Draft 1: Environmental Education of High School and Elementary School Students

This topic submitted by Gina Covert, Emily Garritson, John Obrycki ( covertgm@muohio.edu,garritem@muohio.edu,obryckjf@muohio.edu ) on 10/7/04 .

Natural Systems 1 Syllabus---Western Program---Miami University

Outline
Introduction
I. Educational background
II. How students learn, elementary and high school
III. Environmental education today
IV. Project Goals
V. Research Question and Hypotheses
Research Design/Methods
I. The Study
II. High school students
III. Elementary students
IV. Analyzing the data
Timeline
Appendix I: Surveys
Appendix II: Annotated Bibliography

Introduction:

Education background

In Education debate rages over what topics should be covered in a course, but the greater debate concerns how these topics should be taught. Varying philosophies as to how the day-to-day activities of the course should be structured exist, and have been discussed by multiple authors from different viewpoints. Hutchison discusses the three different educational philosophies: technocratic, progressive, and holistic, comparing the different ways these philosophies affect students. Historically, the trend has now leaned more towards holistic education, which encourages lifelong learning. We will integrate progressive methods, which aim to give students applicable knowledge, and holistic methods into our educational program (Hutchison 1998).

Another problem which arises in how subjects should be taught is determined by the subjects themselves. Some subjects, like English, tend to be taught in a more discussion based atmosphere, and other subjects, like Science, tend to be taught in a more direct approach. The various approaches cause students to react differently, as discussed by Hativa and Marincovich. Sometimes it is difficult for subjects, particularly in Science to be taught in other than direct, note-taking ways. All aspects of teaching need to be considered, from the amount to which the teacher moves about the classroom and his mannerisms, to the organization of the lecture itself. Yet it is important to involve students in the learning process, because they will pay more attention and learn more if they are actively involved (Hativa and Marincovich 1995).

An important approach to teaching which has gained momentum recently is for an interdisciplinary approach, which combines multiple fields of study with multiple teaching practices. In general this approach leads to a greater understanding of the complexities of any individual issue. Clarke and Agne discuss the advantages of using an interdisciplinary approach to Science, combining it with ideas from Technology and Society. Using this method, it is important to use linkage questions, which pull in aspects from several different disciplines at once. An example would be considering the ethical, social, and ecomonic impacts of scientific research (Clarke and Agne 1997).

Figure 1. Clarke and Agne Science Education diagram

How students learn, elementary and high school

Differences in teaching styles must also take into consideration the audience to be taught, as different groups absorb information in different ways. Historically, the manner in which a college lecture is delievered is much different from the manner in which elementary school students are taught. The interdisciplinary approach attempts to integrate all aspects of learning, and can be used at any grade level with effectiveness. In this study, elementary and high school students will be taught, and the difference in the knowledge base and age in general need to be taken into consideration as we develop our interdisciplinary approaches.

Robinson and Wolfson propose several different methods for how students should be taught. No matter what level the students are in school, it is much more effective if the students are directly involved with the learning process. Since these approaches are universal, we will use them in both our elementary and high school groups. When students are more actively involved in the learning process, they are more likely to be intrigued and boost their own self-esteem. Five proposed methods are: learning by doing, focusing on the real and relevant, posing challenging questions, connecting with a larger picture, building on past experiences, and having a positive group interaction (Robinson and Wolfson 1982).

Environmental education today

Science education lends itself towards an interdisciplinary approach because there are so many different issues involved, like ethical, social, scientific, economic, and political issues. A difficult issue raised in Science education is when to teach students certain subjects due to the complex interdisciplinary interactions for certain issues. It is also difficult to determine how simplified Science can be made, for example the cell cycle, and still be accurately taught to younger audiences. Fritzer and Bristor provide many helpful recommendations for topics to be covered by elementary teachers in ways which the students will understand (Fritz and Bristor 2004).

This same problem arises in Environmental Education because the issues which surround the environment are extremely complex and cannot be adequately grasped by elementary students and some high school students. An interdisciplinary approach attempts to teach students about the broad range of issues to be considered, so that they are able to put a perspective on the topic being discussed.

