Assessing the implementation of environmental education school policy in Buffalo City Metro Education District South Africa
- Authors: Damoah, Benjamin
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Environmental education , Environmental policy -- South Africa , Education and state -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/21602 , vital:51703
- Description: Environmental Education (EE) is essential for addressing environmental challenges.The advantages of EE are undeniable; it might be used to address specific environmental concerns and their implications, as well as to modify behaviours that lead to environmental catastrophes.EE strengthens people's resilience to climaterelated hazards. Global environmental issues have heightened interest in educational policy outcomes and their implications for economic growth and social citizenship. It is worth noting that an effective EE policy has a significant influence on the development of learners' environmental literacy. This study assessed the implementation of environmental education school policy in the Buffalo City Metro Education District, South Africa. This study adopted the pragmatism paradigm of Mixed Method Research(MMR). Concurrent triangulation, which is a design that employs a single data collection technique in which quantitative and qualitative data gathering and analysis are carried out independently yet concurrently, was used for this study. The target population of this study involved 60,412 teachers, 1,770,289 learners in 5205 public schools, and 1 Pro-EE civil society organisation in the Eastern Cape province. This was narrowed down to over 268 public and independent schools, teachers, and principals within the enclave of the Buffalo Metropolitan education district. The study adopted stratified purposeful and simple random probability sampling. In this technique, the sampling frame of the study was divided into strata or groups (principals, teachers, learners, and CSOs) and a sample was purposefully selected from each stratum (Migiro & Magangi, 2011). The stratified purposeful random sampling techniques draw data from 10 principals, 175 teachers, 1500 learners, and 1 CSO. Structured questionnaire; Implementation of EE Policy Questionnaire (IEEPQ) whose reliability co-efficient value using Cronbach Alpha was 0.74, semi-structured interview and documents were the instruments used to collect data for this study. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics of percentage, mean, and standard deviation for the quantitative data while the thematic approach of sorting, coding, transcribing, and categorization was used for the qualitative data. The study revealed the following. When asked whether teachers had studied environmental education in tertiary institutions as part of their professional training, the majority of the teachers'respondents, 108, representing 61.7percent, disagreed with this view. On the flip side, a handful of teachers 67, (38.3percent) agreed with the view of having had some sort of EE knowledge during their professional training as teachers. With regards to the view that learners learn environmental issues through other subjects, most of the learner respondents, 1316 representing 87.7percent, agreed with this view. On the contrary, a minority of the respondents 184 (12,3percent) had a dissenting opinion. This indicates that most learners in school learn about environmental concerns through other traditional subjects. The study established that EE content is manifest in teachers' and learners' textbooks, teaching methods, and co-curricular activities. However, the study identified lapses in how teachers and learners integrate EE into their day-to-day practices. Therefore, the implementation of the EE policy seems to be an exercise in futility. The absence of a policy guideline document has made teachers and school administrators incapacitated in the implementation of EE school policy. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
Effect of environmental responsible behaviour intervention programme on secondary school learners in environmental education knowledge, attitudes and practices in Nigeria
- Authors: Olagbaju, Oluwaseun Olaitan
- Date: 2021-09
- Subjects: Environmental education , Education, Secondary
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/20284 , vital:45647
- Description: The depletion of the environment compelled researchers to investigate Environmental Education issues, the methods of imparting knowledge and the creation of awareness about environmental problems. However, youths have knowledge of environmental concepts but lack the skills, intentions, and action competence to exhibit positive environmentally responsible behaviour. There is, therefore, a need for a change in human behaviour to overcome current environmental problems. This study determines the effect of an environmental responsible behaviour intervention programme on Junior Secondary School learners in environmental education. It also explores the moderating effects of gender and school location. The study adopted a pre-test, post-test, control group and quasi-experimental design. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed. Eight (8) coeducational secondary schools in Ibadan, Nigeria, were selected based on environmental challenges in their immediate environment. There were four (4) schools from Ibadan city (urban area of Ibadan) and four (4) from Ibadan less city (rural area of Ibadan). Seven hypotheses were tested at a 0.05 level of significance. Five research instruments were used for this study. