Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gvvz8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T04:50:34.393Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Impact of Environmental Education on Beginning Preservice Teachers’ Environmental Literacy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 April 2018

Deborah O. Dada ,
Chris Eames Open the ORCID record for Chris Eames [Opens in a new window]  and
Nigel Calder
Deborah O. Dada*
Affiliation:
University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
Chris Eames
Affiliation:
University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
Nigel Calder
Affiliation:
University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
*
Address for correspondence: Deborah Dada, University of Waikato, Hillcrest, Hamilton 3216, New Zealand. Email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

One of the goals of environmental education is the development of environmental literacy. The development of environmental literacy for preservice teachers is critical if they are to be confident and competent to deliver environmental education in schools. Little is known about the impact of environmental education on preservice teachers’ environmental literacy and their subsequent practices as teachers within schools in New Zealand. This study used a mixed-methods approach with a pretest and posttest design to examine the environmental literacy of preservice teachers enrolled in a compulsory environmental education paper as part of their Bachelor of Teaching program at a New Zealand university. The perceptions of the preservice teachers’ preparedness to teach environmental education was also examined. Findings indicate that despite only slight shifts in preservice teachers’ environmental literacy, their confidence to teach environmental education significantly increased after completing the paper. Increases in the strength of correlations between environmental knowledge and affective dispositions were observed upon completing the environmental education paper. Implications of findings for teacher education programs are discussed. This study could inform curriculum design and teaching and learning practices for effectively preparing preservice teachers to promote the development of the environmental literacy of students in their future schools.

Keywords

environmental educationenvironmental literacypre-service teachersenvironmentally responsible behaviour
Type
Feature Articles
Information
Australian Journal of Environmental Education , Volume 33 , Special Issue 3: 2016 Australian Association for Environmental Education Conference: ‘Tomorrow Making – Our Present to the Future’ , November 2017 , pp. 201 - 222
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2018 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Al-Dajeh, H. (2012). Assessing environmental literacy of pre-vocational education teachers in Jordan. College Student Journal, 46, 492–507.Google Scholar
Álvarez-García, O., Sureda-Negre, J., & Comas-Forgas, R. (2015). Environmental education in pre-service teacher training: A literature review of existing evidence. Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability, 17, 72–85.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Appleton, K. (1995). Student teachers’ confidence to teach science: Is more science knowledge necessary to improve self-confidence? International Journal of Science Education, 17, 357–369.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Babcock, H.M. (2009). Assuming personal responsibility for improving the environment: Moving toward a new environmental norm. Harvard Environmental Law Review, 33, 117.Google Scholar
Ballantine, D.J., & Davies-Colley, R.J. (2014). Water quality trends in New Zealand rivers: 1989–2009. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 186, 1939–1950. doi:10.1007/s10661-013-3508-5CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bamberg, S., & Möser, G. (2007). Twenty years after Hines, Hungerford, and Tomera: A new meta-analysis of psycho-social determinants of pro-environmental behaviour. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 27, 14–25.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bolstad, R., Joyce, C., & Hipkins, R. (2015). Environmental education in New Zealand schools.Google Scholar
Boubonari, T., Markos, A., & Kevrekidis, T. (2013). Greek pre-service teachers’ knowledge, attitudes, and environmental behavior toward marine pollution. The Journal of Environmental Education, 44, 232–251.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Buethe, C., & Smallwood, J. (2010). Teachers’ snvironmental literacy: Check and decheck, 1975 and 1985. The Journal of Environmental Education, 18, 39–42. doi:10.1080/00958964.1987.9942738CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cameron, M., & Baker, R. (2004). Research on initial teacher education in New Zealand: Wellington, New Zealand: NZCER.Google Scholar
