Education Commons^™

Benefits Of Environmental Education For Low-Income Elementary School Students, Victoria Denoyer

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This study analyzes the benefits of environmental education for low-income elementary school students. As the world is seeing a turbulent downfall in the state of the environment, fostering a healthy and eager generation to find solutions to this crisis is essential. Through analysis using a literature review and qualitative interviews and surveys with in-service teachers and outreach educators, the results determine there are benefits to implementing environmental education for low-income elementary school students. These benefits extend beyond environmental agency and profoundly impact the cognitive, mental, and physical development of low-income students.

Indigenous Philosophy In Environmental Education, Anne Poelina, Yin Paradies, Sandra Wooltorton, Laurie Guimond, Libby Jackson-Barrett, Mindy Blaise

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The editorial group acknowledges the wisdom of Indigenous knowledge keepers and their past and continuous relationships with place, on every continent on earth where humans have lived for aeons. Indigenous wisdom is their life-giving gift to communities everywhere for planetary futures. It is precious, having integrity and an ethic of responsibility and care. Indigenous wisdom as environmental education is the oldest education, being tens of thousands of years of continuity before waves of apocalyptic colonial violence during the last few centuries interrupted lifeways and language-embedded knowledge systems, some forever gone . . .

The Impact Of Environmental Education Delivery Methods And Outreach Messaging On Attitudes, Interests, And Intended-Behavior Changes Toward Nature, Vanessa Elizabeth Hoffman

Theses and Dissertations

Environmental education (EE) is important for environmental awareness and stewardship. Involving youth and adults in EE ensures current and future generations will conserve natural resources. This thesis explores impacts of delivery methods on participants’ environmental attitudes and behaviors toward nature through middle school classroom- and camp-based EE instruction, focus group interviews with rural minority youth, and adult responses to aquatic conservation outreach messaging. I observed no difference in environmental attitudes between online versus in-person delivery of EE lessons for middle-schoolers. Outdoor-based learning may be more impactful for EE than experiential, classroom-based learning. Focus group outcomes suggested youth EE programs should …

The Development Of A Backyard Composting Project Through Community Engagement, Donald J. Scully, Jeffrey A. Young, Bryan J. Hains, Kristina Hains

The Journal of Extension

It can be argued that public forums are a valuable and essential tool for Cooperative Extension professionals. This article narrates the innovative use of the public forum action steps outlined in Kahl’s (2016) “A Convener’s Guide to Hosting a Public Forum”. The primary objective was to address illegal dumping and littering concerns with the Extension professional's role to engage the community. The resulting “Backyard Composting Project” demonstrated that public forums are valuable in creatively engaging urban audiences. Ultimately the authors illustrate how a community concern can be addressed using innovative programming to reach what Extension considers to be …

Towards A Globalised Vision Of Aquatic Competence, Rita F. Pinto, Juan Antonio Moreno Murcia

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Human interaction with the aquatic environment has always taken different forms to meet the needs of pleasure, survival, therapy or performance. The diversity of existing aquatic spaces presents itself as a challenge, due to their variety, dynamism, unpredictability and unrepeatable conditions. These factors potentiate an infinite number of possibilities for human response in interaction with the aquatic environment, with aquatic competence being the one that will be able to sustain all types of interaction. Thus, the aim of the proposal has been to present a new approach to the contextualisation of aquatic competence. After a literature review on the concept …

Eating Change: A Critical Autoethnography Of Community Gardening And Social Identity, Jessica Gerrior

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Community gardening efforts often carry a social purpose, such as building climate resilience, alleviating hunger, or promoting food justice. Meanwhile, the identities and motivations of community gardeners reflect both personal stories and broader social narratives. The involvement of universities in community gardening projects introduces an additional dimension of power and privilege that is underexplored in scholarly literature. This research uses critical autoethnography to explore the relationship of community gardening and social identity. Guided by Chang (2008) and Anderson and Glass-Coffin (2013), a systematic, reflexive process of meaning-making was used to compose three autoethnographic accounts. Each autoethnography draws on the author’s …

Mainstream Or Margins? The Changing Role Of Environmental Education In Irish Primary School Curricula, 1872 To 2021, Sarah O'Malley, John Pierce

Publications

This article investigates the position of environmental education in the primary school curriculum over the past 150 years in the Republic of Ireland. The extent of how wider social, political, and cultural developments influence the way in which teachers and learners experience environmental education can be seen through the curricular changes. To achieve this, the five primary school curricula from 1872 to the present day were reviewed with respect to the amount of environmental education included in them. This review demonstrates a dramatic change in socio-environmental relations in contemporary Irish society during the 19th and 20th centuries, as reflected through …

When St. Louis School Nature Leaders And Environmental Partners Work Together Nature-Based Learning Inspires Joy And Curiosity In K-2 Students, Julie Frisch, Melissa Politte

Dissertations

This study focused on what values teachers saw in nature-based learning, what outcomes they saw for their students, and what factors have enabled them to do nature-based learning. This explanatory sequential mixed-methods study looked at nature-based learning in St. Louis elementary schools with kindergarten through second-grade students.