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used in testing the seven formulated hypotheses. Estimated Marginal mean analysis was used to determine the source of significant effect of treatment. A significant interaction effect was described using a graphical representation. All hypotheses were tested at P< .05 level of significance. The result reveals that there was a significant main effect of treatment (Environmental responsible behaviour intervention programme on Junior Secondary School learners’ environmental knowledge (F(1,715) = 40.62, p < 0.05, Partial , 2 .054). There was also significant main effect of treatment (environmental responsible behaviour intervention programme on junior secondary school students’ environmental attitude. (F(1,715) = 32.36, p < 0.05. partial 2 = 0.043). The effect of treatment (Environmental responsible behaviour intervention programme) on students’ environmental practices was statistically significant, F(1,715) = 17.02, p < 0.05. partial 2 = 0.023). The findings shows that there was a significant main effect of school location (Urban and Rural) on Junior Secondary School students’ environmental knowledge (F(1,716) = 71.62 p< 0.05. partial 2 =0.091). There was no significant main effect of gender (male / female) F(1,715) =0.27, p> 0.05, partial 2 = 0.000. The findings further shows that there was significant main effect of school location on students’ environmental attitude, (F(1,175) =39.21, p< 0.05 partial 2 = 0.052) Shows that there was no significant main effect of gender on students’ environmental attitude F(1,715) =2.1, p> 0.05. partial 2 =0.003 There was significant main effect of school location on students’ environmental practices, F(1,715) = 17.02, p< 0.05 partial 2 = 0.019 but there was no significant main effect of gender on students’ environmental practices, (F(1,715) = 1.17, p> 0.05. partial 2 = 0.002). Based on these findings, it is recommended that teachers should use an environmental responsible behaviour intervention programme in teaching environmental concepts in the classroom. To support this, group/teamwork should be encouraged amongst students. Students should be allowed to construct knowledge in order to bring about their active participation with a view to making learning realistic and effective and to enable the exhibition of environmentally friendly behaviour. , Thesis (PhD)(Education)-- University of Fort Hare, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-09
An exploration into an ESD-based teaching strategy to improve the critical thinking and problem-solving skills amongst development studies students at Nelson Mandela University
- Authors: Abrahams, André John
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Problem solving -- Study and teaching , Divergent thinking -- Study and teaching , Sustainable development -- Study and teaching , Environmental education
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/50907 , vital:43148
- Description: In recent years, Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) has been a significant focus for research pertaining to teacher education and transformative approaches to teaching and learning. However, there has been less specific focus on the implementation of ESD in the context of higher education. This study, therefore, explored the use of an ESD-based teaching and learning approach in an undergraduate Development Studies programme. The focus was on developing a teaching approach that was informed by the principles of ESD and which could assist Development Studies lecturers in creating a more transformative, student-centred environment. This study was a qualitative undertaking, conducted at the Nelson Mandela University’s (NMU) Development Studies undergraduate programme. The ESD-based approach was implemented by two participating lecturers who utilised the approach across four undergraduate classes. Qualitative data were generated through a systematic literature analysis (SLA), exploratory interviews, student exercises and assessments, focus group discussions, and reflective journal entries. The gathered data were then analysed using a framework analysis rubric adapted from the theoretical framework utilised in the study. In addition, the data were coded using the six coding techniques promoted by Saldaña (2013). The findings suggest that the ESD-based approach developed in the study could effectively contribute towards promoting ESD in the Development Studies programme. The findings also suggest that, when properly implemented, the ESD-based approach could assist lecturers in creating a more transformative learning environment where students have greater control over their learning experience. In addition, this study found that students in the selected Development Studies undergraduate programme could benefit from continued exposure to the teaching methods and techniques adopted in the approach. The implementation of the approach also uncovered some of the inhibiting factors that may prevent an ESD-based approach being mainstreamed into the context of higher education. , Thesis (DPhil) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, Development Studies, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-04
An investigation of the influence of knowledge-production and learning processes on complex practices in a community-driven citizen science initiative: A nature conservation case study
- Authors: Alexander, Jaclyn
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Science -- Citizen participation , Western Leopard Toad Conservation Committee , Environmental education , Frogs -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/138173 , vital:37603
- Description: Community-driven citizen science initiatives have become an increasingly popular tool for combating social-ecological challenges that arise within communities. Scientific protocols have been designed to strengthen and support the accuracy and reliability of data collection and information sharing; however, little is understood of the dynamic social processes that reinforce and co-ordinate such community-driven action. This qualitative case study was undertaken to identify and understand complex organisational, political and socio-cultural processes (in particular knowledge-production and learning processes) that have guided, sustained and informed complex practices in a community driven citizen science initiative. The study aimed to inform the development of a social protocol that might be transferable to other citizen science contexts. The study drew on the theory of ‘Landscapes of Practice’, which highlights how multiple communities of practice overlap, interrelate, share knowledge and cross boundaries to create potential learning across a landscape. Additionally, ideas and typologies in recent citizen science literature offered perspective on the community-driven citizen science practices. This qualitative case study focused on the bounded case of the Western Leopard Toad Conservation Committee. Specific data generation tools (interviews, observations, document analysis and diagrams) were used from multiple perspectives over time to provide rigor and depth to the data. The study demonstrated how multiple ‘nexes of practice’ co-engaged in collective knowledge creation practices, which helped to enhance ‘knowledgeability’ across the landscape. This coordinated effort, however, was sporadic and inconsistent. Recommendations are made for the development of social protocols that could assist collaborators in citizen science initiatives to scrutinise and rethink their practices and to examine both their successes and shortfalls towards their shared interest.