There are two main goals currently used in Environmental Education. One of the goals, as proposed by Belanger, is to shift the focus in environmental education from basic ecological facts to the empowerment of humans in their ability to promote positive global change through life-oriented education (Belanger 2003). The other goal, proposed by Hopkins and McKeown, stresses the importance of obtaining a worldwide view of environmental issues to gain a greater understanding of sustainability.

Living in the Information and Technological Era, students have access to vast amounts of information, which is difficult to organize. As different of media have arisen over the past century, students need to be cautious of what information they perceive as factual. On a daily basis, students are bombarded by a variety of media: television, radio, the Internet, and print media,. With the growing popularity of Environmental Education as a discipline, more and more of the attention focuses not only on what to teach, but how to teach it. It is the job of the educator to utilize all of these media forms in productive manners in order to create a positive learning environment. Some of the methods educators use include: computers, newsletters, hands-on activites, lectures, and discussions.

Hands-on approaches to environmental topics has gained popularity through the interdisciplinary practices of teachers. Students are able to use their own knowledge and apply it to something concrete. In each of these activities, students are usually required to pull knowledge gained from other classes and apply it, which aids students in seeing how disciplines are connected. Also when these projects are done in groups, students must learn to cooperate with each other, consider different points of view, and focus on the same goal. This approach is holistic in that it prepares students for dealing with larger problems later in life. These hands-on activities can also instill a sense of citizenship and pride in local communities for the students, who may concern themselves with local environmental issues later (Lane 1993).

Newsletters are another way environmental information is conveyed to students. They can describe detailed cases of environmental concern quickly and incorporate facts and figures which aid in understanding the material. Beamish suggests using specific topics to gain the interest of the reader (Beamish 1995).

The Internet has also provided a new way for environmental educators to connect with each other. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has an Environmental Education for Kids section (EEK) which provides environmental resources and links for teachers and simpler activities and information for elementary students. This reflects another new approach for environmental education, using the Internet to quickly connect with educators around the country and around the world.

Connecting to a larger audience is also an important aspect of the online Green Teacher newsletter, which can be viewed online or ordered in paper copies. By using the Internet, environmental groups hope to spread their message and ideas much more quickly than in book form. Consequently most of the online environmental resources are practical, small-scale activities the public can actively participate in. Internet resources do not usually delve into the deeper philosophies of environmental education, but they do provide simple activities for students, educators, and the general public.

There are exceptions to this rule, especially as more and more journals become available online. The National Environmental Education & Training Foundation contains many resources and studies reports concerning environmental education. Environmental Education and Educational Achievement: Promising Programs and Resources, one of the reports available online, contains case studies of educational programs around the country which are successfully instituting environmental education. The main purpose of the NEETF is to create stronger connections between environmental education and standard education.

A new genre of environmental educational books is emerging, in which teaching methods and topics are interwoven. These new environmental books always approach environmental education from an interdisciplinary approach, reflecting the importance of an interdisciplinary framework to the entire environmental movement. Many of these books discuss environmental topics in-depth, but in accessible language which can be understand by a broader audience than the scientific community. Emphasis is placed on connecting to a broader audience, be it educators or the general public, because environmental practice is a dynamic and intimate practice. Each individual has a direct impact on the environment each day, so it is necessary to connect with individuals and convey how this impact can be reduced. This can only be accomplished through an interdisciplinary approach because the esoteric language of the scientific community cannot connect with the general public.

New Tools for Environmental Protection, edited by Dietz and Stern, is one example of these types of books. These books focus on what to connect with the general public about and how to successfully connect with them. Most of the focus lies in practical conservation, home appliances and water usage, for example. These practical environmental approaches represent the interdisciplinary approach taken by many environmental writers, connecting the public in easy to accomplish, feasible activities that are not given in esoteric scientific studies concerning complex environmental interactions (Dietz and Stern 2002).

