An Intervention Method for Environmental Literacy: A Trainers Workshop of Lifelong Learning

Öz

Environmental literacy is needed by any society in order to achieve environmental awareness. It is also an important component of environmental responsiveness and the creation of a sustainable and smart environment and urbanization. There is of a lack precise definition of or implementation for environmental literacy. Since the concept of environmental literacy has not been properly understood, the relevant actors are unable to develop necessary actions and activities for achieving social awareness. For a sustainable and smart environment, societies, and urbanization, there is a need for social intervention by means of lifelong learning education—a widespread and effective form of education that is capable of reaching large numbers of individuals in the short term. This article, starting point of which is the critical consideration of the environmental literacy concept and its conceptual transformation, aims to contribute to environmental literacy by developing a method of implementation through training of trainers. The objective is to present a practical, pragmatic and workable concluding recommendation to decision makers responsible for ensuring public order, shaping the development of society, urbanization and protecting the environment, to researchers involved in academic production in this area, and to the administrators of relevant civil society organizations. Using a descriptive methodology and multidisciplinary perspective, the article explains the environmental literacy concept, in the context of the disciplines of environment and urban planning, with the aid of the findings obtained through a review of the literature and an internet search. An environmental literacy literature mapping is presented with an emphasis on the related Turkish academic studies. Following this conceptual analysis, the article describes the workshop developed by the author for the training of trainers in life-long learning education, which is seen as a mean of intervention with regard to literacy. The workshop has been designed in such a way to reconfigure the matter of how the environment is taught, represented and protected. After making an activity content proposal, the article concludes with a general evaluation of the possible contributions, which the proposed educational method could make when implemented.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Environmental Tieracy
• Sustainability,
• Urban Planning,
• Training of Trainers,
• Lifelong Learning

An Intervention Method for Environmental Literacy: A Trainers Workshop of Lifelong Learning

Öz

Çevre okuryazarlığı, herhangi bir toplumda, çevre bilincinin oluşması için ihtiyaç duyulan olgudur. Çevre okuryazarlığı ayrıca, çevre duyarlılığı ile sürdürülebilir ve akıllı çevre ve kentleşmenin yaratılmasında önemli bir girdidir. Kavrama dair kesin bir tanımlama ve uygulama bulunmamaktadır. Çevre okuryazarlığı kavramı anlaşılamadığından, toplumsal bilincin oluşturulması yönünde gerekli eylem ve faaliyetlerde yetersizlikler gözlenmektedir. Çevre okuryazarlığına sahip olmayan toplumlarda; çevreye yönelik olumsuz etkileri olan eylemleri veya tahribatları destekleyen veya yapan, çevre hakkını önemsemeyen ve korumayı öncelik haline getirmeyen bireylerin, idarecilerin ve politikacıların var olması kaçınılmazdır. Sürdürülebilir ve akıllı bir çevrenin, toplumun ve kentleşmenin yaratılabilmesi için yaygın ve kısa vadede en fazla bireye ulaşabilen etkili bir eğitim türü olan hayat boyu öğrenme eğitimiyle topluma müdahale edilmesi gerekmektedir. Bu makale, çevre okuryazarlığının kavramı ve kavramsal dönüşüme dair eleştirel bir düşünden başlayarak, eğiticilerin eğitimi yoluyla çevre okuryazarlığının arttırılmasına yönelik bir yöntem geliştirmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Makalenin hedefi; kamu düzenini sağlama, toplumsal gelişimi ve kentleşmeyi şekillendirme ve çevreyi korumadan sorumlu olan karar vericiler, bu alanda akademik üretim yapan bilim insanları ile sivil toplum kuruluşlarının yöneticilerine pratik, pragmatik ve uygulanabilir bir sonuç önermesinde bulunmaktır. Betimleyici tanımlama yöntemiyle ve multidisipliner bakış açısıyla hazırlanan makalede; çevre ve kentsel planlama disiplini çerçevesinde çevre okuryazarlığı kavramı, literatür ve internet taramasından elde edilen bulgularla aktarılmaktadır. Çevre okuryazarlığı literatürünün haritalaması, Türkiye’deki ilgili akademik çalışmalara vurgu yapılarak verilmiştir. Makalede, kavramsal analizi müteakip, okuryazarlığa müdahaleci bir uygulama faaliyeti olarak, hayat boyu öğrenme eğitimi kapsamında eğiticilerin eğitimine yönelik yazar tarafından geliştirilen atölye betimlenmiştir. Atölye önermesi, çevre konusundaki eğiticilere, STK liderlerine, fon sağlayıcılarına, karar vericilere ve meslek insanlarına tavsiye niteliğindedir. Atölye, çevrenin nasıl öğretilmesi, gösterilmesi ve korunması gerektiği olgusunu yeniden şekillendirecek biçimde tasarlanmıştır. Atölyenin içerik önermesi sonrasında, makalenin sonuç kısmında, öneri eğitim yönteminin uygulanması halinde, olası katkılarına dair genel bir değerlendirme yapılmıştır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Çevre Okuryazarlığı
• Sürdürülebilirlik
• Kentsel Planlama
• Eğiticilerin Eğitimi

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