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
Teachers’ perception of the integration of environmental education into grade 12 curriculum in East London Education District
- Authors: Damoah, Benjamin
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Environmental education
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/16528 , vital:40728
- Description: The study focuses on teachers’ perception of the integration of environmental education into grade 12 curriculum in East London education district. This study is based on empirical research. The theoretical framework of the study is based on Opportunity to Learn (OTL). The concept of OTL was formulated by international Association of Achievements (McDonnell, 1995).OTL is multiplicity of factors that create the conditions for teaching and learning, such as curricula, learning materials, facilities, teachers and instructional experiences. The research study is supported by national and international literatures based on environmental education and integration of environmental education as a component in the school curriculum, and policy documents. The study adopted qualitative research approach, using phenomenological method and interpretivism paradigm respectively. The empirical data was collected from one high school in Mdantsane Township in East London education district. The study sample consisted of 6 high school teachers. Data was collected through semi- structured interviews. According to the findings of the research, grade 12 teachers expressed disparities in their perceptions of environmental education as an integrated component into their subjects. Most of the subject teachers focused on the aspect of knowledge acquisition. According to South African education system, environmental education (EE) has been integrated into all subjects. Although there is environmental education in the GET and FET phase curriculum respectively, however it is not integrated evenly in all subjects. Some subjects like Life sciences, geography have more environmental content than other subjects. Teachers suggested that the approach adopted to integrate environmental education into the school curriculum was not favourable because teachers claimed that what is to be taught as environmental education in the various subjects is not indicated explicitly in the CAPS document. The CAPS document prescribes EE integration into all subjects which makes the teaching of EE a collective responsibility. The main actors of EE integration implementation are themselves a constraint to the success of the integration. The teacher is confronted with many challenges in the process of environmental education integration. This includes lack of teaching and learning resources, time and large class size. The role of teachers in the implementation of environmental education in developing an environmentally literate citizenry is of great significance. The responsibility of the government in ii developing a curriculum with clear goals and content, developing teachers’ capacity in the teaching of environmental education and provision of teaching and learning materials needs to be taken seriously by the government in educational plans and programs. Topics for future research on the integration of EE into grade 12 curriculums were suggested in order to improve on teaching and learning of environmental education
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
Drawing on principles of Dance Movement Therapy practice in a South African water research context
- Authors: Copteros, Athina
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Water-supply -- Management -- South Africa , Dance therapy , Movement therapy , Dance therapy -- South Africa , Movement therapy -- South Africa , Interdisciplinary research , Interdisciplinary approach to knowledge , Environmental education , Environmental education -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/50759 , vital:26024
- Description: Research that draws on principles of Dance Movement Therapy in a South African water research context has not been done before. In order to initiate this exploration, culturally relevant themes from professional training in the United Kingdom were identified that could be developed in the context of trans-disciplinary water resource management research in South Africa. Hermeneutic phenomenology provided the methodological framing for this study. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to discover culturally relevant themes based on the recorded perceptions of the phenomenon of the training while it was taking place. The themes of: ‘awareness of power and difference'; ‘therapeutic adaptability'; ‘safety and ownership' and ‘connecting with the environment' emerged as overriding themes. Influences from Artistic Inquiry informed the inclusion of a creative embodied response to the themes that emerged. These themes then informed the application of some relevant principles of Dance Movement Therapy practice within a trans-disciplinary complex social-ecological systems researcher group. Eight members of the group participated in the study. They represented a range of academic research roles, genders and backgrounds. They reflected on their experience of an introductory session and five Dance Movement Therapy based sessions in semi-structured interviews. