EDTM 312 EC
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT FOR
SUSTAINABILITY
Faculty of Education
MOD compiled by: Dr LO de Sousa
Copyright © 2018 edition. Review date 2018.
North-West University
No part of this MOD may be reproduced in any form or in any way without the written permission of the publishers.
NORTH-WEST UNIVERSITY
Module information
Module code
EDTM 312
Module name
Environmental Management for sustainability
Module credits
8 credits
NQF level
7
Prerequisites
There is no specific subject prerequisite.
Completion and submission of all tasks/activities and tests as planned
by the lecturer.
Additional resources or
requirements to
complete the module
successfully
You must also ensure that you
 have Internet access for eFundi use;
 prepare for contact sessions;
 self-regulate your study time;
 attend whiteboard sessions or lectures (whichever is applicable for
you as distance or contact student, respectively).
Lecturer and contact information
Name of
lecturer(s)
Dr LO de Sousa
Office
telephone
018 299 4727
016 910 3572
E-mail
address
Luiza.desousa@nwu.ac.za Nahom.fajji@nwu.ac.za
cobus.olivier@nwu.ac.za
Building and
Office nr
Building C6 Office 105
Building 11B Office 106
Consulting
hours
Consult the office times displayed at your lecturer’s office. You may e-mail/phone to
schedule a meeting.
Teaching
assistants
The name of this person will be communicated to you on eFundi.
Potchefstroom Campus
Dr Nahom Fajji Mafikeng
Campus
Gebou/Building A2 Block G
Kantoor/Office G205/G21
Mr OJ Olivier
Vaal Campus
Introduction
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Purpose of the module
Environmental Education is important because humanity depends on the resources of the natural
environment and these resources are finite. Worldwide humanity has the right to develop, but it is
our responsibility to conserve our natural and cultural areas. This can be attained through
sustainable development and good management of our resources.
On 25 September 2015, the United Nations General Assembly formally adopted the universal,
integrated and transformative 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Sustainable
Development Goals contained 17 goals with 169 targets covering a broad range of sustainable
development issues. These included ending poverty and hunger, improving health and education,
and making cities more sustainable. This module will pay attention to the interrelated nature of all
human activity and the environment. This module will also support you to integrate sustainable
development priorities and goals into your teaching. The module will contribute to the achievement
of the Sustainable Development Goals. Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is included
in three targets to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goal.

Goal 4 Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning
opportunities for all.

"by 2030 ensure all learners acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable
development, including among others through education for sustainable development
and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace
and non-violence, global citizenship, and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s
contribution to sustainable development".
Goal 12 Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.

"ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable
development and lifestyles in harmony with nature" by 2030.
Goal 13 Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
“improve education, awareness raising and human and institutional capacity on climate
change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning” in order to help combat
climate change.
The United Nations proclaimed 2005-2014 as the Decade of Education for Sustainable
Development with the overall goal of integrating the principles, values and practices of sustainable
development into all aspects of education and learning (UNSECO, 2005). To provide guidance on
how to strengthen ESD internationally, the UNESCO Global Action Programme on Education for
Sustainable Development (GAP) was launched at the 2014 World Conference on ESD in AichiNagoya, Japan as the official follow-up programme to the UN Decade for ESD (2005-2014).
This module aims to enable teachers to be able to integrate the complex concept of the
“environment” in all the subjects of the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) and in the Curriculum
and Assessment Policy (CAPS) and when managing for the environment in their school. This
module is designed to be relevant for teachers, is context-bound, will accommodate teachers’
special needs for their phase, will present opportunities for reflection, will use a variety of
methodologies, and will include relevant resources.
To prepare learners for responsible citizenship, it is of the utmost importance that as teachers we
raise an awareness of and concern for the life-supporting systems that we all depend on so as to
enjoy a meaningful life. This awareness must be created by building it into all the school subject
knowledge, skills and values regarding the environment.
Teaching and learning in this module
The module is designed to prepare the undergraduate student academically and professionally
with specialised disciplinary and pedagogical content knowledge and skills. The module aims to
create a commitment towards social justice and responsibility towards the environment and an
awareness of sustainable development in order to educate students to become responsible,
sensitive agents of change in the schools and communities where they live and work. It is
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practice-based and has a strong classroom focus to provide graduates with appropriate knowledge
and professional competencies to integrate environmental concern in the curriculum and become
effective and reflective mediators of learning. The module further aims to equip the students with
knowledge, skills and values required to effectively fulfil their role as educators.
The qualification will enrich students intellectually and professionally so that students may develop
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enquiring, research-orientated minds;
the ability to display leadership and be involved in community and environmental affairs;
practical problem-solving abilities to address subject-related economic, environmental,
political, social, and school and classroom management issues;
the ability to use communication effectively to mediate learning whilst considering learner
diversity; and
spontaneous autonomous learning to scaffold lifelong learning.
Contact students: Participation in contact sessions, contact session preparation, and active
learning techniques (for example presentations, group discussions, and debates) may be used.
All contact sessions must be attended and an attendance register will be circulated. Collaboration
on group tasks during contact sessions is commonly used, especially since cooperative teaching
and learning and other strategies are used. Students are required to come to contact sessions
prepared and to take their own notes. Test dates and task due dates will be communicated and all
deadlines must be adhered to.
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Module outcomes
Assessment criteria
On successful completion of this module the
student should be able to
Students have mastered the outcomes if they
are able to
 demonstrate an integrated knowledge and
sound understanding of the different
dimensions of the environment;
 display proof of integrated knowledge and
an informed understanding of some of the
Environmental Education and management
concepts;
 identify, analyse and interpret environmental
issues and problems and indicate the
impact of humans on the environment;
 analyse and apply some activities and skills
that can engage young learners;
 describe the historical development of
Environmental Education;
 display proof of the ability to solve welldefined environmental problems;
 demonstrate a thorough knowledge and
sound understanding of sustainable
development;
 display responsible conduct towards caring
for the environment; and
 integrate Environmental Education into the
presentation of the Curriculum Assessment
and Policy statement; and
 demonstrate the ability to apply the
knowledge acquired with an ethically
responsible attitude towards the
environment.
 work responsibly, individually or in a group,
to gather and analyse data as part of an
assignment so as to engage in analytical
discussions that may have ethical
implications for humankind and the
environment, and uphold the value of
culturally and politically diverse communities
and environments when analysing and
taking decisions on the data gathered.
Module plan
1.
History of Environmental Education
2.
Education for Sustainable Development for the 21st century
3.
Introduction to the “Environment” and environmental learning in the curriculum
4.
Critical environmental issues
5.
Education for Sustainable Development: Teaching and learning in the curriculum
Assessment
Requirements for the successful completion of the module
You need a final module mark of at least 50% to pass the module.
calculated as follows:
The final mark will be

Participation mark: A minimum of 40% to obtain admission to examination

Examination: A subminimum of 40%
Your module mark is compiled from your participation mark and your examination mark in a 1:1
ratio.
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Assessment plan
A)
Assessment that will count towards your participation mark (Formative assessment)
The participation mark is compiled of continuous assessment tasks that include group
activities during contact sessions, assignments, and individual activities. You will apply
environmental management for sustainability holistically as a cross-curricular approach in
lesson planning, design and presentation. Tests and quizzes will be written on completion of
the learning units and will form part of your participation mark.
B)
Examination (Summative assessment)
One 1½ hour examination must be written and you will need a subminimum of 40% to pass
the examination.
C)
Informal assessment that will support and give feedback on your learning
In contact sessions, we will engage with the content of the module by means of activities,
such as class tests, student presentations, and group discussions with feedback.
These activities will support your learning and provide you with immediate feedback on your
learning.
Action verbs
In the assignments and examination questions you will encounter the following action words. They
help you to understand what is required. The meaning is explained.

