Background: A Green school (GS) is one way to attempt to reduce the environmental crisis. Teaching in green schools, which is established on a place-based education (PBE) approach that adopts outdoor and experiential learning, should provide students with a holistic view of the environmental crisis that connects local processes to global…

Psychological distance (PD) can be a barrier to how students perceive climate change impacts and severity. Localizing climate change using place-based approaches is one way instructors can structure their curricula to help combat students' PD, especially from a spatial and social viewpoint. We created a novel classroom intervention that…

Emotion is a central aspect for protecting the environment in environmental and sustainability education (ESE). As such, positive emotions toward nature can increase motivation to learn and take environmental action. This qualitative case study explored the complex interrelationship among place-based education, emotions and values related to ESE,…

This project investigated the learning process and outcomes of a study abroad course in England and France that focused on dramatic social shifts in the world war eras. Well-established adult learning theories provided the course framework, and this study examines the characteristics and elements contributing to transformative learning. Eleven…

Participating in a civic engagement partnership, Towson University preservice teachers deliver educational programming at the National Aquarium to students from local schools, focusing on Chesapeake Bay water quality and human impact. Teaching Environmental Awareness in Baltimore (TEAB) is designed to engage students (both preservice teachers and…

Garden-based learning (GBL) curricula represents a pedagogy that increases student exposure to nature and connects them to engaging activities for higher classroom achievement. GBL is proposed to enhance student science self-perceptions, engagement, and desired outcomes in science learning and identity by connecting students to relatable,…

The importance of education to address current sustainability challenges in small island states has been widely recognized. Environmental education may increase knowledge, while also increasing environmental awareness and motivating students to become agents of change. Student engagement in introductory environmental science courses may benefit…

Leadership development, service learning, place-based education, and economic revitalization are topics relevant to Extension. We performed an evaluation to determine whether a place-based leadership program in Clermont County, Ohio, helps students develop leadership skills and encourages their return to the community. Program evaluation data…

Historically, the knowledge, critical skills, and dispositions to be learned in educational foundations courses are explored within the confines of university classrooms, disconnected from the messy and complex realities in local public schools. Because the vast majority of university students in education courses are white and middle to…

Integrating art into science as a means of involving students in learning about their environment offers the promise of engaging students both cognitively and emotionally. However, few studies have investigated the use of art as a learning and assessment tool in science. As such, we conducted a research study with 4th and 5th grade students at a…

One of my principal goals at the University of Minnesota is to transform the university's entry-level geoscience program into an effective ''concluding'' geoscience course that provides students with a clear understanding of the many interactions between Earth processes and human society. Although place-based learning appeared to be a promising…

Transforming teachers and their approach to teaching Indigenous students requires partnerships with the Indigenous community, planning, small steps, and funds. This article illustrates how teachers can change when funds are available to assist schools and communities to implement appropriate and effective professional development, to establish…

The article introduces a Czech environmental education middle school program focused on helping students develop place attachment to their community and on increasing their interest in natural area in their region. The evaluation applied a mixed approach combining pretesting/posttesting of the students (N = 158), two group interviews with selected…

This is a longitudinal case study where teachers from different disciplines were interviewed before and after an outdoor teaching project in a Swedish junior high school. The school grounds were used regularly as an area for teaching and learning in different subjects. The purpose of this study was to explore how teachers from different…

The article presents a student-impact assessment of a model two-year place-based intercultural approach to indigenous education. Students at Lewis & Clark Primary School in Missoula, Montana, connected face-to-face with tribal educators and members residing in the nearby American Indian reservation. The program's learning outcomes included…