Chapman, D.J. (2011). Environmental education and the politics of curriculum: A national case study. The Journal of Environmental Education, 42, 193–202.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Creswell, J.W., & Clark, V.L.P. (2007). Designing and conducting mixed methods research.Google Scholar
Cutter, A., & Smith, R. (2001). Gauging primary school teachers’ environmental literacy: An issue of ‘priority’. Asia Pacific Education Review, 2, 45–60.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Darling-Hammond, L., Chung, R., & Frelow, F. (2002). Variation in teacher preparation: How well do different pathways prepare teachers to teach? Journal Of Teacher Education, 53, 286–302.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dunlap, R.E., Van Liere, K.D., Mertig, A.G., & Jones, R.E. (2000). New trends in measuring environmental attitudes: Measuring endorsement of the new ecological paradigm: A revised NEP scale. Journal of Social Issues, 56, 425–442.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eames, C., Bolstad, R., & Robertson, M. (2008). The state of environmental education in New Zealand: A baseline assessment of provision in the formal sector in 2006. Wellington, New Zealand: WWF-New Zealand.Google Scholar
Erdoğan, M., Kostova, Z., & Marcinkowski, T. (2009). Components of environmental literacy in elementary science education curriculum in Bulgaria and Turkey. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 5, 15–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Esa, N. (2010). Environmental knowledge, attitude and practices of student teachers. International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 19, 39–50. doi:10.1080/10382040903545534CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fereday, J., & Muir-Cochrane, E. (2006). Demonstrating rigor using thematic analysis: A hybrid approach of inductive and deductive coding and theme development. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 5, 80–92.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ferreira, J.A., Ryan, L., & Tilbury, D. (2007). Mainstreaming education for sustainable development in initial teacher education in Australia: A review of existing professional development models. Journal of Education for Teaching, 33, 225–239.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Frick, J., Kaiser, F.G., & Wilson, M. (2004). Environmental knowledge and conservation behavior: Exploring prevalence and structure in a representative sample. Personality and Individual Differences, 37, 1597–1613.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gliem, J.A., & Gliem, R.R. (2003, October). Calculating, interpreting, and reporting Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient for Likert-type scales. Paper presented at the Midwest Research-to-Practice Conference in Adult, Continuing, and Community Education, The Ohio State University, OH.Google Scholar
Goldman, D., Yavetz, B., & Pe'er, S. (2006). Environmental literacy in teacher training in Israel: Environmental behavior of new students. The Journal of Environmental Education, 38, 3–22.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goldman, D., Yavetz, B., & Pe'er, S. (2014). Student teachers’ attainment of environmental literacy in relation to their disciplinary major during undergraduate studies. International Journal of Environmental and Science Education, 9, 369–383.Google Scholar
Hines, J.M., Hungerford, H., & Tomera, A. (1987). Analysis and synthesis of research on responsible environmental behavior: A meta-analysis. The Journal of Environmental Education, 18, 1–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holden, C., & Hicks, D. (2007). Making global connections: The knowledge, understanding and motivation of trainee teachers. Teaching and Teacher Education, 23, 13–23.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hollweg Taylor, J., Bybee, R., Marcinkowski, T., McBeth, W., & Zoido, P. (2011). Developing a framework for assessing environmental literacy. Washington, DC: North American Association for Environmental Education.Google Scholar
Howitt, C. (2007). Pre-service elementary teachers' perceptions of factors in an holistic methods course influencing their confidence in teaching science. Research in Science Education, 37, 41–58.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hsu, S.J., & Roth, R.E. (1998). An assessment of environmental literacy and analysis of predictors of responsible environmental behaviour held by secondary teachers in the Hualien area of Taiwan. Environmental Education Research, 4, 229–249. doi:10.1080/1350462980040301CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hudson, S.M. (2011). Preservice teachers’ perceptions of their middle schooling preparation: A sample of the Australian context. Unpublished PhD thesis, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW.Google Scholar
