a critique of open public discourse and understanding as the unassailable cornerstone of education and highlights the possibility that there may be times when certain points of view need to be more critically examined, challenged and perhaps silenced when they are grounded in oppression.

This study examines the connections between a commitment to educating for citizenship in the university and pedagogical strategies used to realize the goals associated with this commitment. One of the most common themes of the political philosophy and education literature regarding citizenship has to do with communicating across our differences. I used Jodi Dean's (1996) concept of reflective solidarity to explore the possibilities of this communication, particularly in the face of claims to morality. Reflective solidarity focuses on the communicative nature of solidarity by exploring contestation across our differences as we work toward understanding. I interviewed ten educators from a variety of disciplines at the University of British Columbia to explore their experiences translating this commitment to social justice into practice. My analysis of their contributions resulted in three primary categories and numerous sub-categories of data that I referred to as (a) perspective on theory (the university as a site for citizenship education, defining educating for citizenship); (b) perspective on self (curriculum as contested space, teacher's role, selfreflective practice, solidarity through difference); and (c) perspective on other (voice, silence, listening, pluralism, safety and risk, power). All of the participants discussed the dynamics of power, voice, silence, risk, pluralism and resistance that characterize their efforts to educate in a manner that promotes social justice. The pedagogical challenge of responding to heterosexism and homophobia in the classroom was specifically identified as difficult and increasingly contentious. This theme became central as I wove together the literature, the participants' contributions and my own experiences. As a response to Dean's inattention to the context of the communicative relationships at the core of reflective solidarity, I propose the idea of reflective accountability. Reflective accountability challenges critical educators to think deeply about the sometimes taken-for-granted aspects of educating for social justice. Reflective accountability necessitates a critique of open public discourse and understanding as the unassailable cornerstone of education and highlights the possibility that there may be times when certain points of view need to be more critically examined, challenged and perhaps silenced when they are grounded in oppression. / Education, Faculty of / Educational Studies (EDST), Department of / Graduate

Though America's public schools have become increasingly diverse, the teaching staff remains relatively homogeneous. This gap is more apparent in California schools that serve large numbers of students of color, being taught by teachers who are predominately White and female. Because the population of kindergarten-through-12th grade teachers is predominately white and middle class, theorists recommend the self-discovery process of striving for cultural proficiency as a solution. Teacher cultural proficiency is a series of characteristics that are learned, honed, and constantly evolving to create a classroom that is culturally aware and culturally sensitive for all students. Although there is ample literature regarding multicultural education, there is limited research discussing teachers' perceptions and experiences with cultural proficiency, especially white women, who represent the largest population of teachers in California. The purpose of this study was to further investigate teacher stories along their journey on the cultural proficiency continuum. This study includes interviews with three teachers who have reputations for being culturally proficient and who work in elementary schools in a California Central Valley district serving large populations of students of color. The purpose of the interviews was to further explore the teachers' experiences striving for cultural proficiency and implementing culturally aware practices in their classrooms. The results of this study suggest that the continued journey to cultural proficiency mirrors cultural proficiency theory but lacks one key component: self-reflection in regard to whiteness. The interviewed teachers struggled with the theoretical foundations of critical whiteness theory and cultural proficiency, but they believed that the goal of cultural proficiency was one in which they would constantly be striving. The findings of this study address some of the culturally proficient themes of self-discovery, curiosity, experience, and travel that contribute to these teachers' culturally proficient reputations, and they add to scholarship by suggesting an additional tenet to cultural proficiency, that of being intimately aware of one's own whiteness and privilege.

The purpose of the investigation was two-fold: (1) to develop an educational design for consciousness-raising in social justice education using Paulo Freire's literacy method, and (2) to investigate its effect on the Incarnate Word sisters' attitude toward the economically poor, Workshop sessions examined social justice concepts of the economically poor as stated in the Acts of the Congregation's General Chapter and applied Freire's method of consciousness-raising outlined in his Pedagogy of the Oppressed and his Education for Critical Consciousness.

