Slide 1: Title Slide

• Title: Environmental Education

• Subtitle: Course Material for B.Ed (Second Year) (2016-2017)
• University: Tamil Nadu Teachers Education University, Chennai-600
097 1
• Prepared by: Dr.P.Ganesan, Dr.A.Magalingam, Mr.P.Jaganathan,
Dr.L.George Stephen, Dr.M.Muthamizhselvan, Dr.P.C.Nagasubramani 2
Slide 2: Unit I: Environmental Education -
Objectives

• Develop awareness of problems related to environment and its

development3.
• Acquire knowledge, values, attitudes, and skills to protect and
improve the environment4.
• Create behavioral change in individuals, students, and society towards
the environment5.
• Foster concern and awareness among the global population regarding
the total environment and its associated problems6.
 Slide 3: 1.1 Introduction to Environmental
Education
• Growing concern for the environment, for present and future generations7.
• Children as the nation's greatest resource, crucial for the future of civilization8.
• Significant increase in Environmental Education (EE) activities over the past two decades9.
• Development of diverse curricula, out-of-school activities, and literature in EE10.
• The purpose of EE is to re-engage human interest in preserving, conserving, and
improving the environment before it's too late11.
• EE is viewed differently by various educationalists and thinkers, leading to variations in
objectives and activities12.
• The vastness and variety of EE necessitate a holistic view to understand its strengths and
weaknesses13.
• Reviewing the role and achievement of EE at the school level14.
• EE's adaptation to different circumstances in developing and developed countries15.
• Need for clarity in defining "environmental education" to avoid ambiguity16.
 Slide 4: 1.2 Environmental Education (EE) -
Definition and Scope

• Definition: A process enabling individuals to develop environmental awareness, concern, and knowledge,
using this understanding for sustainable preservation, conservation, and utilization of the environment for
present and future generations17.
• Involves personal initiative and social participation towards sustainability 18.
• Aimed at all learners: students, out-of-school youth, community leaders, policymakers, and the general
public, to develop relevant environmental skills19.
• Addresses how natural environments function and how humans should manage ecosystems for
sustainability20.
• Provides necessary skills and expertise to address environmental challenges 21.
• Key focus: Imparting knowledge, raising awareness, instilling concern, and providing skills for environmental
management22.
• Gained global prominence after the 1972 Stockholm Conference on Human Environment (UNESCO) 23.
• Led to the launch of the International Environmental Education Programme (IEEP) by UNESCO 24.
• Promotes awareness and understanding of the environment and its relationship with human activities 25.
Slide 5: 1.3 The Concept of Environmental
Education

• Various terms used in literature: Environmental Education (EE),

Environmental Study (E.S.), and Environmental Approach (E.A.)27.
• Despite semantic differences, these terms are often used
synonymously and interchangeably28.
• Examination of their implications and relevance to teacher training
programs29.
Slide 6: 1.4 Encyclopedia of Educational
Research (Mifzel 1982)

• Defining EE is challenging due to its undefined specific content30.

• Universally agreed that EE should be interdisciplinary, drawing from biological,
sociological, anthropological, economic, political, and human resources 31.
• A conceptual approach to teaching EE is considered best32.
• Majority agrees EE involves recognizing values, clarifying concepts, and developing
skills and attitudes related to environmental issues33.
• Includes practicing decision-making and formulating behavioral codes for
environmental quality34.
• EE can be treated as a 'discipline' that relies on existing subjects like Physics,
Chemistry, Mathematics, Zoology, and Botany35.
• This view supports training specialists for environmental planning, management,
development, and problem-solving36.
• Typical course components (Wuzzelbacher, 1976): 37
• Man and Environment 38
• Population and Urbanization 39
• Ecology 40
• Government Policy and Citizen 41
• Economics and the Environment 42
• Urban and Regional Planning 43
• Social Resources 44
• Tree Resources 45
• Water Resources 46
• Fisheries Resources 47
• Wildlife Resources 48
• Air Pollution 49
• Outdoor Recreation 50
• The Role of Citizens 51
Slide 7: 1.4.1 Objectives of EE at the Primary
Level (Sale and Lee 1972)