Hungerford, , & Volk, T. (1990). Changing learner behavior through environmental education. The Journal of Environmental Education, 21, 8–21. doi:10.1080/00958964.1990.10753743CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hungerford, , & Volk, T.L. (1990). Changing learner behavior through environmental education. The Journal of Environmental Education, 21, 8–21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jensen, B.B. (2002). Knowledge, action and pro-environmental behaviour. Environmental Education Research, 8, 325–334.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kennelly, J., Taylor, N., & Maxwell, T. (2008). Addressing the challenge of preparing Australian pre-service primary teachers in environmental education: An evaluation of a dedicated unit. Journal of Education for Sustainable Development, 2, 141–156.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Khalid, I.L., Harun, R., Muda, A., & Ismail, I.A. (2011). Level of knowledge on environmental issues and environmental education of primary schools headmasters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. World Applied Sciences Journal, 14, 97–100.Google Scholar
Kollmuss, A., & Agyeman, J. (2002). Mind the gap: Why do people act environmentally and what are the barriers to pro-environmental behavior? Environmental Education Research, 8, 239–260.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leech, N.L., & Onwuegbuzie, A.J. (2007). An array of qualitative data analysis tools: A call for data analysis triangulation. School Psychology Quarterly, 22, 557.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liu, S.-Y., Yeh, S.-C., Liang, S.-W., Fang, W.-T., & Tsai, H.-M. (2015). A national investigation of teachers’ environmental literacy as a reference for promoting environmental education in Taiwan. The Journal of Environmental Education, 46, 114–132.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McBeth, W., & Volk, T.L. (2009). The national environmental literacy project: A baseline study of middle grade students in the United States. The Journal of Environmental Education, 41, 55–67.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McKeown-Ice, R. (2000). Environmental education in the United States: A survey of preservice teacher education programs. The Journal of Environmental Education, 32, 4–11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McKeown, R., Hopkins, C.A., Rizi, R., & Chrystalbridge, M. (2002). Education for sustainable development toolkit. Knoxville, TN: Energy, Environment and Resources Center, University of Tennessee Knoxville.Google Scholar
Monroe, M.C., Andrews, E., & Biedenweg, K. (2008). A framework for environmental education strategies. Applied Environmental Education & Communication, 6, 205–216.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ogunyemi, B., & Ifegbesan, A. (2011). Environmental literacy among preservice social studies teachers: A review of the Nigerian experience. Applied Environmental Education & Communication, 10, 7–19. doi:10.1080/1533015x.2011.549795CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Onel, N., Onel, N., Mukherjee, A., & Mukherjee, A. (2016). Consumer knowledge in pro-environmental behavior: An exploration of its antecedents and consequences. World Journal of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development, 13, 328–352.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment. (2007). Outcome evaluation: See change. Wellington, New Zealand: Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.Google Scholar
Pe'er, S., Goldman, D., & Yavetz, B. (2007). Environmental literacy in teacher training: Attitudes, knowledge, and environmental behavior of beginning students. The Journal of Environmental Education, 39, 45–59.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Puk, T., & Stibbards, A. (2010). Ecological concept development of preservice teacher candidates: Opaque empty shells. International Journal of Environmental and Science Education, 5, 461–476.Google Scholar
Rickinson, M. (2001). Learners and learning in environmental education: A critical review of the evidence. Environmental Education Research, 7, 207–320.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roth, C.E. (1992). Environmental literacy: Its roots, evolution and directions in the 1990s. Columbus, OH: ERIC Clearinghouse for Science, Mathematics, and. Environmental Education.Google Scholar
