Education Commons^™

In this paper we describe the background and first cycle of an action research project on the South West campus of Edith Cowan University (ECU South West) in Western Australia. The project was designed to reorient curriculum, teaching and learning to embed principles and practices of sustainability. The first action cycle ran for three months (following a three month reconnaissance period) and involved a series of meetings with campus staff, the writing of a grant application and inception report, a conference presentation, an art project and a collaborative writing endeavour for this paper. The planning, activities, observations and reflections of …

This paper commends the extensive variety of creative, locally responsive environmental education activities and programs being implemented by schools and teachers, with the support of environmental groups and agencies, throughout Western Australia. It endorses the Western Australian Curriculum Framework and national and draft Western Australian environmental education strategies and action plans. It acknowledges Department of Education action learning support programs for teachers as well as structures that support local community engagement in schools. These provide a strong foundation for education for sustainability.

The paper points out the scale of the global and local environmental problems still to be faced. A …