The Significance of Environmental Education
Author: Alonzo Bell
Date Published: 12/09/2021
Article: What does environmental education mean to me?
Environment Education Research: The Significance of Environmental Education
My definition of environmental education is somewhat complex but simple. Environmental education is about participating in outreach to learn, preserve and live with the environment. Environments are usually changing according to human’s needs and environmental education teaches people to appreciate the natural beauty of undisturbed environments. I also like to define environmental education as engaging people in learning about the significance of our environment through participation. Environmental education is not limited to age, because it can be learned and taught by diverse age groups. I’m interested in environmental education research because it makes people aware of the many benefits which the environment provides to urban communities. I’m especially interested in learning about how people in urban environments perceive environmental outreach programs and activities.
Authors such as Richard Louv, highlight the importance of playing in outdoor environments which can be crucial for child developments. Lack of access to natural resources can be a problem that young children are facing in urban cities. Some children might not be exposed to natural resources or have access to outside play areas. That is a really significant part of child development and environmental experiences. The topic which I’m focusing on is ; highlighting the benefits of environmental education outreach in urban communities. I also want to analyze how people are perceiving environmental programs in urban cities. This topic intrigued me because I grew up in an urban community where I had access to natural areas like parks but sometimes it was limited due to increase in urban developments, lack of natural areas and other pivotal factors.
The first study that I’m using is, “Troubling the intersections of urban/nature/childhood in environmental education.” This study explains environmental education as being crucial through learned outdoor experience for people in Berlin, Germany and related environments. In the article it elaborates on the point that human centered ideals have big influences on how children experience nature throughout their development. It also elaborates on the idea which children may feel empathetic towards the environment, because of unequal distribution of land and resources. The study consisted of global scholars from New Zealand, Canada, Europe and Australia; who responded to a series of questions regarding how environmental education helps foster children to explore nature in their childhoods. These questions were debated and many ideas regarding studies analyzing environmental education through natural experiences at adolescence age.
The first study provided many voices and valuable perspectives of the significance of nature incorporated into childhoods and implemented through education. The article analyzes the social, political, cultural and environmental factors such as; children living in poverty, gentrification, urbanization, anthropogenic activities and other implications. The authors use the approach that as areas become more urbanized the children will lose valuable quality nature experiences due to lack of natural spaces. The authors and participants of the study stay consistent with the idea that without meaningful childhood experiences in nature is crucial for connecting children and adults with the environment. Children may be empathetic towards the environment or exploit it, if they haven’t had many encounters with the natural world. The study provides many case studies related to children development through natural and environmental situations. The findings in this article presents that the quality of urban environments can cause long lasting health effects and other detrimental effects on growing children. It also concludes that humanist ideas shape urban environments which can affect what is learned by the child and how they experience their lives with natur I agree with these studies because they provided various scholarly perceptions which all explained the significance of natural experiences in children in urban communities.
The second study is ,”Environmental Education and Student’s Perception, for Sustainability”. This study stays consistent with portraying the significance which higher education plays in getting people involved with environmental education and sustainability concepts. This article studies how different groups of people perceive the term environmental education. It compiles different studies of authors explaining how they would define the term and why environmental education initiatives are needed in different types of communities. What this article shown, was that many people perceive environmental education differently based on key concepts but their definitions were somewhat similar. The different case studies presented in this article explains how environmental education is growing through institutions, conservations and curriculums and how they can be pathways to spread the message.
The second study was conducted by using 358 students from North Center University of Baia Mare, Romania. The students were asked 31 questions to see how to perceive their attitudes towards the environment. The study argues that students' perception of nature is high but their behaviors may be lower because they don’t feel a direct relationship with the environment. I can understand how that would shape someone’s perception of the environment. By using important variables they were able to determine the environmental attitude and behavior of the students. With their findings, they used them to emphasize the point that higher institutions and organizations can be influential to the public and students.
The findings of the second study is that students’ perceptions of significance and environmental problems score higher priority while behavior towards the environment scored lower priority. The findings also present that there are 5 crucial points for sustainable development of education which are ; 1.)environmental education in the environment; 2.) environmental education for the environment; 3.)environmental education about the environment; 4.) environmental education to the environment; and 5.) future research. I agree that these are essential and that higher institutions can have a heavy influence in development.
The third study is,”Impact of Environmental Education on the Knowledge and Attitude of Students towards the Environment”, which examines how human behaviors were exerted towards the environment in Nigeria through historical events. They elaborate on how environmental education has developed and changed people’s attitudes towards environmental awareness. The article explains that environmental education is taught in many primary and secondary schools throughout Nigeria and widely accepted. The article stays consistent with the idea that civil engagement is crucial in establishing positive attitudes towards the environment and environmental literacy. The Nigerian Ministry of Education implemented the National Environmental Education program in Nigeria schools in the 1990s, and it was a turning point towards environmental awareness and civil responsibility.
In the third study, 130 students from University of Benin, Nigeria were given a survey to assess how students responded to environmental awareness. Based on many crucial variables used; they were able to study and classify responses that were anthropocentric, ecocentric, pro environmental or socially aware. They were able to show that generally many students had adequate knowledge of environmental education and science concepts. The variables used in this experiment portray important environmental concepts such as; species interactions in an ecosystem, climate change, road and building infrastructure, environmental degradation and other related processes. The study showed that college students at the University of Benin were typically aware of environmental education concepts but the idea may not be widely accepted and practiced in the communities around Nigeria.
By encouraging others and establishing more environmental courses, it can be a successful step in fostering the work and research of environmental education initiatives to benefit the country. Of the students surveyed in the third study, results reported that most of the students had more than basic knowledge about environmental education. Their findings showed that 80% of social science students at the University of Putra Malaysia had knowledge about environmental education. The article explains that the concept of environmental education is growing in Nigeria, but there is still room for improvement in the country's education system. In the third article I agreed with their findings and found them interesting to learn about.
These studies will affect my professional work because they are related to my interest in studying environmental education outreach, especially in urban communities. I grew up in urban Detroit, and I know how it's easy to get displaced from experiences in nature. The studies all highlight the significance of gaining important concepts through first hand learning experiences in nature. One day I hope to be involved in significant environmental projects, which will educate and get more community residents involved with issues which we are facing in urban communities. All of the studies take initiative to promote environmental education and analyze different perspectives towards the environment.
The studies which I’m learning about will help me, because I also want to conduct studies or surveys to analyze people's thoughts and participation regarding environmental outreach. Like all the authors whom I reviewed, I notice that there is an audience of people who are empathetic towards the natural environment, and I’d like to get more of those people involved in environmental education; especially in urban communities. These articles will contribute to my work because I want to influence environmental involvement and engagement in my community, which is similar to these studies conducted around the world.
References
Iris Duhn, Karen Malone & Marek Tesar (2017). Troubling the intersections of urban/nature/childhood in environmental education, Environmental Education Research, 23:10, 1357-1368, DOI: hhttps://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2017.1390884
Gratiela Dana Boca and Sinan Saracli (2019). Environmental Education and Student’s Perception, for Sustainability. Sustainability, 11(6), 1553;
hhttps://doi.org/10.3390/su11061553
Norris L. Erhabor and Juliet U. Don (2016). Impact of Environmental Education On the Knowledge and Attitude of Students Towards the Environment. International Journal of Environmental & Science Education, 2016, Vol.11, NO.12, 5367-5375; https://eric.ed.gov /?id=EJ1115646
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