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, four themes were identified that capture the quality of the participants' shared experience of the phenomenon: ‘community engagement'; ‘embodiment'; ‘individual and group identity' and ‘integration'. Based on the integration of themes, it is concluded that principles of Dance Movement Therapy have a contribution to make. Core tenets of Dance Movement Therapy such as: inclusion of body and emotion; healing from trauma through embodiment; group processes held with safety and acceptance; and a deep level of connection to self, each other and the wider ecology, address some of the basic challenges of trans-disciplinary complex social ecological systems research practice. Through researchers experiencing principles of DMT practice for themselves and reflecting on their experience, it is possible that their embodied knowledge and reflections will influence and inform their engagement with communities in the future.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Review of two sustainability learning programmes for industrial settings in relation to emerging green learning aspects
- Authors: Visagie, Martha Jacoba
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Environmental education , Sustainable development -- Study and teaching (Continuing education) , Natural resources -- Management -- Study and teaching (Continuing education) , Environmental economics -- Study and teaching (Continuing education) , Green movement
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:2049 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1017360
- Description: Driven by the needs of growing populations, industrial and governing powers are successfully accelerating the rate of industrial consumption, production and employment as if the earth’s resources are in unlimited supply. In contrast, a range of international sustainable development forums, inspired by visionary individuals, have made significant progress in creating awareness that the footprint of human activity is exceeding the earth’s sink and source capacity; and educating people in government, workplaces and communities to slow down industrial consumption and clean up production. Turning around conventional and short sighted ‘business as usual’ logic, and directing economies toward greener, long-term sustainability outcomes, still meet with resistance and hidden unsustainable agendas. The ‘green economy’ drive nevertheless since 2008 attracts financial and human resources and bold action in favour of more sustainable management of human-nature relations. The sustainable development movement for example advocates a ‘triple bottom line’ approach, holding that socially and ecologically responsible economic development would be sustainable. The sustainability movement has attained significant buy-in among governments and business communities. It forms the under-labouring philosophy of the programmes reviewed in this case study. The thesis reviews social-economic events paving the way for a global green economy. Taking a leadership role in the sustainable development movement the United Nations (UN) and the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) concurred to respond to the 2008 world-wide economic meltdown with a two-pronged ‘Green New Deal’ (UNEP, 2008). The Green New Deal financial package helps restore multi-national economic growth, employment and markets while re-shaping economies to follow an ecologically and socially responsible growth trajectory. South Africa implements green economy principles as part of the 2010 The New Growth Path overarching policy framework, with an implementation strategy embedded in the 2011 National Development Plan (NDP) (RSA. The Presidency, 2010; 2011). The New Growth Path emphasises that the transformation of South Africa’s un-sustainable economic and educational legacy to a more sustainable future is not expected to follow a smooth, linear process. The transition to a green economy is rather expected to be an event of “… noisy, healthy democracy” (RSA. The Presidency, 2010). A green, low carbon economy particularly constitutes a pledge to slow down and turn the human induced climate change trajectory around. McKinsey (2009) argues that this pledge is attainable on a world-wide scale, as sufficient and suitable environmentally sound techniques and technologies are already in place. Attaining buy-in from business stakeholders toward re-thinking and amending an economy’s self-defying large environmental footprint (inclusive of carbon, water and waste footprints) however requires education starting with awarenessraising followed by educational programmes and official curricula aimed at implementation and continuous improvement of green practices in day to day ‘doings and beings’ (Sen, 1997). This study at implementation level reviews two green economy training programmes and their emergence in South Africa around this rationale. The awareness generation and training programmes elected as case study examples are the ‘Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production’ (RECP) and ‘Industrial Energy Efficiency’ (IEE) programmes, of the hosting agency National Cleaner Production Centre of South Africa (NCPC-SA). The RECP and IEE teams reach out to decision makers, engineers and artisans at industrial workplaces and workplace related events to add green competences to their business-as-usual skill sets. Implementing green options in industry typically slows down industrial scale resource consumption, pollution, waste generation and green-house gas (GHG) emissions while optimising resource productivity and enterprise excellence. Optimised supply side systems allow industry to reduce energy and material intensity of products thus reducing cost and producing more with less. In transitioning to a ‘Green GDP’ economy South Africa is awakening to the reality that natural resources constitute the original, albeit limited feedstock for growth and employment. The RECP and IEE approach also contribute to reduction of industrial waste, waste-to-landfill, and energy and resource