Australian Journal of Environmental Education
Volume 20(2) 2004
Abstracts
The Waste Wise Schools Program: Evidence of Educational, Environmental, Social and
Economic Outcomes at the School and Community Level
Patricia Armstrong ..................................................................................................................... 1
The Waste Wise Schools Program was established by EcoRecycle Victoria to implement waste and litter
education in Victorian schools. It is now operating in over 900 schools in Victoria and 300 schools in other
Australian states / territories. This paper provides detailed case studies of two active schools in the Waste Wise
Schools Program and considers for each school how the Program started, what it meant to the school, the
environmental, educational, social and economic outcomes of the Program and the key success factors. It
discusses evidence that the Program has changed the thinking and behaviour of many families at the schools,
suggesting that the children may be acting as catalysts to influence their parent’s waste wise behaviour, i.e. having
an intergenerational influence. Guidelines for promoting this influence are proposed.
Epistemological Renewal and Environmental Education: Science in Context
Barbara Bader.......................................................................................................................... 13
The instrumental relationship to nature1 and the realist epistemology that dominate the analysis of contemporary
environmental issues have prompted me to develop an interest in a socialized conception of science in
environmental education (EE) so as to throw into question a certain overappreciation of scientific expertise
whenever the environment is at issue. This interest in an epistemological renewal has also impelled me to favour
the socioconstructivist model of cognition in EE. The relevance of these various aspects is presented to the reader
as the extension of a necessary epistemological renewal in EE, as various authors in this field of research have
advocated.2
Environmental Education and Politics: Snakes and Ladders Revisited
David Chapman ....................................................................................................................... 23
This paper revisits the history of environmental education in Australia in the 1970s and 1980s and draws parallels
between these and current events in four countries, including Australia. It is argued that little has changed and
that few environmental educators confront the inherently political nature of their work. It is concluded that
environmental education activity must adopt a wider scope that includes political activity if progress is to be
made.
Achieving “Sustainability Education” in Primary Schools as a Result of the Victorian Science
in Schools Research Project
Annette Gough ......................................................................................................................... 31
Science education in the Australian primary school curriculum is a relatively rare event. Several studies over the
past twenty five years have all reported disappointingly low amounts of science being taught and the reluctance of
primary school teachers to make science a priority in their teaching. Similar outcomes have been reported for
environmental education. Even though primary aged children are very interested in science and the environment,
primary school teachers often struggle to teach science/environmental education because they are not confident
and competent in the content, lack curriculum resources and equipment, have inadequate time to prepare, and
have difficulty finding a place for science/environmental education in what they perceive as an already
overcrowded curriculum. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the experiences of primary schools involved in
the Victorian Science in Schools Research Project which was concerned with improving science teaching and
learning strategies but which also unexpectedly led to more environmental (“sustainability”) education occurring.
The paper will also suggest a curriculum strategy for achieving more widespread acceptance and implementation
of “sustainability education” through primary school science curricula.
Changes in Attitudes, Beliefs and Behaviour: A Critical Review of Research into the
Impacts of Environmental Education Initiatives
Anna Gralton, Mark Sinclair & Ken Purnell ............................................................................ 41
This paper reviews research literature on the impact of environmental education initiatives on learners’ attitudes,
beliefs and behaviours. The review focuses on initiatives involving learners of all ages and school-aged learners in
particular. The review shows two things. There is some evidence that environmental education initiatives are
associated with changed beliefs and attitudes, and this is mainly in the short-term. There is little evidence that
environmental education initiatives lead to behavioural change, especially in the longer-term. The review
concludes that there is a need for more and better research evidence that behavioural change in learners follows
from involvement in environmental education.
“Holding Environments”: Creating Spaces to Support Children’s Environmental Learning in
the 21st Century
Karen Malone .......................................................................................................................... 53
For many children across the globe, whether in low or high income nations, growing up in the 21 st century will
mean living in overcrowded, unsafe and polluted environments which provide limited opportunity for natural
play and environmental learning. Yet Agenda 21, the Habitat Agenda and the United Nations Convention on the
Rights of the Child all clearly articulate the importance of urban environments as the context for supporting
children’s sense of place, community identity and empathy with the natural world. I will argue in this paper that
these attributes are all key drivers for supporting children in their role as future decision makers and
environmental stewards. Extending Winnicotts’ concept of “holding environments” beyond the social and
cultural aspects of communities as sites for placemaking I draw a link to the value of botanical gardens and other
green spaces in cities as the “holding environments” for children’s environmental learning. I will construct an
argument around the premise that to participate in, and contribute to, global sustainability - our children need
places and the opportunity to engage, connect and respond to nature.