The interdisciplinary approach to environmental issues is also discussed in Environmental Education for the 21st Century, edited by Thompson. Attempts are now being made by environmental educators to fully become interdisciplinary and reach beyond just the Science classroom. To become fully interdisciplinary, environmental education needs to reach out into all subjects; Math, English, Fine Arts and Social Studies, to mention a few. To leave the topic of the environment merely in the Science classrooms is to ignore the interdisciplinary nature of the issues involved with the environment. Students need to learn how to write about the environment, understand how environmental issues are dealt with in other countries, learn how historically the environment was treated, and the actual mathematical side of environmental problems, like the impact of oil spills on local ecosystems. There should be a greater emphasis on teaching about the environment, for the environment, and in the environment.

Figure 2. Palmer, The components of environmental education and how they relate to each other.

Figure 3. Palmer, A model for blending together these components in environmental education.

Other environmental books provide information for teachers to use in their own classrooms to educate their students. Cecil compiled an entire list of literature and related activities to teach elementary children about the environment. The stories included cover a variety of genres and elementary grade levels (Cecil 1996). Older audiences, such as high school students, are considered by Dwyer in his book listing environmental literature geared for young adults. Included are fiction and non-fiction books, which are also listed under different topic headings (Dwyer 1996). The chapters within Education for a Sustainable Future, edited by Wheeler and Bijur, not only contains resources for sustainable education, but also has two chapters discussing sustainable education within the American high school environment. This covers an important topic in environmental education, how to integrate the new environmental topics without completely changing the way in which teaching is handled in the classroom (Wheeler and Bijur 2000). Other books useful to teachers discuss global issues (Dunn 1997) and ways to determine student interest through surveys (Friedl and Koontz 2001).

Whichever audience the environmental literature is attempting to connect to, there is a common theme of sustainability throughout. One of the greatest challenges of the 21st century for the human race is how to continue living on the planet in such great numbers without drastically destroying the environment beyond the capacity for humans to inhabit it. An emphasis is always placed on reduce, reuse, recycle, and on moving away from dwindling fossil fuel reserves. This is not to state the environmental literature ignores conservation of remaining wild places, like the rainforest, but that this is built into the arguments for sustainability of the planet and of the human race.

Two final examples of the new forms of environmental literature are by Palmer and Orr. These two environmental educators are able to take a step back and recognize the larger environmental education picture. Palmer covers the history of environmental education, the environmental agendas in the United States and around the world, and uses this as a context for current environmental education (Palmer 1998).

Orr continues focusing on sustainability and environmental education, but he also delves deeper into the issue and critically analyzes the meanings of sustainability, environmental education, and whether or not all of these new approaches to environmental education are feasible. He also considers the larger issue of how this information will be used, and how best to apply it in the society of today (Orr 1992).

Environmental educators are also carefully analyzing the impact interdisciplinary approaches are having on students, which they attempt to do through the use of surveys and studies on attitudes towards the environment. Some surveys are open ended, and allow the test subject to respond freely to different environmental prompts, while others ask specific questions which must be rated on some type of scale or answered affirmatively or negatively. Most of the surveys found are used to evaluate the environmental opinions of students from elementary school to college. The Student Environmental Awareness Questionnaire was given to first year students at a university in England and had students rate their answers to environmental questions on varying scales. An example of an open-ended survey can be found in The Development of the WCED Environmental Education Cirriculum Policy for Get Band Consultation and Awareness Questionnaire. Other surveys ask yes or no questions relating to an individual's environmental activities, and these answers are used to determine the individual's ecological footprint.

Surveys are also incorporated into larger studies of environmental education, as McMillan, Wright, and Beazley accomplished in their study, Impact of a University-Level Environmental Studies Class on Students' Values. This study had students in an environmental class take an introductory environmental survey to gauge their opinions and knowledge of environmental issues, which was again given to them at the conclusion of the course. Throughout the course, McMillan, Wright, and Beazley noted the successful teaching methods which were able to connect most effectively to the students. Studies similar to this one are needed to check the effectiveness of the current environmental education philosophies being proposed by others like Palmer and Orr (McMillan, Wright, and Beazley 2004).

