(2021). Remembering Peter Fensham, a founder of Australian environmental education. Environmental Education Research. Ahead of Print.

Abstract As individuals become more aware and concerned about their own contribution to global climate change, empowering consumers to make informed decisions that are beneficial to the environment is of chief importance. This study tests how literacy interventions can be used to empower and increase people’s ability to identify greenwashing as a defense against for-profit organizations who seek to

Abstract This article highlights three key features that appeared to add value to young people’s experience of a school-linked environmental education initiative built around conservation activities. The three features – close-up encounters with other species, working with external experts, and a degree of informality – were identified through a combination of participant-observation, and focus groups

Abstract Based on the concept of action competence, the current study introduces an integrated framework of Professional Action Competence in Education for Sustainable Development (PACesd) described by three defining features: willingness, knowledge of pedagogical approaches, and self-efficacy. To validate this framework, we developed a questionnaire measurement instrument: ‘PACesd-Q’. This questionnaire

Abstract This paper examines how the eco-theology of St Francis of Assisi is translated into practice in Franciscan schools in Jakarta, Indonesia. We also investigate if the environmental conclusions of the Pope’s Encyclical, Laudato Si’, are understood by students. An ethnographic approach, using participant observation, interviews and focus group discussions with the friars and nuns, teachers and

Abstract In US school settings and materials, climate change is often framed as an uncertain phenomenon. However, the effect of such denialist representations on youth’s perceptions of climate change has not been empirically tested. To address this gap in the literature, this article reports on a survey-based experiment testing two framings of uncertainty about the causes and effects of climate change—one

Abstract Although zoos have an increasingly important role to play in educating the public about conservation and inspiring pro-conservation behaviour, they are not firmly established as leaders of conservation education. A multitude of logistical challenges and methodological limitations in zoological education research are contributory factors to this. However, certain research weaknesses can be

Abstract This study focuses on the impact of an intergenerational sustainability leadership project on the development of students’ environmental literacy. The project involved high-school students and older adults in the community who learned and worked together on environmental issues developing original initiatives over a period of three years. The study examines environmental literacy development

Abstract The recognition of the environmental crisis has created the need for environmental education (EE) development and leadership. Schools have a crucial role in promoting EE, which requires a deep organizational change to be led by school principals. Consequently, it is important to investigate principals’ leadership perceptions in the context of the environmental crisis. This qualitative study

Abstract Institutions of higher education play an important role in training citizens who can thoughtfully and critically make decisions that impact the sustainability of our planet. While researchers have determined competencies that students need as environmental and sustainability professionals, less is understood about how to achieve these outcomes within complex learning environments, such as

Abstract Despite the attention drawn to the plastic crisis by the media and environmental campaigns, much of the practice around single-use plastic has remained unchanged. It appears that, although many know the correct position to assume regarding the issue, the ‘talk’ does not necessarily translate into action. This incongruity can be explained with reference to Heidegger’s theory on the everydayness

Abstract This article provides ethnographic insight into the more-than-human relationships enacted through young people’s participation in school grounds conservation activities. As a response to the escalating biodiversity crisis, conservation appears well-placed to facilitate young people’s development of an environmental ethic of care, and a capacity to work towards addressing environmental issues

(2021). Connection to nature and relational values: an empirical study of human-nature relationships to explore essential factors in environmental education and environmental psychology. Environmental Education Research: Vol. 27, No. 10, pp. 1517-1518.

Abstract Environmental education researchers and policy makers acknowledge the need to act responsibly toward the environment. Yet, teachers do not always know how to help students translate environmental knowledge into sustainable action. This study examines the implementation of locally developed place-based education (PBE) curriculum for middle school science classes with the intention of promoting

Abstract Biodiversity education is widely considered a necessary component of protecting global biodiversity by helping to change harmful attitudes and actions. BioBlitz events, rapid surveys of all living things in a defined area over a set period, are becoming a widely used practice for biodiversity education. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of a campus BioBlitz as a place-based experiential

(2021). Walking practices with/in nature(s) as ecopedagogy in outdoor environmental education: An autophenomenographic study. Environmental Education Research: Vol. 27, No. 10, pp. 1557-1558.