We used purposive sampling to choose six schools to examine further through case studies. We then conducted interviews with 8 teachers on qualities of nature-based learning captured in 12 words.

We identified five themes from our interviews and observations: Every School Needs a Nature Champion, Community Bridges in Nature-Based Learning, There is Magic …

Understanding Environmental Justice Instruction In Higher Education: Activist Epistemic Orientations And A Continuum Of Community Engaged Curricular And Pedagogical Practice, Christopher James Rabe

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Starting in the early 1980’s, the environmental justice (EJ) movement was critical in drawing much needed attention to how communities of color, low-income groups, Indigenous peoples, and other marginalized groups have experienced a disproportionate burden of environmental and ecological harms. The EJ movement sparked the birth of the EJ field of study. While originally focused on quantitative and distributional understandings of toxic waste in communities of color, the EJ field of study has since expanded to comprise community-based methodologies and new ways to understand justice, including participatory, recognition, and transformational approaches. The EJ field now represents multiple areas such as …

Transformative Ecoliteracy Development In Postsecondary Education: Cultivating Intentional Relationships Through Garden-Based Learning, Shevawn Armstrong

Dissertations and Theses

Education can play a critical role in empowering learners to address the global, complex, and interconnected sustainability problems humanity currently faces. Ecoliteracy, as an educational aim, may support the cultivation of values, attitudes, and skills required for the development of sustainability solutions and our collective ability to design regenerative ways of living. However, empirical research that explores and supports the development of ecoliteracy in adults is limited. This grounded theory action research study aimed to contribute to this body of knowledge. This study explored how adult ecoliteracy and practical gardening skills may be cultivated through an intentionally designed, holistic, garden-based …

[2022 Winner] Decolonization In Higher Environmental Education, Olivia Equinoa

Ethnic Studies Research Paper Award

This paper introduces the practice of decolonization and discusses the importance of implementing it in higher environmental education. Using scholarly critiques and research, this paper explores ways decolonization can be enacted in universities, cautions in doing so, the consequences of not decolonizing these areas, and why it is crucial that it be practiced in the field of environmental education.

Nature-Based Education For Elementary Students With Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder, Kayleigh Morrison

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

There are several advantages to including a nature-based curriculum and outdoor learning into state standards, and the consequences of students who do not have access to outside learning and activities can be severe. The term “Attention Restoration Theory” (ART) was coined by psychology professors Rachel and Stephen Kaplan in 1989 and claims that exposure to nature can improve mental fatigue and concentration. This senior capstone examines Kaplan’s Attention Restoration Theory and academic studies rooted in its philosophy as it applies to nature-based curriculum and outdoor learning. There are certain advantages for students who are exposed to a nature-based curriculum and …

Starting The Conversation: Race, Ethnicity, And Land At A Predominantly White Environmental Education Organization, Carolyn A. Waters

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Environmental Educators use land as the locus and content of their work. However, dominant environmental narratives often exclude Indigenous and Black perspectives on land (Bang et al., 2014; Calderon et al., 2014; Engel-Di Mauro & Carroll, 2014). To address this and other issues related to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI), environmental organizations nationally have called for JEDI initiatives (NAAEE, 2020), such as professional development for their employees- the majority of whom are white (Green 2.0, 2021; Taylor, 2014). Research questions for this study were: 1) How do white environmental educators perceive race and ethnicity in their work as it …

Fostering Resiliency And Care Integrating Self-Compassion Into A Graduate Course, Heather L. Burns

Educational Leadership and Policy Faculty Publications and Presentations

Self-compassion, which involves mindful awareness of feelings and offering ourselves compassion, has been shown to support balancing emotions, overcoming challenges, and achieving goals. This action research study integrated self-compassion theory and practice in a graduate course in which students wrote their final comprehensive papers in sustainability education. This study found that self-compassion practice resulted in more self-awareness, more acceptance of difficult emotions, and more ability to handle stress. Additionally, students experienced more clarity and calm in the writing process and began to integrate self-compassion into their lives and work. This study points to the promise of self-compassion as a beneficial …

Sustainable Polymers: New 4-H Stem Curricula, Steven Worker, Jennifer Mccambridge, Anne Stevenson, Jane Fields, Alexa Maille, C L. Meehan, Amie Mondl, Charles Malone, Martin H. Smith

The Journal of Extension

There are many environmental issues surrounding the global production and use of plastics. Three science curricula (Grades K-2, 3-5, and 6-8) were developed to introduce youth to the past, present, and future of plastics. Designed using research-based methods and grounded in effective science pedagogy, the curricula provide young people opportunities to explore viable alternatives to plastics and develop knowledge and skills necessary to help mitigate environmental impacts associated with the production, use and disposal of plastics. Evaluation results demonstrated that youth improved their understanding of polymers and intention to help reduce impacts of plastics on the environment.