Project Goals

There are seven project goals for this study, which reinforces the interdisciplinary approach. This study strives to understand environmental issues and concerns of students, but it is also concerned with the actual methods for teaching. Our project goals are as follows:

1. learn how to develop lesson plans
2. learn how to organize and present materials to different student audiences
3. interdisciplinary approach to learning
4. interactive, enthusiastic approach to teaching
5. discuss the applications of the environment and society, both globally and locally
6. create an understanding of the individual's responsibility and impact on the environment
7. be able to compare and critique various styles of teaching

Research Question and Hypothesis

There are two different questions to consider in this study: what is being taught and how it is being taught. As to the first question, this study strives to cover global and local environmental issues to give students the most information to form an adequate environmental perspective. Some students may not be interested in local issues initially, but it is believed by discussing local issues further in-depth the students will become more interested in environmental issues they did not consider before. The second question concerns the different methods of teaching, which will be varied with the different teaching sessions. By changing the teaching approaches and analyzing the reaction to these different approaches, the study will be able to identify which teaching approaches students are able to connect to.

Our research question is: How will different styles of Environmental Education influence the interest and learning of different student audiences? Our hypothesis is that elementary students will react more positively to hands-on activities because they will be able to get actively involved in learning about Nature. High school students will react more positively to the video and discussion section because they will be able to critically think and express their ideas in a peer setting.

Research Design/Methods

The Study

We will teach two groups of students, from elementary and high schools, three times over the course of this project. The elementary student group will have approximately 36 students, and the high school group will have approximately 46 students. Each group will be taught for one class period, which is approximately 45 � 60 minutes, and the three teaching sessions will occur between the dates of October 25th and November 19th.

The general approach to teaching the students is similar, but the way the ideas are taught and conveyed will obviously be different due to the vast difference in grade level between the two groups. With these three different teaching experiences we will be measuring the effectiveness and interest generated in the topics themselves, as well as the method of teaching. The effectiveness of these two factors will be determined through the use of surveys and discussion after each teaching experience. Surveys will be given to the students and to the teachers, Krista Holman at the high school and Linda Boardman at the elementary school, to rate the effectiveness of each teaching approach. The research group will also have discussions after each session about the perceived effectiveness of the teaching approach, in which observations and notes taken during the session will be compared. We will also have the teacher of each class take notes and observations during our teaching sessions, to not only help us improve from session to session, but to also gauge their own students' interest.

Pre-Study: We will take the survey to several Western students for peer evaluation to work out any discrepancies in the survey questions and setup. This will give us initial feedback and can potentially give us new ideas which we had overlooked. Once the survey has been evaluated, a final copy will be prepared to be given to the teachers.

High School Students

Pre-Class 1: We will go to the school and give Krista Holman the initial environmental surveys, the Super Exciting Environmental Survey (SEES) (Appendix I), which will be used to determine some of the topics used in the following teaching sessions. We will collect the finished surveys a few days after we drop them off and evaluate the results immediately, to give us the greatest amount of time to prepare for the teaching sessions.

Class 1: We will show an environmentally oriented video and follow this up with a classroom discussion for the remaining ten to fifteen minutes of class. We want to know what impact this video had on the students, what they learned, what they found interesting, and whether or not this stirred any environmental interest. Through the discussion we will gauge the effectiveness of this teaching method, but we will also distribute a survey, Yet Another Marvelous Survey (YAMS) (Appendix I). This class session will focus on a global perspective and try to force students to think on a grander scale. Also at the end of the session we will distribute an environmental newsletter with a local conservation focus that will be read by the students before the next session.

Class 2: We will use the conservation newsletter as the basis for this lecture oriented session. We will try to integrate a PowerPoint presentation to supplement the information presented in the newsletter and the lecture to give students visual aids for learning about local conservation. The main local topic will be determined by the initial surveys. Along with this lecture we will develop an environmental game which will give students local environmental facts as they have fun! Once again we will evaluate the effectiveness of this teaching method not only during the session but with another survey at the end.

Class 3: We will create three ridiculously cool large scale experiments (RCLSEs) which the students will rotate through during the session. Other peers from our class will be used to help out with the experiments so they work in a smooth and orderly fashion. These experiments will be hands-on and teach the students about the workings of the natural world. Yet again the same survey will be used to determine the effectiveness of this teaching method, and observations will be taken throughout the session to gauge student interest.