Abstract As a case study on the presence (or absence) of environmental education in history textbooks, this paper examines how Singapore’s nationally mandated secondary school history curriculum portrays the relationship between humans and the nonhuman environment. It analyzes all seven government-authored lower-secondary-level history textbooks, published between 1984 and 2015. The results show that

Abstract This study explores the role of specific sustainability education pedagogies in developing preservice teachers’ sustainability consciousness (SC). The participants were 77 Greek preservice teachers from a Department of Primary Education, organized into two cohorts (N1=30, N2=47), from two consecutive semesters. Data were collected through (a) the use of the SC scale, administered before and

Abstract The ongoing ecological crisis and the more recent Coronavirus crisis challenge the grand narrative of Enlightenment that human beings are ‘masters of nature’. For millennia, human social learning has allowed Homo sapiens to outpace most of our competitor creatures and live a comfortable life, but this competitive success has resulted in cataclysmic failure for the ecosystem. However, people’s

Abstract There is a strong belief among environmental and sustainability educators and researchers that meaningful education can benefit from participatory approaches. Participation in decision-making, community cooperation, and interaction, development of team communication, solidarity and real action resulting in real outcomes, are the qualities that should characterize the participation children

Abstract This essay outlines some of the key themes and ideas developed in in the above title. These include: the influence of scientism and a "metaphysics of mastery" in late modern times; a phenomenology of nature that focusses on the native "occurring" of things in nature; the development of a notion of environmental consciousness in which sustainability is integral; an exploration of what might

Abstract The time children spend in nature has severely decreased. While nature-based learning at school is considered an important strategy in addressing this, numerous knowledge gaps continue to remain. To address these, a systematic review was undertaken. Nine commonly used health and education databases were searched from inception to January 2019. To be included, study participants were required

Abstract 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

Abstract It is widely recognized that education plays a key role in addressing current global challenges. Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) combines local actions with global thinking. In Virtual School Garden Exchanges (VSGEs) primary and secondary students from the Global South and North interact and communicate digitally about their school gardens. This study focuses on educators’ expectations

Abstract To contribute pedagogies that reimagine relationships in a more-than-human world I adopt a posthuman approach to map the content and expressions of imagination in a series of pedagogical events on Dja Dja Wurrung Country, Kooyoora, Australia. By working with Bennett’s concept of vibrant matter and MacLure’s generative data fragments I attend to the collective – student/teacher bodies, geological

(2021). Placemaking: a new materialist theory of pedagogy. Environmental Education Research. Ahead of Print.

Abstract Campus-community partnerships can play a vital role in environmental education by providing universities opportunities to engage diverse communities, but challenges often emerge when research centers leverage their legitimacy as a purveyor of expertise while embracing inclusive engagement practices. While previous campus-community partnership studies have treated inclusion and legitimacy separately

Abstract Citizen science projects are an increasingly popular way to engage the public in the process of science. However, few studies have evaluated learning outcomes beyond knowledge gains in formal learning settings with youth. This study evaluated the effects of a classroom-based citizen science project in which middle and high school students collected data about hummingbirds and their habitat

Abstract More engineering students are needed to address climate change in their careers. These students are necessary because engineering includes designing and building machines, structures, and components that contribute large portions of society’s carbon emissions. We surveyed a national sample of undergraduate engineering students (n = 4605) in their last semester of college about their desire

Abstract When it comes to what higher education students know about sustainability, where they learn matters. In this study, we explore the extent to which students’ level of sustainability knowledge differed according to where they previously learned about the environment. In an online survey administered to undergraduate students enrolled at Michigan State University, a large university in the Midwestern

Abstract Despite eight years of strong national support, Taiwan’s Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) has generated limited enthusiasm for sustainable development, and is even turning some policy implementers into ESD skeptics. In one of the first attempts to study the work of policy implementers within Taiwan’s ESD initiatives, this study examines links between national policy and practice

Abstract To inform current debate around climate change education (CCE) in the school curriculum in England, we surveyed the views of primary and secondary teachers (N = 626). In England, direct reference to climate change in the National Curriculum is confined to secondary Science and Geography but, unrelated to their subject area, teachers favoured a cross-curricular approach with most already communicating