Measuring Students' Pro-Environmental Attitudes And Behaviors Before And After Demonstration-Based Instruction, Collin Ryan

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

A growing amount of research exists on environmental education programs which incorporates the viewpoints of students into its assessment of the program’s efficacy. This research seeks to add to that body and evaluate an environmental education program about the sustainability of plastics, using both quantitative and qualitative data collected from participating students. The data was collected after a 90-minute instructional block of demonstration-based environmental education meant to inform students on the variability of plastics’ properties and the sorting and remolding processes of recycling. It also aimed to help build pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors in the students, and a sense of …

Winter Wings: An Introduction To Environmental Education, Samuel G. Mothner

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

No abstract provided.

Education In A Warming World: Trends, Opportunities And Pitfalls For Institutes Of Higher Education, Orla Kelly, Sam Illingworth, Fabrizio Butera, Vaille Dawson, Peta White, Mindy Blaise, Pim Martens, Geertje Schuitema, Maud Huynen, Susan Bailey, Sian Cowman

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Higher education institutes (HEI) face considerable challenges in navigating how to respond to the escalating and intertwined socio-ecological sustainability crises. Many dedicated individuals working in the sector are already driving meaningful action through rigorous research, teaching, knowledge sharing, and public engagement, while there is a growing consensus that sector-wide change is needed to ensure that aspirational declarations and positive individual actions translate into sustainable and transformative change. This article seeks to contribute to such efforts by illustrating a number of trends, examples, and reflections on how third-level educational institutes can act sustainably. We highlight the potential of five strategies HEI …

Exploring The Potential Of Online Education And College Students' Connection To Nature, Michael Weinstein

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

There is limited research examining the efficacy of online delivery for experiential, field-based, interdisciplinary coursework in environmental education geared towards undergraduate students, and how connection to nature can be understood through the theory of emerging adulthood. This research employed a convergent mixed methods approach to explore the experiences of 11 undergraduate students enrolled in an online, introductory ecology course, and how their experience of connection to nature was influenced through the course, technology-mediated nature embedded within the course, and how their identities as emerging adults were impacted by their connection to nature. Quantitative methods employed included pre/post surveys, while qualitative …

An Instructional Guide To Environmental Campaigns For K-12 Schools, Erin Mccarty

University Honors Theses

Evidence suggests environmental education can correlate with both short- and long-term behavioral changes, but existing research on the effectiveness of popular environmental education tactics show mixed results. Qualitative research was used in this study to assess student engagement and behavioral change within the context of environmental education campaigns. Ideally, students exposed to environmental campaigns become more informed on environmental issues and adjust their behavior to align with the campaign’s objectives. However, only a portion of environmental campaigns have these desired effects on their students. Based on a preliminary literature review, I anticipated the defining catalyst on post-campaign behavioral engagement would …

Development Of Sense Of Place Through An Urban Citizen Science Program, Cornelia Harris

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Citizen science programs are a way for participants to develop a sense of place, which has been theorized to lead to pro-environmental behaviors. In this mixed-methods study, I document how a citizen science program encourages urban youth to connect with their place, and notice how both joy and wonder are developed as they experience a stunning migratory event with a unique organism, the American eel. Students were excited to be in a creek and to ‘discover’ a new creature in a place that they had walked past for years, one that was merely a backdrop to their lives prior to …

Using Extension As A Vehicle To Reduce Elementary Student Food Waste, Rebecca Koetz, Rod N. Williams

The Journal of Extension

Extension can play a key role in providing food waste education nation-wide. This study is the first to evaluate the effects of environmentally focused lesson plans on elementary student knowledge and perceptions regarding food waste. Herein we provide suggestions on concepts to teach students for the greatest impact on food waste reduction. We also provide avenues to incorporate food waste education into existing Extension programming. We hope the study can inspire and inform further food waste program development, assessment, and implementation through Extension.