security. Literature reviewed for this research provides evidence that the green economy’s triple bottom line philosophy is quantifiable thus manageable. A range of green economy management tools are emerging, including guidelines for carbon, water and environmental footprinting and the green-house gas abatement cost curve (see section 2.2.5) (McKinsey and Company, 2009). Transitioning from business as usual to ecologically sustainable industrial sectors however requires visionary, educated leadership, willing and capable of introducing modern and more efficient techniques and technologies. The boundaries of this half thesis embrace the globally and historically significant Tbilisi Declaration and other education and sustainable development agreements produced by United Nations and OECD mechanisms. Participating nations like South Africa incorporate the essence of these agreements into domestic policies and strategies, and align industries to remain competitive in international markets, which are increasingly enforcing green standards like ISO 14001 and ISO 50001. The focus of this case study guided by inductive, abductive and retroductive inference is to understand how the two sustainability learning programmes for people in industrial workplaces, supported by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and relevant donors, and overseen by the South African Department of Trade and Industry (the dti), relate to emerging green learning aspects. Producing a review of this nature requires a framework of laterally understanding emerging green learning aspects, for which I have reviewed green economy literature and also green learning and conventional education and training literature respectively. Themes emerging from the literature review informed an analytical instrument (questionnaire) in Phase One. In Phase Two the questionnaire was applied through nested case study methodology to show how the educational content and approaches of the RECP and IEE programmes relate to emerging green learning aspects and as such is suitable for mainstreaming in the national educational system. From an explicit educational perspective potential partners for collaboration include the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) the South African Qualifications Authority’s (SAQA’s) Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) and the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) representing the training needs of the industrial workforce but affiliated to QCTO and SAQA. In the extended scenario the NCPC-SA as a dti programme recognises the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) as lead agency guiding implementation of South Africa’s green economy, and specifically DEA’s National Environmental Sector Skills Planning Forum (NESPF), a national leader in green skills development in South Africa, as conduit for productively mainstreaming relevant RECP and IEE content and approaches toward green skills development for the green economy.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
Empathy in the time of ecological apartheid : a social sculpture practice-led inquiry into developing pedagogies for ecological citizenship
- Authors: McGarry, Dylan Kenneth
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Education -- Philosophy , Social learning , Environmental education , Arts in education
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:1985 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013154
- Description: Considering the ecological crisis and the increased disconnection between human beings and nature, this study attempts to find the social and aesthetic educational response needed for developing ecological citizenship for the 21st century. In this transdisciplinary study I articulate what at first seems a clumsy attempt to enable the capacities of the embodied ecological citizen, and which later emerges as an alchemical ‘social sculpture’ approach to learning that expands the range of capacities available to the citizen and the citizen’s immediate community. This learning bridges the gap between purely biocentric and technocentric forms of education, and addresses the ambiguity of concepts and forms of action such as ‘sustainability’. My primary focus is enabling both communal and personal forms of agency: new ways of 'doing’ and 'being' in the world as it changes radically. I argue that this demands constantly reflecting on and engaging without understanding, place and perception of the problems we see. Attending to a call for the importance of complex learning processes, that deepens our understanding of sustainability, and the need for methodological and pedagogical approaches to accessible forms of learning socially in the era of climate change and environmental degradation, this study offers a particular insight into the education of an ecological citizen. In particular I examine a form of learning that enables individuals to explore relationships between themselves and their ecologies (both physical and social), and that encourages personal forms of knowing so that each person’s values can be cultivated within the experience and intuitive expression from both inner and outer realities. Central to my research focus is addressing the difficulties inherent in ‘ecological apartheid’, which is defined as a growing separation of relationships that include the human being’s relationship with the natural world, as well as disconnections experienced within one’s own inner and outer capacities. Subsequently I investigate forms of learning that encourage agency that most appropriately enable citizens to respond personally to both inner and outer forms of disconnection. ‘Personal’ and ‘relational agency’ are defined and investigated through an initial twelve-month collaborative participatory contextual profiling exploratory research period in South Africa (phase A), where I explore various forms of multiple-genre creative social learning practice that develop an accessible set of methodologies and pedagogies for the ecological citizen. Through this exploratory research, I place significance in the relatively unknown field of social sculpture, which I investigate