Greening Universities in Australia: Progress and Possibilities
Donna Noonan & Ian Thomas .................................................................................................. 67
The greening of universities has been on the international agenda for at least a decade. While there has been
considerable activity at some universities overseas, progress in Australian universities has been less easily
identifiable. Also, the term ‘greening’ has often been taken to apply to the operations of a university, whereas the
universities’ curricular should also be examined. After providing a background to the greening of curricula and
operations, this article presents an overview of the current status of Australian universities. The relatively poor
progress is discussed in the context of the issues associated with bringing about change in universities, and some
proposals are made for facilitating change.
Sustainable Schools: Making Energy Efficiency a Lifestyle Priority
Ken Purnell, Mark Sinclair & Anna Gralton ............................................................................ 81
Promoting efficient energy use in schools that consequently reduces greenhouse gas emissions is the purpose of a
residential Energy Efficiency in Schools (EEIS) program reported on in this paper. Research on this program
aligns with one of the “key overarching sustainability issues”, set out in the Learning for Sustainability: NSW
Environmental Education Plan 2002-2005: “Sustaining energy use, cutting greenhouse gases”. The EEIS program
was sponsored by Queensland EPA, Ergon Energy and Education Queensland. Participants learnt about
innovation, leadership, coal mining, greenhouse issues, the “greenhouse challenge”, conducting energy audits,
alternative energy and promoting energy efficient practices in school and the community.
Three EEIS models in Queensland that supported change in energy usage behaviours of participants (school
students, parents and staff) is examined. In each of the models, interviews were conducted and questionnaires
were completed with participants. In Model 1 it was found that, overall; the EEIS program did develop positive
energy efficient behaviours in those who participated. In relation to whole school effects, mixed results were
obtained. In Model 1 a rural school initially reduced energy consumption by fifty percent and in Model 2
significant changes in energy efficient behaviours in the school communities occurred. In Model 3 one school
followed through an action plan and similar positive effects were observed. The development of an action plan
that is implemented in the school, the selection of suitable participants, and post-program visits to schools by
relevant staff were among the factors that contributed to the overall success. Each model was found to have
achieved their aims to varying degrees but had outcomes that are likely to have both lifetime and possibly
intergenerational effects.
Constructivism in Environmental Education: Beyond Conceptual Change Theory
Ian Robottom ........................................................................................................................... 93
Constructivism, as a set of theories about how learners learn, has been an important discourse in the educational
research literature for a number of years. Interestingly, it has been far more visible in science education research
than in environmental education research. This article considers conceptual change theory within constructivism
as a contested concept, outlines differing expressions of constructivism in science education and environmental
education, and argues for approaches to environmental education that adopt socially constructivist perspectives
with respect to the character of the subject matter content as well as to learners’ apprehension of such content. In
considering implications for research, this perspective is juxtaposed with a recent United States Education Act,
which prescribes a far more objectivist approach to educational research and which serves as a reminder that
research itself is a powerful factor in shaping how we construct the nature of subject matter, learning and the
implications of these for teaching practice.
Rising to the Challenge: Education for Sustainability in Australia
Daniella Tilbury ................................................................................................................... 103
With the UN Decade in Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014) approaching, the question is “how
well positioned is Australia to respond to the challenge of educating for sustainability?”. The purpose of this
paper is to provide a brief summary of ESD1 status, needs and innovations at the national level within Australia.
ESD is relevant to all major social groups and so this paper includes developments in a number of settings
including, formal education, further and higher education, industry and community contexts. This paper has
been informed by the recent findings of a national review of EE’s contribution to sustainability in Australia. It
incorporates the latest trends and recent national initiatives which are playing a significant role in developing
frameworks in ESD nationally.