This exploratory study investigated elementary teachers' beliefs about, perceived competencies for, and reported use of scientific inquiry to promote students' learning "about" environmental issues and "for" environmental decision making and action. Data were collected through a questionnaire administered to a simple random sample of elementary…

Outdoor educators should find little to like in the Ontario government's new policy framework for environmental education. Released in February 2009, the document, titled "Acting Today, Shaping Tomorrow," relies heavily on the 2007 Report of the Working Group on Environmental Education in Ontario, "Shaping Our Schools, Shaping Our…

What is "environmental education"? Perhaps the most simplistic view is that it is only curriculum that pertains directly to the environment. But, another way to define environmental education is to focus on the frameworks within which these issues are examined. For instance, almost all environmental problems are examined through a scientific lens,…

This paper begins by suggesting that issues of social and ecological justice are not mutually exclusive. They are tied together through the logic of domination which is, in turn, sustained by oppositional value dualisms such man/woman, human/nature, and white/non-white. As such, we suggest that environmental education must deal with the shared…

Topics commonly taught in a general chemistry course can be used to calculate the quantity of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere by various human activities. Each calculation begins with the balanced chemical equation for the reaction that produces the CO[subscript 2] gas. Stoichiometry, thermochemistry, the ideal gas law, and dimensional…

To educate one's students about recycling garbage, art teachers can plan an "anti-trash costume bash" to promote public awareness of the ugly, unhealthy, and costly effects of litter. Such an event was brainstormed by the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), a regional agency made up of the valley communities in Arizona working to…

The notion of "place", as in "place-based education", has received considerable attention in educational theorizing because of its potential to link students, their lifeworlds, and their experiences in particular settings to formal education. However, in current debates of place-based education, the notion of "place" is emerging as problematic.…

After the Costa Rican government signed a commitment to implement the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD), the challenge was how to put the commitment into action. Fortunately, an opportunity presented itself with an initiative called Peace with Nature (Iniciativa Paz con la Naturaleza-IPN), under which a teacher training…

The study focused on media cartoons as a teaching strategy in Environmental Education. Specifically, it sought to determine the effects of media cartoons on the issue resolution skills of first year high school students. The study was conducted in La Salle Green Hills that had eleven sections in the first year high school level for the School Year…

Environmental issues such as climate change are becoming ever more important in today's societies and politics. Information is spread by the media, for example, via the Internet or information brochures, employing different representational styles (e.g. sensational vs. neutral styles, emphasis of human vs. natural causes). We investigated the…

In this paper, we address the implementation of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in Flanders, a sub-national entity of Belgium. Our analysis shows how the policy-making process in Flanders is inextricably intertwined with three developments in environmental and educational policy: the increasing impact of ESD policy and…

Building teachers' confidence in their understanding of nature and encouraging the use of field experiences with students are important factors in increasing environmental awareness in students. "A River Runs Through It (ARRT)" is an integrated environmental education professional development program, immersed practicing teachers in…

Schools today are commissioned to provide students with a solid foundation in global citizenship. Future leaders must be knowledgeable problem solvers who can apply those skills to better the world. An awareness of global issues along with a sense of urgency and strength to act are needed for the welfare of all. The achievement of these goals must…

Huge environmental and health crises such as the use of Depleted Uranium (DU) munitions during the military activities against Iraq and the required responses are amongst the fields that Iraqi higher education institutions (HEIs) may have a crucial role. Similar international cases, such as Agent Orange (Vietnam), Three Mile Island (USA) and…

The electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is growing in significance as society begins to rely more on renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power. Thus, research on designing new, inexpensive, and abundant HER catalysts is important. Here, we describe how a simple experiment combined with results from density functional…