The purpose of this project was to develop an environmental education program guidebook for use by the Episcopal Church.

published_or_final_version / Urban Planning / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

This study was aimed at understanding how networking can enable or constrain professional development and institutionalisation of environmental education courses in southern Africa in the context of the Course Development Network (CDN), a project of the Southern Africa Development Community Regional Environmental Education Programme (SADC REEP). The study involved 12 institutions (each institution was represented in the CDN by a staff member) in eight SADC member states. It was contextualized through a review of social, political, environmental and educational developments in southern Africa, with specific reference to regionalization processes, as the SADC REEF is constituted under this post-colonial political framework. Relational philosophy informed the research process and methodology. The philosophy underpinned three distinct, yet related theoretical perspectives namely: critical realism, which provided the ontological perspectives of the study; Actor Network Theory; and Community of Practice, which provided the epistemological perspectives. Data was generated during a 33-month period in southern Africa and 12 months in the United Kingdom (and on a one week visit to Italy). During a 12 month Split Site Commonwealth Scholarship award, tenable at Manchester Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom, I studied the Environment and School Initiative (ENSI) and the Sustainability Education for European Primary Schools (SEEPS), to examine whether the same mechanisms that made them successful would apply to the CDN in the context of southern Africa. While these two case studies provided useful insight into the relationship between networking, professional development and institutionalization of environmental education programmes, they were not the main focus of the research. Data analysis was mainly through inductive, abductive and retroductive modes of inference. Inductive data analysis was done by means of Nvivo – a computer software package used for qualitative data analysis. The software aided in revealing features and relationships in the data in more depth as it allowed flexibility in working with data. Abduction is the interpretation of a phenomenon by means of a conceptual framework. In this study, I used Actor Network Theory (ANT) (Latour & Woolgar, 1979; Callon, 1986) and Community of Practice (COP) (Lave, 1988; Lave & Wenger, 1991; Fullan, 2003) as analytical conceptual frameworks to probe networking and professional development respectively. Data on institutionalisation of environmental education courses was analysed by means of retroductive mode of inference, which is a thought operation that enables the understanding of social reality beyond what is empirically observable or experienced. This study reveals that there were a number of necessary (internal) and contingent (external) factors that enabled or constrained networking, professional development and institutionalisation of environmental education courses in the context of the CDN. The key factors included existing cultural capital, donor political economy, power relations, poverty related factors and social transformation trends. The study found that relational approaches and the use of three relational theoretical lenses provided a broader lens which enabled this study to identify different dynamics, greater ontological depth and understanding of the relational dynamics and relations at play in the CDN beyond the participants' experience and observable events. The study also contends that networking can provide a support structure for social transformation and change in environmental education.

The Environmental Education programme offered at the Gold Fields Environmental Education Centre (GFEE Centre) in the Pilanesberg National Park, Bophuthatswana, was initiated in response to requests from schools in Bophuthatswana to visit game reserves as 'syllabus related school activities'. Evaluative research into the GFEE Centre programme by an external researcher indicated that the learning experiences largely concentrated on cognitive development, and neglected to influence affective and psychomotor development. After a number of adaptations to the programme, which emphasised a more child-centred approach it was realised that little was known about the background and learning needs of the predominantly BaTswana school children. It was felt by the researcher that the learning activities provided at the GFEE Centre could also possibly be biased by a Western, scientific orientation which possibly lacked relevance to the cultural backgrounds of the pupils. The researcher used an action research approach in a number of workshops with a purposive sample of BaTswana primary school teachers, to gather data. The teachers were encouraged to critically reflect on the background and learning-needs of BaTswana children, with specific regard to environmental issues and worldviews. The information provided by the teachers' reflective deliberations and a seperate research project with school children, indicated that primary school children in Bophuthatswana tend to follow accepted human development patterns in their perceptions of the environment. The influence of either a predominantly rural or urban upbringing during a child's early formative years was considered by the teachers to be significant in determining worldviews, and culture was considered to have an influence on children's learning processes. Their beliefs and experiences were used by them in generating suggestions to correct the GFEE Centre programme. The teachers' also highlighted the fact that there were a number of socio-cultural and institutional issues which influenced the effectiveness of the GFEE Centre programme.

D.Ed. / Man is dependant on the environment for his essential requirements and welfare. In the current technological era our world is being irreversibly damaged through the lack of long term vision, due mainly to ignorance of the surroundings man finds himself in. This research focuses on the feasibility of Environmental Education as a perspective on the content of General Science of the compulsory school phase. The researcher feels confident that Environmental Education would indeed add a positive dimension to the future teaching of General Science. The researcher points out that Environmental Education is essential to future generations. Research is directed towards the attainability of Environmental Education in formal Education. A new-found demand faces the General Science teacher. The researcher points out that change is irrevocably due to the technological advances and development together with the adjoining dynamic expectations and demands of society. Mankind's and environment's history has clearly shown that the environment is secondary to progress. The environment must satisfy man's ever growing demands. The contrary hasn't been proven up to date. Man is insensitive to and ignorant about the demands of the environment. The corruption of a once healthy interaction between man and environment is unfortudately a result of man's impetance, insensitivity and ignorance of the environment. Therefore man must take the initiative to restore the environment to a sustainable system where man and his environment can flourish. This research proves a lack of legislation in the necessary nationwide Environmental Education. Environmental Education is far removed from its rightful place in education, not featuring in General Science but through the inclusion of the biophysical surroundings. General Science finds its roots in the biophysical dimension of the environment. The researcher has found that the total environment is only casually referred to in its political, economical and social dimensions.