Define
Requires reproduction of knowledge. It is a clear, concise and authoritative description of a
concept so that the meaning is clearly stated.
Example: Define the concept photosynthesis.

Explain
The matter is simply stated so that the reader will understand it. Illustrations, descriptions and
examples must be used, while also giving reasons for opinions and results.
Example: Explain how you would teach the water cycle.

Illustrate
The writing of a concept on manuscript paper
Example: Illustrate how the flow of waste can be reduced.

Recognise
To be able to hear certain features during listening, in other words, to identify
Example: Can you recognise the organisms in a water body?

Listening
Listen critically and analytically to a colleague’s viewpoint on an environmental matter and then
answer the questions that follow.
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Graphically represent
Graphic notation is the product whereby you illustrate a set of data by way of alternative symbols.
Example: Graphically represent the different wrappings used by department stores.
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Identify
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You are expected to point out, recognise and briefly describe concepts.
Example: Identify the main features of the country’s energy grid.
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Describe
Performance at the knowledge level is expected. Characteristics, facts or results are conveyed
logically and in a well-structured way. No comment or argument is required.
Example: Describe how you organise a tree-planting event at your school.
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Classify
To be able to sort characteristics into different classes
Example: Classify the different materials that you can find in the classroom’s waste basket
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Comment
Briefly state your own opinion on the subject.
Example: Comment in your own words on the Global Action Programme.
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Analyse
Identify and analyse parts or elements of a concept.
Example: Analyse how you will use your new knowledge about education for sustainable
development in your teaching practice that must cater for a problem-based systems approach
activity.
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Discuss
Give extensive commentary in your own words. Often an argumentative approach is needed to
distinguish between two perspectives or possibilities.
Example: Discuss the benefit of a transformative learning approach.

Evaluate
Through careful discussion determine the significance or worth of something.
Example: Evaluate sustainable development as development that meets the needs of the present
generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Study material
Compulsory study material

