Implementing Curriculum Guidance on Environmental Education: The Importance of Teachers' Beliefs

Autor/in	Cotton, D. R. E.
Titel	Implementing Curriculum Guidance on Environmental Education: The Importance of Teachers' Beliefs
Quelle	In: Journal of Curriculum Studies, 38 (2006) 1, S.67-83 (17 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0022-0272
Schlagwörter	Environmental Education; Geography Instruction; Foreign Countries; Secondary School Teachers; Instructional Materials; Course Descriptions; Student Attitudes; Teacher Role; Teaching Methods; Curriculum Development; Teacher Attitudes; Teacher Surveys; United Kingdom + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Umweltbildung; Umwelterziehung; Umweltpädagogik; Geography education; Geography lessons; Geografieunterricht; Ausland; Lehrmaterial; Lehrmittel; Unterrichtsmedien; Kursstrukturplan; Schülerverhalten; Lehrerrolle; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Curriculum; Development; Curriculumentwicklung; Lehrplan; Entwicklung; Lehrerverhalten; Großbritannien
Abstract	Many observers have commented on disparities between the theoretical understandings of environmental education portrayed in academic literature and the environmental education that takes place in schools. In much of the literature and in curriculum documents there has been an increasing emphasis on promoting positive attitudes towards the environment, and the results of several surveys suggest that many teachers support this aim. This paper explores the beliefs of three geography teachers teaching controversial environmental issues in UK secondary schools. In contrast to the findings of prior studies, the teachers in this study feel strongly that they should try to avoid influencing students' attitudes, or imposing any kind of pro-environmental agenda. There is a substantial divergence between the teachers' beliefs and the espoused aims of much environmental education literature and the geography syllabus they were following. This suggests that, unless curriculum developers take account of teachers' beliefs in designing new curriculum materials, those materials are unlikely to be implemented in their intended format. (Contains 4 notes.) (Author).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10