through a self-made apprenticeship with Shelley Sacks, an expert in the field. This is documented through a rigorous ethnographic inquiry over a period of 18 months. Following this I undertake another two-year collaborative, practice-based research study across South Africa (phase B: 17 towns, with a total of 350 citizens) and eventually abroad (United Kingdom, Germany, USA and Belgium).The focus of this study was the implementation of a collaboratively developed citizen learning practice entitled Earth Forum developed by Shelley Sacks as a progression from her work “Exchange Values: voices of insivible lives” and my collaboative exploration into Earth Forum and its further development draws heavily from social sculpture methods obtained during the apprenticeship, and applied in 36 different incidences. I further explore the efficacy of this practice in enabling and expanding the capacities of participants, particularly those that encourage the development of personal and relational agency. This was achieved through a pedagogical development and expansion period (phase C). A primary finding through the iterative phase (phase D) was the value of imaginal contemplation, attentive listening, and empathy as capacities that enable an ecological citizen’s overall capability. I ascribed this to Nussbaum and Sen’s (1993) capability theory and the need to enable the articulation and implementation of a citizen’s valued ‘beings and doings’. Through this iterative phase, specific attention is given to listening and intuitive capacities in enabling personal and relational agency, and specifically I observed the fundamental role of imagination in this form of learning. Particularly valuable for the educational contribution of this study is the pedagogical development of the Earth Forum practice that enables an accessible, socially constructed form of learning. This contributes specifically to exploring ‘how’ social learning is undertaken, and I argue that an aesthetic approach to learning is vital for the education of the ecological citizen. I carefully describe how one can conduct collaborative practice-based research that utilises creative connective practice in agency development. This collaborative approach, with regard to learning socially and capacity development for ecological citizenship (that focuses its attention on addressing ecological apartheid and separateness), is articulated through a multiple-genred text. I found that empathetic capacity in ecological citizen education is relatively unexplored, and within listening and as well in empathy theory, that the role of imagination in listening and empathy development, requires greater attention. I attempt to reveal how connective practice considers aesthetic form and shape in expanding capacities of human beings, and introduce novel expanded forms of developing pedagogies that encourage personal and relational agency in the context of ecological apartheid from the artsbased field of social sculpture. Finally, I aim in this study to share the potential value found in social sculpture theory and practice into the field of environmental education and social learning through a reflection on the current context of education and social learning, and its potential enrichment via social sculpture processes.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
A model for supporting environmental awereness in higher education using social media
- Authors: Tlebere, Thabo Eugene
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Social media , Environmental education , Universities and colleges
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: vital:10496 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020820
- Description: University sustainability is a field of research that has been gaining increased interest in recent years. The reduction of environmental impact has become a strategic objective of universities globally. Universities have been prompted to take necessary action to ensure that their environmental impact is at a minimum. The environmental component of sustainability deals with the current conservation of the earth’s natural resources so that future generations can also have access to them. Human beings, due to their increasing needs, are accountable for the exploitation of natural resources. They are regarded as the main contributors to imbalances in the natural systems. Environmental concerns such as global warming, deforestations, disposal of wastes, and ozone reduction are the outcomes of the damage caused by humans on the environment. The aim of environmental education is to acquire remediation of the environment by making individuals aware of the environment and by educating them about how to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Environmental awareness is perceived as knowledge of the factors that affect the environment and having sensitivity towards the environment. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) bear the responsibility of educating individuals about environmental issues since they provide education to future leaders in society who may have an influence on future conditions in the environment. Social media are capable of delivering information to a large spectrum of audiences at a low cost. The Pew Internet American Life Project reported that the number of adults who utilise social media has increased by 57 percent from 2005 to 2011. Several environmental activist organisations utilise social media to carry out environmental awareness campaigns. In this study two environmental awareness campaigns which were powered by social media were conducted to improve environmental awareness of individuals in a higher education environment. A Social media Model for ENvironmental Awareness (SMENA) was developed to facilitate the environmental awareness campaigns. The SMENA includes a website, social media as well as theoretical guidelines for creating environmental awareness campaigns, and for using social media for environmental awareness campaigns. A case study at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) was used to empirically evaluate SMENA. Students at the Department of Computer Sciences of NMMU were exposed to information about environmental issues through social media with the intention of improving their environmental knowledge and awareness. The SMENA website usability was rated positively and students enjoyed the blogs and information distributed by means of social media. The results of the study intervention were positive and showed that social media can be used to improve the environmental knowledge of students. This study provides a valuable contribution to both the field of environmental education and social media usage and acceptance. The guidelines and requirements for using social media to improve environmental awareness provided in this study can be used to assist educators and university management with addressing the problems of reducing environmental impact.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Environmental literacy: a needs analysis