For the Foundation Phase only: Davis J.M. (Ed.)
2015.
Young children and the
environment. Early education for sustainability. Cambridge University Press.
Reader found on eFundi
Additional study material
Enviropaedia
The Environmental Encyclopaedia is an A to Z of green topics:
http://www.enviropaedia.com/default.php
Encyclopaedia of Earth
Is a free electronic reference about the earth, and natural environments and their interaction with
society. Articles are user-friendly and written in non-technical language by scholars, professionals,
educators and experts who collaborate and review each other's work. Useful to students,
educators, scholars, professionals and the general public:
http://editors.eol.org/eoearth/wiki/Main_Page
New Scientist
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Read about the Earth's life support systems and other articles.
https://www.newscientist.com/subject/earth
WWF Living Planet Report
The world's leading, science-based analysis of the health of our planet and the impact of human
activity:
http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/all_publications/lpr_2016/?utm_source=Newsletter_10_2010
&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Newsletter
Time management
This is an 8 credit module. This implies that you must spend a total of 80 hours to master the
outcomes of this module successfully. For total study hours per study unit, refer to electronic study
material.
There are appromiately 10 weeks of contact sessions for contact students. Distance students will
be notified on the number of whiteboard sessions.
Follow the notices on eFundi to help you plan your learning.
All contact sessions and whiteboard sessions must be attended. Ensure that you read all the
compulsory study material and use the library and internet to access additional study material.
Warning against plagiarism
Plagiarism is a serious offence and you should familiarise yourself with the plagiarism policy of the
NWU. You can also include a link to faculty declaration forms or eFundi.
Please refer to the Policy on Plagiarism and other forms of Academic Dishonesty and Misconduct
of June 2011.
For the NWU link for plagiarism, go to: http://www.nwu.ac.za/webfm_send/25355
Remember
ASSIGNMENTS ARE INDIVIDUAL TASKS AND NOT GROUP ACTIVITIES. (UNLESS
EXPLICITLY INDICATED AS GROUP ACTIVITIES)
Copying of text from other learners or from other sources (for instance the study guide, prescribed
material or directly from the internet) is not allowed – only brief quotations are allowed and then
only if indicated as such.
You should reformulate existing text and use your own words to explain what you have read. It is
not acceptable to retype existing text and just acknowledge the source in a footnote – you should
be able to relate the idea or concept, without repeating the original author to the letter.
The aim of the assignments is not the reproduction of existing material, but to ascertain whether
you have the ability to integrate existing texts, add your own interpretation and/or critique of the
texts and offer a creative solution to existing problems.
Be warned: students who submit copied text will obtain a mark of zero for the assignment
and disciplinary steps may be taken by the Faculty and/or University. It is also unacceptable
to do somebody else’s work, to lend your work to them or to make your work available to
them to copy – be careful and do not make your work available to anyone!
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Study units
This is only an overview of the themes/topics with outcomes. All activities and assessment tasks
will be available on eFundi.
1. History of Environmental Education
Learning outcomes
After engaging with the materials and activities in this study unit you should be able to
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describe and analyse the concept and the history of Environmental Education internationally;
explain the inclustion of Environmental Education in formal education in South Africa;
explain, in a practical way, the meaning of the principles of the Tbilisi Conference and their
implications internationally and nationally; and
analyse and evaluate the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development and the
Global Action Programme.
2. Education for Sustainable Development for the 21st century
Learning outcomes
After engaging with the materials and activities in this study unit you should be able to
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explain the concept of sustainable development and Education for Sustainable Development;
synthesise how you plan to reoriente education for a sustainable future;
develop and justify your own motivation to live more sustainably;
explain the importance of the Sustainable Development Goals;
motivate on which Sustainable Development Goals need to be focussed in education; and
discuss the importance and implementation of an Environmental Management System for
sustainable development in a school.
3. Introduction to the “Environment” and environmental learning
in the curriculum
Learning outcomes
After engaging with the materials and activities in this study unit you should be able to
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define and describe the concept “environment”;
identify, describe each of the different dimensions of the “environment” and motivate each
dimension’s relation to the complex interaction of the whole and in the in local context;
discuss how you will include Science, Environment, Society, Culture, and Economy into
environmental learning;
investigate, identify, analyse and provide your opinion about where the concept
“environment” fits into the topics of the National Curriculum Statement’s (NCS) Curriculum
and Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS) for all subjects;
explain how you will integrate environmental learning in your subject and phase; and
list and describe the techniques and teaching and learning support materials (resources) for
Environmental Education.
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4. Critical environmental issues
Learning outcomes
After engaging with the materials and activities in this study unit you should be able to
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investigate, formulate descriptive definitions, and provide your own opinion about the
following critical environmental issues and concepts: social-ecological systems thinking,
resilience of the earth system, biodiversity, climate change, water security, food systems and
food security, energy efficiency and waste minimisation, the commons, fair trade, and green
economy;
argue the impact of humans on the environment, as well as the environmental crisis in which
humans find themselves;
discuss the relationships and interactions between different environmental issues; and
critically reflect on the environmental problems associated with humankind’s misuse and
mismanagement of resources and provide innovative and theory-driven solutions for these
problems.
5. Education for Sustainable
learning in the curriculum
Development:
Teaching
and
Learning outcomes
After engaging with the materials and activities in this study unit you should be able to
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teach about Sustainable Development when focussing on citizenship, health and consumer
education;
use the interdisciplinary curriculum theme of Indigenous Knowledge to support environmental
learning;
use a variety of teaching and learning strategies to support environmental learning;
evaluate the importance of transformative learning environments for Education for
Sustainable Development; and
develop lesson plans for transformative learning experiences.
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