• To help individuals understand the biophysical environment and

society52.
• To encourage understanding of humanity's inseparable connection to
the environment and its ability to alter it53.
• To generate understanding of organizational strategies and social
arrangements54.
Slide 8: 1.5 Definitions of Environmental
Education (Cited by Sharma)

• Report of African Educators, EDC, and CREDO (Nairobi, 1968): Creating

awareness and understanding of the evolving social and physical environment, its
resources, and their rational use and conservation for development55.
• Environmental Education Act, 1970: The educational process concerning human
relationships with natural and man-made surroundings, including population,
pollution, resource allocation/depletion, conservation, technology, and
urban/rural planning56.
• First Report of the British Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (1971):
Public commitment to prevent deterioration of air, water, and land57.
• Finnish National Commission Seminar (1974): A means to implement
environmental protection goals, not a separate subject, and should be part of
lifelong integral education58.
Slide 9: 1.6 The Concept of Environmental
Education - Classification

• Education for the environment59.

• Education about the environment60.
• Education through the environment61.
Slide 10: 1. Education for the
Environment
• A pragmatic response to environmental degradation62.
• Aims to make students fully aware of environmental problems,
enabling them to tackle these with responsibility and technical skills63.
• Agarwal (1986): "This awareness of environmental problems is social
awareness."64.
• Problems are to be solved through collective action targeting social
and economic causes of human environment degradation65.
Slide 11: 2. Education about the
Environment
• Includes conservation, outdoor and natural resource education,
nature study, and all aspects related to humans and their
environment66.
• The study of humanity and how it shapes its total natural and cultural
surroundings, for good or ill67.
• Humans are conscious manipulators of the environment, and their
actions must aim to enhance its quality68.
Slide 12: 3. Education through the Environment

• Not a standalone subject; a multi-disciplinary approach to education and environmental problems69.

• Existing curriculum subjects contain environmental information but often fail to interrelate70.
• EE must focus on "wholes" rather than "parts" for humanity to understand the totality of environments71.
• Subject areas must collaborate, integrate, and coordinate for effective EE in overcoming environmental
crises72.
• Integrates environmental education into all learning, subjects, grades, throughout the year, and into lifelong
education73.
• Should lead to knowledge, desire, and ability to improve the quality of life74.
• Enables individuals to perceive problems and devise solutions75.
• Develops an environmental ethic: recognizing that "Man is a part of this earth rather than careless exploiter
of it"76.
• Harmony with the environment requires respect for the earth and all living things77.
• Shifting focus from material growth to environmental protection78.
• The environmental ethic provides a new rationale for human existence79.
Slide 13: 1.7 Focal Aspects of Environmental
Education

