Reflections on the Integration of Environmental Education by a Primary School Teacher

Yıl 2022, Cilt: 6 Sayı: 12, 246 - 254, 11.11.2022

Lettah Sikhosana

https://doi.org/10.31458/iejes.1198123

Öz

The integration of environmental education is embedded with challenges such as inadequate knowledge of what environmental education entails. This situation was not different to what was encountered during the researchers’ training to be a teacher from the schools where they acquired their teaching practice. It was observed that there was minimal or no integration of environmental education in the teaching and learning process. Therefore, this paper reflected on how a primary school teacher integrated environmental education in teaching and learning. The findings from this paper may assist teachers in developing a positive approach to the process of ongoing attempts and the will to integrate environmental education. It may expose the kinds of knowledge other teachers have of what environmental education entails and its integration in school subjects as well as the instructional strategies that they use. The focus on the challenges and the opportunities may excite teachers in that those who have similar circumstances would use the findings from this paper as a launch pad to work on their strengths or weakness in the endeavor to integrate environmental education.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Environmental education, challenges, teacher knowledge, integration

Kaynakça

• Corpuz, A. M., San Andres, T. C., & Lagasca, J. M. (2022). Integration of environmental education (EE) in teacher education programs: Toward sustainable curriculum greening. Problems of Education in the 21st Century, 80(1), 119-143. https://doi.org/10.33225/pec/22.80.119
• Department of Basic Education. (2011). Curriculum and assessment policy statement. Pretoria.
• Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism. (2014). Environmental management plans, integrated environmental management. Information series 12. Pretoria
• Hailikari, T., Nevgi, A., & Lindblom-Ylanne, S. (2007). Exploring alternatives ways of assessing prior knowledge, its components and their relation to student achievement: A mathematics-based case study. Stud Edu Eval, 33, 320-37.
• Hatch, J. A. (2002). Doing qualitative research in educational settings. Albany: State University of New York Press.
• Hebe, H. (2019). Locating the position of environmental education in the South African school curriculum: The case of grade R. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education. https://doi.org/15.10.29333/ejmste/108486
• Makokotlelala, M. V. (2021). Exploring teachers’ views regarding environmental education implementation in the intermediate phase: A South African perspective. The International Journal of Pedagogy and Curriculum, 28, 57-70. https://doi.org/10.18848/2327-7963/CGP/v28i01/57-70
• Munasi, K. R., & Madikizela-Madiya, N. (2020). Agency curtailed: Implications for the integration of environmental education in life sciences. International Journal of Educational Development in Africa. 5, 15. https://doi.org/10.25159/2312-3540/9685
• Rahman, N. A., Halim, L., Ahmad, A., & Soh, T. M. T (2018). Challenges of environmental education: Inculcating behavioural changes among indigenous students. Creative Education, 9, 43-55. https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2018.91004
• Safta-Zecheria, L., Ștefănigă, S. A., Negru, I. A., & Virag, F. H. (2020). Challenges experienced by teachers regarding access to digital instruments, resources, and competences in adapting the educational process to physical distancing measures at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in Romania. Journal of Educational Sciences, 2(42). https://doi.org/10.35923/JES.2020.2.05
• Saylan, C., & Blumstein, D. (2011). The failure of environmental education (and how we can fix it). Berkeley; Los Angeles; London: University of California Press. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/j.ctt1pnv79
• Setlhodi, I., & Lebeloane, O. (2014). The role of school management teams in underperforming schools: A matter of values. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 5. https://doi.org/10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n3p475
• Shabalala, N. P., & Msezane, S. B. (2020). Perceptions of environmental education integration in South African schools. Eco. Env. & Cons, 26(4), 1629-1635. http://www.envirobiotechjournals.com/EEC/v26i420/EEC-28.pdf
• Sikhosana, L. (2022). The development and implementation of the sustainable intervention strategy for solid waste management in primary schools: A case of Nkangala District, Mpumalanga province. [PhD thesis, University of South Africa, Pretoria]. https://hdl.handle.net/10500/29114
• Sikhosana, L., Mudau, A. V., & Msezane, S. B. (2020). Insights into the integration of environmental education in the senior phase. Journal for the Education of Gifted Young Scientists, 8(4), 1411-1425. https://doi.org/10.17478/jegys.750519
• Songqwaru, Z., & Shava, S. (2017). Strengthening teachers’ knowledge and practices through a biodiversity education professional development programme. In: Lotz-Sisitka, H., Shumba, O., Lupele, J., Wilmot, D. (eds) Schooling for sustainable development in Africa. Schooling for sustainable development. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-45989-9_15
• Suen, L. J., Huang, H. M., & Lee, H. H. (2014). A comparison of convenience sampling and purposeful sampling. The Journal of Nursing, 61(3), 105-111. https://doi.org/10.6224/jn.61.3.105
• Sutton, J., & Austin, Z. (2015). Qualitative research: data collection, analysis and management. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4485510/
• Teixeira, J., Amoroso, J., & Gresham, J. (2017). Why education infrastructure matters for learning. https://blogs.worldbank.org/education/why-education-infrastructure-matters-learning
• The Institute for Environmental Learning. (2011, March). Faculty of education- Simon Fraser university. https://www.sfu.ca/education/newsevents/foenews/2011/march/mar30.html
• Tikly, L. (2019). Education for sustainable development in Africa: a critique of regional agendas. Asia Pacific Educ. Rev, 20, 223–237. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-019-09600-5
• Zafar, S. (2018). Insights into environmental education. https://salmanzafar.me/environmental-education
• Zafar, S. (2021, March). The importance of environmental education for children. https://www.ecomena.org/the-importance-of-environmental-education-for-children/