Saribas, D., Teksoz, G., & Ertepinar, H. (2014). The relationship between environmental literacy and self-efficacy beliefs toward environmental education. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 116, 3664–3668.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sedgwick, P. (2012). Pearson's correlation coefficient. BMJ, 345, e4483.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Simmons, D. (1995). The NAAEE Standards Project: Papers on the development of Environmental Education Standards. Troy, OH: North American Association for Environmental Education.Google Scholar
Stern, M.J., Powell, R.B., & Hill, D. (2014). Environmental education program evaluation in the new millennium: what do we measure and what have we learned? Environmental Education Research, 20, 581–611.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tal, T. (2010). Pre-service teachers’ reflections on awareness and knowledge following active learning in environmental education. International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 19, 263–276. doi:10.1080/10382046.2010.519146CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tavakol, M., & Dennick, R. (2011). Making sense of Cronbach's alpha. International Journal of Medical Education, 2, 53–55.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tekkaya, C., Cakiroglu, J., & Ozkan, O. (2004). Turkish pre-service science teachers’ understanding of science and their confidence in teaching it. Journal of Education for Teaching, 30, 57–68.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Teksöz, G., Şahin, E., & Ertepınar, H. (2010). Environmental literacy, pre-service teachers, and a sustainable future. Hacettepe Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 39, 307–320.Google Scholar
Tilbury, D. (1992). Environmental education within pre-service teacher education: The priority of priorities. International Journal of Environmental Education and Information, 11, 267–280.Google Scholar
Timur, S., Timur, B., & Karakas, A. (2014). Investigating pre-service teachers’ knowledge and behaviors toward environment. Anthropologist, 17, 25–35.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tugba, A. (2007). Fen bilgisi ogretmen adaylarinda cevre olgusunun arastirilmasi. Unpublished master's thesis, Erzurum Ataturk Universitesi, Yakutiye/Erzurum, Turkey.Google Scholar
Tuncer Teksoz, , Boone, J., Tuzun, O.Y., & Oztekin, C. (2014). An evaluation of the environmental literacy of preservice teachers in Turkey through Rasch analysis. Environmental Education Research, 20, 202–227.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tuncer Teksoz, , Boone, J.W., Tuzun, O.Y., & Oztekin, C. (2013). An evaluation of the environmental literacy of preservice teachers in Turkey through Rasch analysis. Environmental Education Research, 20, 202–227. doi:10.1080/13504622.2013.768604CrossRefGoogle Scholar
UNESCO. (1978). Intergovernmental Conference on Environmental Education, Tblisi, Georgia, USSR.Google Scholar
UNESCO-UNEP. (1990) Environmentally educated teachers: The priority of priorities. Connect, XV, 1–3.Google Scholar
UNESCO-UNEP. (1992). Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, 3–14 June 1992. New York: United Nations.Google Scholar
UNESCO. (2012). Report on the UN Decade of Education For Sustainable Development, shaping the education of tomorrow, abridged. Paris: Author.Google Scholar
UNESCO. (2015). Global Action Programme on Education for Sustainable Development information folder. Paris: Author.Google Scholar
Velempini, K. (2017). Infusion or confusion: A meta-analysis of environmental education in the 21st century curriculum of Botswana. Africa Education Review, 1–16. doi:10.1080/18146627.2016.1224560Google Scholar
Vicente-Molina, M.A., Fernández-Sáinz, A., & Izagirre-Olaizola, J. (2013). Environmental knowledge and other variables affecting pro-environmental behaviour: Comparison of university students from emerging and advanced countries. Journal of Cleaner Production, 61, 130–138.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wals, A.E. (2009). A mid-DESD review: Key findings and ways forward. Journal of Education for Sustainable Development, 3, 195–204.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilke, R.J. (1985). Mandating preservice enviromental education teacher training: The Wisconsin experience. The Journal of Environmental Education, 17, 1–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yavetz, B., Goldman, D., & Pe'er, S. (2009). Environmental literacy of pre-service teachers in Israel: A comparison between students at the onset and end of their studies. Environmental Education Research, 15, 393–415. doi:10.1080/13504620902928422CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zsóka, Á., Szerényi, Z.M., Széchy, A., & Kocsis, T. (2013). Greening due to environmental education? Environmental knowledge, attitudes, consumer behavior and everyday pro-environmental activities of Hungarian high school and university students. Journal of Cleaner Production, 48, 126–138.CrossRefGoogle Scholar