title: School curriculum and outdoor education. Part 1: Early childhood and primary school

authors: Cosgriff, Marg

abstract: Th is chapter explores broad possibilities for learning outdoors in formal education contexts.
In part one we set the scene for the chapter by examining contemporary curricula in the early childhood and school sectors. National curriculum documents are introduced to look at the vision and ‘big picture’ direction they suggest for outdoor education practice. Attention then turns to consider outdoor education initiatives in early childhood settings, with examples drawn from programmes to illustrate the unique and practical ways in which they ‘walk the talk’ of student-centred, bicultural, holistic, and sustainable approaches. Th e discussion moves to consider the opportunities the primary school context aff ords for outdoor education that deliberately focuses on students’ relationships with the outdoor places they inhabit. Examples such as the well established Enviro-Schools programme and integrated units of learning are outlined to illustrate what we consider to be the heart of this forward looking outdoor education.
In part two, the focus moves to outdoor education in the secondary school. While the distinctiveness of the secondary setting with its associated compartmentalised, subject-focused curriculum is initially acknowledged, the focus broadens to consider a range of factors or enablers of innovative outdoor education practice. As with part one, examples of ‘real’ curricula, co-curricula, and extra-curricula programmes are featured. Th ese examples provide powerful guides for outdoor educators seeking to rethink, refi ne and reshape their students’ outdoor learning experiences in ways that enable them to enjoy, understand, and act for the environments in which they live and move. In sum, this chapter explores a vision of a more sustainable outdoor education future.

text: School curriculum and outdoor education. Part 1: Early childhood and primary school Th is chapter explores broad possibilities for learning outdoors in formal education contexts.
In part one we set the scene for the chapter by examining contemporary curricula in the early childhood and school sectors. National curriculum documents are introduced to look at the vision and ‘big picture’ direction they suggest for outdoor education practice. Attention then turns to consider outdoor education initiatives in early childhood settings, with examples drawn from programmes to illustrate the unique and practical ways in which they ‘walk the talk’ of student-centred, bicultural, holistic, and sustainable approaches. Th e discussion moves to consider the opportunities the primary school context aff ords for outdoor education that deliberately focuses on students’ relationships with the outdoor places they inhabit. Examples such as the well established Enviro-Schools programme and integrated units of learning are outlined to illustrate what we consider to be the heart of this forward looking outdoor education.
In part two, the focus moves to outdoor education in the secondary school. While the distinctiveness of the secondary setting with its associated compartmentalised, subject-focused curriculum is initially acknowledged, the focus broadens to consider a range of factors or enablers of innovative outdoor education practice. As with part one, examples of ‘real’ curricula, co-curricula, and extra-curricula programmes are featured. Th ese examples provide powerful guides for outdoor educators seeking to rethink, refi ne and reshape their students’ outdoor learning experiences in ways that enable them to enjoy, understand, and act for the environments in which they live and move. In sum, this chapter explores a vision of a more sustainable outdoor education future.

year: 2011

title: Longitudinal relations between belief in climate change and environmental efficacy

authors: Mala, Ritika

subjects: climate change

abstract: Climate change is one the most important issues we face today as it has catastrophic consequences for our environment, communities, and well-being. Thus, an individual’s pro-environmental behaviours are important to mitigate the climate crisis we face today. Research indicates that increased awareness of the climate crisis has led to various climate actions such as the climate strikes in 2019. We test our pre-registered predictions using two waves of an annual national panel study, the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Survey (N = 13,918). Cross-lagged results indicate that the climate change is real item and the personal action item showed partial support for a bidirectional association one-year later. These longitudinal findings reveal a novel link between belief in climate change and environmental efficacy, which is crucial for understanding pro-environmentalism among/of individuals in the community.

text: Longitudinal relations between belief in climate change and environmental efficacy Climate change is one the most important issues we face today as it has catastrophic consequences for our environment, communities, and well-being. Thus, an individual’s pro-environmental behaviours are important to mitigate the climate crisis we face today. Research indicates that increased awareness of the climate crisis has led to various climate actions such as the climate strikes in 2019. We test our pre-registered predictions using two waves of an annual national panel study, the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Survey (N = 13,918). Cross-lagged results indicate that the climate change is real item and the personal action item showed partial support for a bidirectional association one-year later. These longitudinal findings reveal a novel link between belief in climate change and environmental efficacy, which is crucial for understanding pro-environmentalism among/of individuals in the community.

year: 2024

title: Exploring the constitution of environment education as situated, critical processes of learning and change: A collaborative synthesis across diverse regional contexts

authors: Eames, Chris W.

subjects: Critical approaches

abstract: This article offers a set of unique vignettes or stories that attempt to illustrate examples of critical approaches to environmental education (EE) in diverse contexts. It draws from the experiences of five environmental educators in four different regions of the world. We detail the history of the emergence of critical consciousness in education in Brazil, and its application in a Brazilian region, then move to examples of critical educational responses to oppression in New Zealand and Zimbabwe, before closing with a critical examination of innovative teaching and research in Europe. Through this breadth of endeavour, we identify commonalities across these contexts such as the importance of participatory action and research to examine peopleenvironment relations, particularly as constituted by indigenous peoples, and to interpret realities in ways that empower through learning-led social-ecological change. We argue that this critical approach can foster emancipation through individual and collective learning in EE processes within very different contexts.

text: Exploring the constitution of environment education as situated, critical processes of learning and change: A collaborative synthesis across diverse regional contexts This article offers a set of unique vignettes or stories that attempt to illustrate examples of critical approaches to environmental education (EE) in diverse contexts. It draws from the experiences of five environmental educators in four different regions of the world. We detail the history of the emergence of critical consciousness in education in Brazil, and its application in a Brazilian region, then move to examples of critical educational responses to oppression in New Zealand and Zimbabwe, before closing with a critical examination of innovative teaching and research in Europe. Through this breadth of endeavour, we identify commonalities across these contexts such as the importance of participatory action and research to examine peopleenvironment relations, particularly as constituted by indigenous peoples, and to interpret realities in ways that empower through learning-led social-ecological change. We argue that this critical approach can foster emancipation through individual and collective learning in EE processes within very different contexts.

year: 2018