Abstract Three decades have passed since approximately 1,700 scientists signed the World Scientists’ Warning to Humanity highlighting severe environmental problems and trends affecting local and global communities. To reverse the situation, their 1992 Warning argued we need to change our behaviour. In 2017, a larger group issued a second consensus statement warning that the direction and rates of environmental

Abstract This study aims to review the scientific papers on Early Childhood Education for Sustainability (ECEfS) published between 2008 and 2020 and reveal changes in the area. This systematic review was carried out in two stages. In the first stage, a systematic review of papers on ECEfS was conducted according to the specified criteria, and all identified studies were evaluated descriptively. In

Abstract Promoting education for sustainability (EfS) within schools requires adopting a whole-school approach for organizational change. In this study, we adopted Schein’s (1985 Schein, E. H. 1985. Organizational Culture and Leadership Jossey-Bass. San Francisco. [Google Scholar]) organizational culture model in school context, which includes three levels: artifacts, espoused values and basic underlying

Abstract Environmental education (EE) deals with environmental issues that involve diverse values and perspectives. Environmental issues need to be explored within an integrated framework while considering the aim of EE, which is to achieve a sustainable society and life. However, EE has overlooked the economic aspects of environmental issues and the subjectivity of learners. This study compared two

Abstract Holistic and pluralistic instructional beliefs and instructional practices in Education for Sustainable Development are often considered of high importance to foster students’ competences. This mixed-method study describes the development and the validation of the Holism-Pluralism in Education for Sustainable Development questionnaire (HPESD-Q) to measure teachers’ instructional beliefs and

Abstract Climate change scenarios project higher flood risk, so knowing how households can increase socio-ecological resilience is essential. Children rarely feature in UK policy guidance about how households prepare for floods, and research is limited about children’s roles in local resilience building. Using a participatory action research, child-centred methodology we explored (7-9year old) children’s

Abstract In the past decades, zoos have increasingly developed into conservation and education centers and today make an important contribution to environmental education. In this context, this study investigated which factors influence attitudes towards species conservation. The variables examined were gender, age, the number of visits to zoos in the last 12 months, perception of zoos, interest in

Abstract This study developed a scale for evaluating how well students understand marine-resource conservation and sustainability; it evaluated the scale’s psychometric properties and investigated the gender difference in the scale’s score. We recruited 929 university students in Taiwan to answer a questionnaire developed using the scale. The scale’s reliability and validity were indicated through

Abstract Despite recent intergovernmental commitments to advancing climate change education and communication (CCEC) internationally, there remains a lack of global data to enable tracking or target-setting on country progress. This article shares findings from an analysis of CCEC content in 377 submissions to the UNFCCC Secretariat. Submission types analyzed included National Communications reporting

Abstract In this article we argue that drama can provide complementary knowing for climate change education and shed light on the complexity of related psychosocial issues. We bring together an interdisciplinary understanding of eco-anxiety, psychosocial responses to climate change, and drama education. We draw on performance narratives created with young people in Finland and explore the psychosocial

Abstract The pressing nature of climate change and its associated impacts requires a climate literate citizenry. Climate change education in K-12 settings may provide a unique opportunity to make inroads towards climate literacy. However, many K-12 teachers avoid teaching climate change because they are uncomfortable with the subject or do not see its relevance to their curriculum. Removing barriers

(2021). Governmentalities of climate change education in England: Perspectives from history, policy and position-holders. Environmental Education Research: Vol. 27, No. 5, pp. 781-781.