Civic competence is critical to the successful functioning of pluralistic democracies. Developing the knowledge, skills, and motivations for effective democratic participation is a national and global imperative that many higher education institutions have embraced through the teaching strategies of community-based learning and service-learning. Yet, scant research literature has focused on the relationship between pedagogical approaches and civic competence outcomes. This five-year longitudinal study of 11,000 students in 700 senior-level capstone courses at an urban research university empirically tested a new theoretically constructed model of civic competence development in order to identify epistemological and pedagogical elements that enhance civic competence. Eight epistemological domains embedded within four components of civic competence (knowledge, skills, attitudes, and actions) were analyzed utilizing item and factor analysis. The model was extremely robust (r = .917) for civic competence development and indicated strong effect size for multiple pedagogical elements of course design, teaching strategies, and integration of community service. Significantly, the greatest effect for developing civic competence is pedagogical incorporation of diversity and social justice issues. Thus, the Critical Pedagogy Model of Civic Competence offers faculty a heuristic taxonomy of teaching and learning strategies to utilize diversity of thought and interaction in community-based learning as a catalyst for transforming students into competent democratic participants.

Standardization has been part of teaching and learning in the United States since the late 19th century. This technocratic approach has gained more traction in the past two decades beginning with the passage of the landmark No Child Left Behind law in 2001and continuing through the recent standardization movement to restrict content and pedagogical autonomy. These efforts have one thing in common: The knowledge and expertise of teachers are not considered. In contrast, this study positioned teachers as experts. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate how middle school teachers conceptualize themselves as readers, engage in reading for justice, and envision these concepts in their own classrooms as they participate in a young adult (YA) literature book club. This work brings together two often separate scholarly approaches to reading: reading lives (reading as pleasure) and social justice literature (reading as political) to see how teachers inform or reimagine literacy (reading as pedagogical) in their classrooms. This study was grounded on the notion that theory and practice are not separate endeavors. Critical sociocultural theory undergirds this collaborative teacher inquiry group. Teachers take a critical stance as they read YA titles that center social justice issues. Through semi-structured interviews, teachers reflected on their own reading histories and lives as well as their ideas about literacy in their classrooms. This study adds to the existing scholarship on literacy and teacher learning. Methodologically, the researcher utilized a practice (book clubs) that is used academically in school settings and socially among friends. The book club exists in a liminal space between the academic and the social, suggesting it is an alternative space for teacher learning. This study has the potential to contribute to a greater emphasis on the value and importance of teacher-centered learning communities.

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this thesis I analyse policies and strategies to reduce poverty through education, and the focus is on global and national policies and strategies and I conduct a small-scale investigation into policies and strategies that exist at a local level (local is the Cape Winelands District Municipality). Poverty is one of the core problems facing many South Africans, and by using critical theory as my research methodology I present a different way of thinking about poverty. Education, just like poverty, is a complex concept because education determines human thoughts and actions. The literature review indicates three ways to reduce poverty: job creation, education and skills development. The policy analysis indicates four ways to reduce poverty: empowering the poor, increasing the capabilities of the poor by using education, the challenge of deliberative democracy, and social justice. The interview respondents indicated that these seven ways may have a major influence on their impoverished circumstances. I argue that individuals need to reflect critically on their social well-being in order to transform their lives. Critical reflection by individuals is needed to transform not only themselves, but also their communities, and it is by transformation that individuals can bring change in their social communities in order to achieve social justice. A remaining need I identify is that the South African government need to focus on the goal to halve the number of poor people by 2015 (according to United Nations, Millennium Development Goals). I realise that the government still has much work to do in order to reach this important goal. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie ondersoek verskeie beleide en strategieë vir armoede verligting op 'n globale, nasionale, en lokale konteks. Weens 'n gebrek aan beleide op lokale vlak onderneem ek 'n klein empiriese studie in die Kaapse Wynlande Distriks Munisipaliteit. Armoede bly een van die hoof uitdagings vir baie Suid-Afrikaners, en deur die gebruik van Kritiese Teorie as navorsings metodologie stel ek daar 'n ander manier om oor armoede te reflekteer. Die literatuur studie wys na drie maniere hoe om armoede te beveg: werkskepping, opvoeding, en die ontwikkeling van vaardighede. Die analiese van beleide dui op vier maniere: bemagtiging van armes, verbreding van vermoeëns duer die gebruik van onderwys, beraadslagende demokrasie, en sosiale geregtigheid. Die response van die onderhoude dui daarop dat hierdie sewe maniere 'n groot invloed kan het op die verbetering van armoedige omstandighede. Ek argumenteer dat persone krities moet reflekteer oor hul sosiale welstand sodat hul lewens kan transformeer. Kritiese refleksie is nodig nie net vir persoonlike transformasie nie, maar ook vir gemeenskappe sodat sosiale geregtigheid kan geskied. Die Suid-Afrikaanse regering behoort steeds te strewe om die getal armes te halveer teen 2015, volgens die Verenigde State se Millenium Doelwitte. Ek besef die regering moet nog baie doen om hierdie belangrike mylpaal te bereik.