Environmental Justice Education: Awareness Or Transformation In Classrooms? A Systematic Review

Abstract

The escalating environmental crisis has underscored the urgent need for a paradigm shift in environmental education (EE), particularly toward models that integrate environmental justice (EJ) and foster critical engagement. This systematic review examines whether classroom-based EE interventions between January 2010 and February 2025 have primarily cultivated awareness or catalyzed transformative learning rooted in justice. Using the PRISMA methodology, 49 peer-reviewed articles were analyzed, encompassing interventions across early childhood education, primary school settings, and pre-service teacher training programs. Four core dimensions were evaluated: thematic content, pedagogical depth, student engagement, and instructional resources. Findings reveal a persistent emphasis on ecological content transmission, with limited incorporation of social or distributive justice themes. Most interventions promoted individual behavior change rather than collective, critically informed action. Student tasks often lacked depth, prioritizing information recall over participatory inquiry or civic engagement. Additionally, the widespread use of teacher-generated materials, while creative, seldom reflected interdisciplinary or socio-political complexities of EJ. This trend signals a missed opportunity to empower learners as agents of systemic change. The review concludes that although awareness of environmental issues is growing in educational contexts, the integration of environmental justice remains marginal and superficial.

Keywords

• Environmental justice
• environmental education
• transformative learning
• critical pedagogy
• teacher education

Environmental Justice Education: Awareness or Transformation in Classrooms? A Systematic Review

Abstract

Artan çevresel kriz, çevre eğitiminin (ÇE) yeniden ele alınmasını ve bu eğitimin adalet temelli, eleştirel ve dönüştürücü bir yaklaşımla yapılandırılmasını zorunlu kılmaktadır. Bu sistematik derleme, Ocak 2010 ile Şubat 2025 tarihleri arasında yayımlanmış 49 sınıf temelli uygulamayı PRISMA protokolüne göre inceleyerek, erken çocukluk, ilkokul ve öğretmen adaylarının eğitimi bağlamlarında çevresel adalet (ÇA) perspektifinin ne ölçüde yer bulduğunu ortaya koymayı amaçlamaktadır. İnceleme kapsamında “içerik”, “uygulamaların derinliği”, “öğrenciden beklenen eylemler” ve “kullanılan materyaller” değişkenleri dikkate alınmıştır. Bulgular, uygulamaların çoğunlukla ekolojik farkındalığı arttırmaya yönelik olduğunu; ancak eleştirel düşünme, katılım ve toplumsal dönüşüm kapasitesi açısından sınırlı kaldığını göstermektedir. Öğrencilere verilen görevler, çoğunlukla bilgi aktarımına dayalı olup, katılımcı ve sorgulayıcı bir öğrenme ortamı yaratmakta yetersizdir. Kullanılan materyallerin büyük ölçüde öğretmen yapımı ve bireysel farkındalığı hedefleyen yapıda olması, ÇA bakış açısının sınıf pratiğine yeterince entegre edilmediğini göstermektedir. Bu durum, sistem düşüncesi, eleştirel okuryazarlık ve eylem yetkinliği gibi temel kazanımların arka planda kalmasına yol açmaktadır.

Keywords

• Çevresel adalet
• çevre eğitimi
• dönüştürücü öğrenme
• eleştirel pedagoji
• öğretmen eğitimi

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