This study evaluates Environmental Education courses in Bophuthatswana Colleges of Education. The semi-structured interviews with final year students, lecturers, rectors of colleges offering the courses, external examiners and the course co-ordinator at the Institute of Education at the University of Bophuthatswana (Unibo) are made. Written documents relating to Environmental Education courses, such as students' examination answer books, moderators' reports and minutes of meetings, are also used to evaluate the courses. Specifically, the aim of this study is to identify the strengths and the weaknesses of Environmental Education courses in Bophuthatswana Colleges of Education and this would present a contribution in the research field and also be useful in the further refinement of the courses. Strengths and weaknesses identified in this research are related to knowledge of Environmental Education and environmental issues, the syllabuses of the Environmental Education courses, the operation of the courses, the examining of the courses and the ethos and support of the colleges and the local university's Institute of Education. New insights are gained inter alia into the operation of Environmental Education courses in the Teacher Education programme in Bophuthatswana. An important contribution of the study is the application of the phenomenological paradigm, since it allows understanding of subjective experience as far as the operation of Environmental Education is concerned.

Orientador: Jandira Líria Biscalquini Talamoni / Banca: Haydee Torres de Oliveira / Banca: Maria de Lourdes Spazziani / Resumo: Uma das propostas presentes neste estudo foi identificar como e sob quais concepções de Educação Ambiental (EA) vinham sendo desenvolvidas as atividades relativas a esta temática, por parte da Secretaria Municipal de Meio Ambiente (SMMA), das escolas da rede pública municipal de ensino e das empresas que atuam no desenvolvendo o ecoturismo no município de Brotas, SP. Também foi investigado se, neste sentido, havia alguma articulação entre estas diferentes instituições, considerando-se que Brotas, desde 2007, aderiu ao Programa Estadual Município Verde Azul e que já alguns anos é conhecido em função do seu potencial para o ecoturismo, levando em conta que tais situações proveem a efetivação de ações voltadas para a EA. Nesta pesquisa qualitativa os dados foram coletados mediante a aplicação de questionário aos professsores da escolas envolvidas, de entrevistas realizadas com a diretoras destas e com os representantes da SMMA e das empresas, da consulta a documentos oficiais do município e aos Planos de Ensino das escolas, além da observação em campo e registro de situações e fatos considerados relevantes. Os resultados foram analisados e interpretados mediante a triangulação dos dados e análise de conteúdo, e discutidos à luz de referenciais teóricos da EA crítica. Verificou-se que as concepções de EA apresentadas pelas diferentes instituições eram as mesmas, ou seja, sob uma perspectiva de EA tradicional, que orientava o desenvolvimento de atividades pontuais e de carater preservacionista. Não se evidenciou articulação ou parcerias entre as instituições investigadas, que possibilitaram sobre as reais necessidades do município e a proposta de projetos que atendessem as tais demandas. Foi evidente a necessidade de se repensar a formação inicial e continuada dos professores, visando prepará-los para uma abordagem... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: One of the proposals, contained in this study was identifying how and under which concepts of the environmental education (EE) that have being developed with related activities for this theme with the contribution of the "Secretaria Municipal de Meio Ambiente" (SMMA) also with the contribution of public schools and business that focus on developing ecotourism in Brotas, SP. It was also considered in this sense, if there was any articulation between institution; considering that Brotas, since 2007, joionted the State Program Município Verde Azul, and that in a few your already, it is recognized for its potential for ecotourism, taking into account that those situation predict the effective action toward the EE. In this qualitative research, the data was collected with the use of a questionnnaire applied to the teachers of those schools involved in the project, also with the representatives of SMMA and involved business, and by consulting official documentation of the town and the "Planos de Ensino' of the schools. As well as with the observation in campus and registry of the situation and facts considered relevant. The results were analyzed and interpreted with a triangulation of the data, analyses of context, and discussed in the light of the theoretical references of critical EE. It was noticed that the perspective of EE developed in different institutions was the same, in other words, one perspective of the tradition of the EE, which guided the developed of exact activities and the character preservationist. It was not noticed however, any articulation or partnership between the institutions that was being investigated that would enable reflexition about the real necessities of the town and the project that answered those demands. The need for rethinking the initial formation and continuous formation used by the theachers... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre