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Integrating Environmental Education in Classrooms

Environmental education is an interdisciplinary approach that can be integrated into various subjects to promote awareness and action towards sustainability. It emphasizes the importance of individual contributions to environmental issues and requires educators to contextualize lessons to enhance student engagement. Despite its long-standing presence, the effectiveness of environmental education remains critical as global environmental conditions continue to deteriorate.

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17 views1 page

Integrating Environmental Education in Classrooms

Environmental education is an interdisciplinary approach that can be integrated into various subjects to promote awareness and action towards sustainability. It emphasizes the importance of individual contributions to environmental issues and requires educators to contextualize lessons to enhance student engagement. Despite its long-standing presence, the effectiveness of environmental education remains critical as global environmental conditions continue to deteriorate.

Uploaded by

dwaynecaneso6
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© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Environmental education is interdisciplinary, taught in or out of the classroom, which

can incorporate all subjects of an already established curriculum. Environmental education


can be woven through daily lessons by using children's picture books with environmental
topics such as energy conservation, endangered species, meteorology and natural habitats.
Educators, whether a camp counselor or classroom teacher, can utilize these books to
stress respect and personal care of the environment, along with the importance of a
sustainable future through individual actions. Education is necessary in order to solve
today's problems, and they can only be solved by individual actions.

Educators must help students to "build on awareness to develop values, motivation,


and a need to move themselves and others to action" (Kalinowski, 1990-1991, p. 7), along
with clarifying the students' role and how they contribute to environmental problems (Braus &
Wood, 1993). To accomplish this, environmental education programs must be infused into all
subject areas at all grade levels, and relate to student's experiences, being as concrete as
possible (Engleson, 1990)

Implementations of environmental education have been investigated in different


disciplines, however studies on how it can be incorporated in English language teaching are
still limited. Gürsoy & Sağlam (2011) have found that prospective English language teachers
are willing to integrate environmental education in their classes. Arıkan (2009) recommends
contextualizing English grammar by using environmental peace education activities in order
to increase learners’ global awareness.

In today’s globalized society, knowledge of environmental science concepts,


recognition of environmental issues, and having the self-initiative to take action are
imperative to leading a positive and sustainable co-existence with all other life forms on this
planet. Based on the UNESCO definition, Environmental Education (EE) can be defined as
an organized learning process that increases individuals’ knowledge about environmental
science and sustainability issues while developing the necessary skills that will motivate
them to make informed decisions and take action. In addition to the necessary 21st century
skills, EE also requires students to actively engage in problem solving with regards to global
issues. Although environmental education in various forms has been in existence for
decades, due to the increased degradation of the environment on a global scale, it is
sufficed to say that, overall, environmental conditions have not improved.

[Link]

ArmS/ K. (1990). Environmental science. Philadelphia: Saunders College Publishing.


[Link]
project
Kalinowski, W. (1990-91). A curriculum outline and rationale for outdoor and
environmental education. Journal 62 of Outdoor Education. 25. 7-13
[Link]

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