Chris Gayford, The University of Reading, UK
Abstract
A piece of action research is described which
involved an alternative approach to environmental education with
students of 11 to 18 years. The focus of the work was outside the
timetabled curriculum using the school buildings and grounds as a model
for environmentally responsible management and behaviour. Emphasis was
on adopting criteria which were thought to lead to long-term attitudinal
and behavioural change and also those which cast the researcher in a
different role and gave a greater sense of "ownership" and control to
the participants. The findings suggest that this approach has a good
deal to offer in a context where it is becoming increasingly difficult
to influence the timetabled curriculum yet where teachers and students
feel that the environment is of great importance.
Résumé
Cette recherche-action
témoigne d'une approche alternative en éducation relative
àl'environnement, impliquant des élèves de 11
à 18 ans. Les activités se sont déroulées en
dehors de la grille horaire du curriculum et le milieu même de
l'école - bâtiments et terrains adjacents - est devenu le
contexte du développement d'un modèle de gestion et de
comportement responsables à l'égard de l'environnement.
L'accent a été mis sur l'adoption de critères
jugés aptes à induire un changement durable d'attitudes et
de comportements, à donner au chercheur un rôle
différent et à permettre l'émergence d'un sentiment
d'appartenance et de contrôle chez les participants. Les
résultats laissent croire qu'une telle approche peut être
féconde dans un contexte où il devient de plus en plus
difficile de modifier la grille horaire du curriculum et où
toutefois les enseignants et les élèves croient que
l'environnement est de grande
importance.
Environmental Education in Schools: An
Alternative Framework
Chris Gayford, The
University of Reading, UK
Abstract A piece of action research is described which
involved an alternative approach to environmental education with
students of 11 to 18 years. The focus of the work was outside the
timetabled curriculum using the school buildings and grounds as a model
for environmentally responsible management and behaviour. Emphasis was
on adopting criteria which were thought to lead to long-term attitudinal
and behavioural change and also those which cast the researcher in a
different role and gave a greater sense of "ownership" and control to
the participants. The findings suggest that this approach has a good
deal to offer in a context where it is becoming increasingly difficult
to influence the timetabled curriculum yet where teachers and students
feel that the environment is of great importance.
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