Post-Class 3: We will give an exit survey, the same as the initial survey, to determine the impact our teaching sessions have had on students in the ways they think about the enviroment, their actions, and what they are concerned with.

Elementary School Students

Class 1: We will use two different environmentally oriented stories and have the students rotate through three stations. The other station will be discussion based, and gauge what the elementary students view the environment as. We will use a large piece of poster board and list words the students associate with certain environmental subjects. After each of the story stations, each group will conduct a small discussion about the book and the larger picture as it pertains to the natural world. In the concluding minutes we will gather the group as a whole and ask to students what they learned or found interesting, and this will be noted.

Class 2: We will use a hands-on approach with stations for this teaching approach. There were be three stations, at which the students will somehow interact with the natural world. One station will be making an environmental collage, in which the students can integrate their own environmental drawings with magazine clippings. Another station, weather permitting, will be teaching the students about the power of the sun. Near the end of the hour we hope to have the Hueston Woods Naturalist Club bring in some live animals to show the students. Throughout this whole time we will once again be making close observations to students' reactions, emotions, and energy.

Class 3: We will combine a fun activity handout with a video concerning habitat destruction and endangered species, with an emphasis on tropical rainforests. This final teaching session will emphasize the impact humans can have the environment on a daily basis and how many beautiful species are impacted by this. This is the broadest topic we will discuss with the students, and hopefully provoke further interest due to the beauty and mystique of the tropical rainforests.

Analyzing the Data

The data from each group will be analyzed separately and comparatively with the other group. The high school group will have about 46 students, and the elementary group will have 36 students. We will have about 46 individual high school responses for all of the surveys. For the elementary students we will not have individual responses, but we will be able to observe reactions of the students to our activities and we will have Mrs. Boardman's input as well.

Observations will also be taken during the high school sessions. These observations will be written to some extent, but attention will not be drawn to it during the teaching session, rather the group members will get a general sense of how the class is progressing. After each session the group members will debrief and discuss how the session went and come to a final consensus as to the effectiveness of the teaching method. We will rank the success of each teaching session in several different areas on a scale of one to five, with five being the highest success. These areas will be: student interest and reaction, group's perspective of how successful it was, and teacher's perspective of success.

Our success in developing the environmental perspectives of the students is qualitative and quantitative, and our introductory and exit survey for the high school students will be particularly beneficial to our quantitative data collection. We cannot make concrete comparisons between the reactions of the students, but we can relatively compare the different teaching methods to the students. Potentially we may find the Goldilocks Effect, in which one method is too boring, another too unorganized, and one just right. Our conclusions will be used to make suggestions for environmental education programs on elementary and high school levels.

It is essential in this study to have open communication between the research group, the students, and the teachers. Without honest and open responses from the students, the data from this study will be unreliable. The research group also needs to interact with the teachers so that they can understand the normal students' reactions to subject matter. The research group also needs to try and remove any confirmation bias from their attitudes concerning the different approaches to teaching, and this will be achieved through the three different perspectives of the research group for each teaching method.

The data and conclusions will be used to recommend successful methods and subjects for environmental education. This study will be concise and reliable enough to be published in environmental education magazines, like Green Teacher. The results of this study will be presented in a paper, with the survey results tabulated and the qualitative generalizations from each teaching sessions published. Comparisons will also be shown between the initial and exit surveys given to the high school students, and the research group may also freely include responses from the high school surveys.

Timeline: (subject to change)

Elementary school teaching sessions
November 3 1:10-3:15
November 10 1:10-3:15
November 17 1:10-3:15

High school pre-survey October 27
Teaching Sessions
November 2 1:00-3:15
November 9 1:00-3:15
November 16 1:00-3:15
After each session, results of observations and surveys will be analyzed
November 29 through December 3, compile final project and make recommendations

Appendix I: Surveys

For the teacher survey, click here

For the research group survey, click here

For the student initial and exit survey, click here

For the student survey after each teaching session, click here

Appendix II: Sources

For our sources, (six pages) click here

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