- Authors: Lillah, Riyaadh
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Environmental education , Environmental sciences , Human ecology
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: vital:9290 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1011029 , Environmental education , Environmental sciences , Human ecology
- Description: An impending environmental crisis has been predicted by many which has led to an increased awareness and concern regarding the ability of the planet to sustain human development. Furthermore, organisations expected to be leaders in society, such as businesses and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), have been identified as some of the main drivers behind the ever increasing rate of destruction of the natural environment. Business schools have even been singled out as some of the main drivers behind the degradation of the natural environment by not addressing the knowledge gap of managers in this regard. Given this, the problem statement of this research is to determine how effective existing NMMU curricula are at shaping environmentally literate business graduates. The problem will be investigated from two perspectives. Firstly, from a supply side perspective - investigating the pro-environmental behaviours, ecological and business knowledge, „green‟ management skills and environmental values that students registered in the Business and Economics Sciences faculty at NMMU exhibit. Secondly, the problem will be investigated from a demand side perspective – investigating the pro-environmental behaviours, ecological and business knowledge, "green‟ management skills and environmental values that potential employers of NMMU students require. The focus will be on prospective employers in the mining and automotive industries. To address the problem to be investigated in this study a theoretical framework was developed and tested. This theoretical framework was based on the assumption that environmental literacy is measurable in terms of the behaviours of individuals towards the natural environment and that these behaviours are in turn dependent upon the ecological and business knowledge, "green‟ management skills and environmental values that the individual possesses. To test the theoretical framework an online survey was conducted amongst students registered in the Business and Economic Sciences Faculty at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU), while semi-structured personal interviews were used to assess the demand for environmentally literate business graduates in the mining and automotive industries. In total 308 business students participated in the online survey. The findings suggest that students are highly sensitive to moral issues pertaining to the natural environment and have a better understanding of traditional ecological concepts than "green‟ business concepts. It was also found that ecological and business knowledge had the greatest influence on pro-environmental behaviours followed by environmental values and "green‟ management skills. The findings of this study will be used to enhance environmental literacy in the faculty. In terms of the semi-structured personal interviews, the views of eight environmental experts in the South African mining industries were obtained. The general analytical procedure was applied to identify prominent themes which existed in the qualitative data. This involved developing codes and identifying data which related to those specific codes in order to provide a description of and provide some dimension to these codes. Codes were categorised according to their similarity to each other. The different categories identified were ecology, legal compliance, technology, environmental management, sustainable development, pollution and waste management, financial implications and corporate citizenship. Some of these themes were not entirely expected based on the literature review. These additional insights add depth to the analysis of environmental education in South Africa and highlight the gaps in environmental literacy literature. In terms of environmental literacy, these categories had implications for the knowledge, skills, values and behaviours of business graduates. From the findings of this study the researcher concluded that a certain level of enthusiasm for environmental education exists among NMMU students, as well as individuals in the mining and automotive industries in South Africa. However, the level of environmental literacy exhibited by students registered in the Business and Economic Sciences Faculty at NMMU (between nominal and functional) was not considered to be sufficient to operate effectively in the mining and automotive industries.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
Environmental education : a quest for the future : inaugural lecture delivered at Rhodes University
- Authors: Irwin, P.R. (Patrick Roger), 1944-
- Date: 1991
- Subjects: Environmental education
- Language: English
- Type: Text
- Identifier: vital:640 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1020709 , ISBN 0686102148
- Description: Inaugural lecture delivered at Rhodes University , Rhodes University Libraries (Digitisation)
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1991