• EE is a process that empowers individuals to explore environmental issues,

engage in problem-solving, and take action to improve the environment80.
• This process develops a deeper understanding of environmental issues and skills
for informed, responsible decisions81.
• Focal points:
• Concern for reality by exposing students to the real-life world, nature, and social
environment82.
• Enabling students to analyze, evaluate, and draw inferences about environmental
problems and issues83.
• Empowering students to understand environmental issues and take positive
environmental action84.
• Developing environmental action skills among students to facilitate humanity's journey
towards sustainability85.
• Slide 14: Goals, Objectives, and Aims of Environmental Education
• Main Goal: To foster concern and awareness among the global population regarding the total environment and its
associated problems86.
• Requires individual and collective commitment to solve current problems and prevent future ones87.
• Specific Goals of Environmental Education:
• To improve the quality of the environment88.
• To create awareness among people about environmental problems and conservation 89.
• To create an atmosphere for public participation in decision-making and evaluating developmental programs 90.
• Objectives of Environmental Education:
• Awareness: To help social groups and individuals acquire awareness and sensitivity to the total environment and its allied
problems91.
• Knowledge: To help social groups and individuals gain experiences and acquire a basic understanding of the environment and its
associated problems92.
• Attitudes: To help social groups and individuals acquire values, concern for the environment, and motivation for active
participation in environmental improvement and protection 93.
• Skills: To help social groups and individuals acquire skills for identifying and solving environmental problems 94.
• Participation: To provide social groups and individuals opportunities for active involvement at all levels in resolving
environmental problems95.
• Aims of Environmental Education (Two Main Aims):
• To provide various professional groups with knowledge to develop environmental responsibility and rational resource
utilization96.
• To use this knowledge and skills for sustainable preservation, conservation, and utilization of the environment for present and
 Slide 15: Core Themes
• Learning Environment:
• Reflects OHSU's goal of a diverse and inclusive community, ensuring graduates meet industry
standards98.
• Engages faculty, students, and clinicians in ongoing learning, fostering discovery and
knowledge translation99.
• Developed by a Learning Environment Core Theme Team100.
• Objective 1.1: Develop student pipeline to meet the health needs of an increasingly diverse
Oregon and nation101.
• Inter-Professional Education:
• Recognized need to change learning and practice conditions in health professions 102.
• Institute of Medicine recommendations for future healthcare professions, including skills for
effective teamwork, cultural competency, and quality improvements103.
• Goal: Learning that transcends organizational boundaries104.
• Developed by a team of faculty and administrators105.
• Objective 2.1: Promote an institutional culture that enhances inter-professional practice and
106
• Slide 16: The Scope of Environmental Education
• Also known as the content or subject matter of environmental education107.
• Population education has a broad scope, directly related to every human activity108.
• Its subject matter varies with a country's social, economic, and political conditions109.
• Important aspects and components of the environment include biological, physical, social, and cultural aspects 110.
• The scope can be divided into biological, physical, and sociological aspects: 111
• 1. Biological Aspect:
• Includes human beings, animals, birds, insects, microorganisms, and plants112.
• 2. Physical Aspect:
• 113

• Natural: Air, water, land, climate114.

• Human-made: Roads, buildings, bridges, houses115.
• 3. Socio-cultural Aspect:
• Man-made social practices, rules, laws, and religious places116.
• Environmental education integrates with science, economics, geography, technology, population, and health
education117.
• Helps develop integrated knowledge and a sense of cooperation in students118.
• Makes environmental education practical and contextual119.
• Can be implemented through formal and non-formal educational means120.
• Subject matters include basic concepts of ecology, natural resources, population, and environmental health121.
• Develops integrated knowledge and attitudes that benefit society122.
 Slide 17: Demography and Population Change (Related to Scope)

• 1. Demography:
• The study of population, measuring and analyzing birth rates, death rates, and migration rates 123.
• Includes birth rate, death rate, sex ratio, dependency ratio, age-sex pyramid, and population growth rate124.
• 2. Determinants of population change:
• Birth, death, and migration125.
• Also includes biological, social, and cultural aspects affecting population change126.
• Analyzes factors like poverty and practices influencing population change127.
• 3. Consequences of population growth:
• Direct effects on economic, social, and environmental aspects 128.
• Adverse effects of population growth on public health129.
• Analyzes population growth and its consequences in daily life130.
• 4. Human sexuality and reproductive system:
• Fundamental aspects of human sexual and reproductive processes, behaviors, development, and associated problems 131.
• Helps develop a positive attitude towards reproductive health132.
• 5. Planning for the future:
• Various aspects of population management133.
• Includes appropriate age at marriage, first conception, birth spacing, family planning, family welfare, and contraceptive use134.
• Population education is crucial for maintaining a sustainable environment 135.
• Raises awareness about the processes and consequences of population growth on quality of life and the environment 136.
• Provides opportunities to investigate and explore the interaction between population and environment 137.
138
• Slide 18: Conclusion of Unit I
• The environment is complex, and environmental education is essential139.
• Environmental protection is a challenging and ongoing task140.
• Environmental education alone cannot entirely solve all existing pollution and
environmental problems141.
• A quality environment requires continuous planning, governmental policies,
public participation, and knowledge of environmental education142.
• EE instills in students and society the responsibility to protect the environment,
create a quality ecological environment, and foster green living143.