Abstract Most previous research on residential outdoor environmental education (ROEE) programs has focused on the outcomes associated with student participation in these learning experiences. In contrast to these previous studies, this research takes an interpretivist approach to understand how work as a short-term instructor in a ROEE setting may also uniquely support learning and development for

Abstract In this paper, we describe an informal science program where specific program elements were designed to support youth development of a 21st century naturalist identity, which we call out as an important subtype of environmental and scientific identity. As part of a research-practice partnership, we conducted a case study of a teen youth program held in an urban park in order to examine how

Abstract Environmental learning occurs through an interconnected web of opportunities. Some arise via organizations with sustainability- or environmental learning-focused missions, while others are facilitated by organizations focused on impacts and outcomes in a range of areas, such as health, social justice, or the arts. To better understand the richness of the community environmental learning landscape

Abstract We explore the socio-ecological effects of meat consumption by assessing the impact of a didactical intervention. We focused on meat consumers’ profiles, their willingness to engage in pro-environmental actions and the allocation of responsibility for environmental issues. Using pretest-posttest-control methodology, a group of future primary-school teachers were surveyed before and after the

Abstract The present study aims to explore the perceived factors affecting student-teachers’ (STs) learning about social urban sustainability. Participants were 63 STs enrolled in a Department of Primary Education located in Northern Greece. Although the participants were aware of the principles of sustainability and education for sustainability, none of them had familiarity with social or urban sustainability

Abstract The pursuit of sustainable development for individuals, societies, and nations is important for the global community given its emphasis on pursuing a harmonious balance between societal, economic, and environmental imperatives. With respect to formal education, teachers are critical agents in delivering sustainable development content, and facilitating skills and action competencies to achieve

Abstract Within the field of environmental and sustainability education (ESE), the interaction between ESE research and ESE policy has received limited attention. Beyond ESE, however, the research-policy relationship has become an increasing focus for theoretical inquiry, empirical investigation and practical development. Against this backdrop, this article introduces a Special Issue that brings together

Abstract Although interest in ESE policy studies is on the rise, we argue there is a gap in scholarship about the nature and extent of interactions between policymakers and researchers in the ESE field. This paper addresses this gap by discussing one example of such interaction – an ongoing research-practice partnership (RPP) between the New York City Department of Education Office of Sustainability

Abstract The 2019 published report of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem (IPBES) reveals that the decline in species and habitats induced by human activities is continuing. School students still have difficulties to understand the meaning of biodiversity and the consequences of its loss. The underlying assumption of this study is that learners do not only need

Abstract With growing societal recognition of the need to take action in order to promote more sustainable futures, school curricula have been seen as crucial vehicles through which to promote education for sustainable development. STEM subjects in particular have been targeted as pertinent areas to best promote sustainability through curriculum development initiatives. This paper aims to explore the

Abstract Echoing calls to expand environmental education research through design, this study explores the role of design in garden-based education and illustrate its contributions towards practical impact and theoretical insight. Design can explicate and map conjectures about resources, tasks, roles, and other supports for learning and teaching then, in turn, can be teste to illuminate how these supports

Abstract Outdoor learning provides an opportunity for schools to foster children’s engagement with nature. This paper focusses on forest school practitioners’ perceptions of children’s development of a relationship with nature and the place where forest school occurs, through interviews with forest school activity leaders. Reflecting on literature, the analysis of interviews sought to identify the

Abstract Action competence consists of the knowledge, willingness, and self-efficacy for contributing to a controversial issue such as sustainable development. As such, action competence in sustainable development (ACiSD) is a desired outcome of education for sustainable development (ESD). Still, the scarce instruments for measuring ACiSD that have been developed to date, are not specifically designed

Abstract In this qualitative study, we interviewed 20 environmental educators from six countries about their perceptions of gender in their work with children in nature. While many agreed that the physical environment seemed to bring fewer gendered cues to learning and allowed for more independent exploration, their responses also reflected limited confidence in drawing conclusions about the presence

Abstract This paper investigates how ESD is recontextualised in pedagogic practice in geography teaching in Hanoi, Vietnam, with the case study in two schools. Empirical materials for this study include video recordings and observations of 15 geography lessons conducted between 2016 and 2019. The lessons were selected based on the areas where the teachers thought they would be promoting ESD. Bernstein’s

Abstract The risk of neutralizing the political dimension in environmental education through the depoliticization of its thematic objects, its intended learning, and its educational purposes, is a curricular phenomenon identified by recent research in the field. The aim of this article is to develop a conceptual and analytical framework to identify clarification of the political dimension. The framework