Teaching For Transformation: Developing Agency And Solidarity Consciousness In A Critical-Transdisciplinary, Garden-Based Urban Environmental Studies Program, Pieranna Pieroni

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation focuses on “Community Roots,” an instantiation of urban, garden-based environmental education that employs a “critical-transdisciplinary” design framework and pedagogies. The “crit-trans” construct, articulated by the Urban Environmental Studies Research Coven (Strong et. al., 2016) is offered as both a generative approach to liberatory (environmental) pedagogies with applications across the curriculum and as a form of resistance to neoliberal logics shaping educational (and other) settings. After situating Community Roots in its socio-environmental, institutional, historical and theoretical contexts, a detailed description of the course’s instantiation of crit-trans pedagogy is offered. Additionally, reflections of 14 youth and adult participants are analyzed, …

New Frontiers In Gaming: Playing With Hope, C. Thumper Ormerod

Summit to Salish Sea: Inquiries and Essays

The author, a queer educator, documents how a transformative experience sharing their love of collaborative storytelling games with peers lead to them designing a new game. The author explores the potential of games like Dungeons and Dragons to make space for voices that popular media doesn’t offer a platform to. They explore opportunities to use role playing to practice new social skills, build community, and the potential for emotionally therapeutic play. Finally, outlined is an original game entitled Frontiers which aims to help players develop environmental hope.

Environmental Education During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Margaret Janz

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic that hit the United States in March 2020 quickly caused the entire nation to rethink how we work and how we approach education. Informal environmental education in particular faced unique challenges during this time yet found ways to adapt their educational programming. This thesis will explore the questions: How did organizations alter and adapt their programming to meet public health guidelines during the pandemic? and What successes and challenges did organizations face in offering these programs? To answer these questions, a survey was distributed to organizations that offer environmental education programs. Results echo and expand on the …

Using Critical Environmental Agency To Engage Teachers In Local Watersheds Through Water Quality Citizen Science, Lacey D. Huffling, Heather Scott

Department of Middle Grades and Secondary Education Faculty Publications

This qualitative study explores teachers’ critical environmental agency (CEA) through deepening content knowledge, engaging in identity development, developing a critical consciousness of place, and moving toward civic action. We explored the meanings secondary science teachers made of an on-going professional development (PD) situated in the Okefenokee Swamp (unique ecosystem that drains to Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean) and focused on local watershed citizen science monitoring and the global implications of all water being connected. Data analyses focused on how the nineteen teachers’ experiences and meanings were leveraged to develop CEA and the constraints that restricted their CEA development. Our …

Environmental Education Program For Preschoolers, Kaela Gaylord

Honors Program Theses

The present study looked at the effects of a three-week environmental education program on preschoolers aged from three to five years old. Attitudes about the environment were measured using a questionnaire adapted from The Children’s Attitudes Towards the Environment - Preschool Version (Diamond & Musser, 1999), and knowledge was measured with an additional five questions about specific facts. Nine children from two different schools, Community School and Lab School, received the intervention of the environmental education program, and 15 children from both schools were in the control group. The main goal of this study was to see if participation in …

Connecting Youth To Nature: Environmental Education’S Role In The Future Of Wellbeing And Stewardship, Claire Generous

Pomona Senior Theses

In 2005, the term Nature-deficit disorder was coined by Richard Louv to describe the childhood costs of alienation from nature including diminished use of the senses, attention difficulties, and higher rates of physical and emotional illnesses. The increasing use of technology, stricter parenting, local ordinances, biophobia, socioeconomic status, and coronavirus all contribute to Nature-deficit disorder. To mitigate and reverse Nature-deficit disorder and its consequences, children must connect with nature. Nature connection improves children’s health and wellbeing and increases environmentally responsible behavior. Nature connection can improve physical, spiritual, psychological, and social wellbeing. Children who spend more time in nature report lower …

Paying Attention To Water Relations: Poetic Inquiry And Pedagogical Documentation As Curious Practices, Claire O’Callaghan

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This project explores climate pedagogies with particular interest in Western Australia’s current water crisis. Human and more-than-human relations are explored with young children and educators from an early learning centre in Perth, Western Australia, with a view to reimagining education in the context of rapid environmental change. The project is grounded in feminist new materialist knowledge and is framed by an attentive focus to amplify the non-binary nature of both human and more-than-human counterparts. The research focuses on challenging colonial ways of knowing water, by decentring the child, unsettling norms, and reinstating reciprocity between human and more-than-human others (Nxumalo & …

Weather Bodies: Experimenting With Dance Improvisation In Environmental Education In The Early Years, Jo Pollitt, Mindy Blaise, Tonya Rooney

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This paper reports on insights gained from incorporating dance improvisation into a broader early years environmental education ethnographic research project. Findings are reported from a two-day workshop where a dancer was invited to work with young children to attune to the weather through their bodies. In these workshops, the practice of dance improvisation was used as a deliberate interference to disrupt the disconnected and disembodied ways in which weather is often taught to young children. The paper argues that when children attune with weather through the embodied and relational practice of dance improvisation, this challenges the common practice of learning …