Environment-based Education
In a recent personal encounter with a fifth grade teacher, a
more active approach to science learning was discussed. She explained that during
one of her science units, she distributed a packet of fast growing seeds to
small groups of students and instructed them how to plant each seed. As the
weeks progressed, the students monitored the growth of their plants, keeping
track of the changes in their journals. When the plants reached a certain
height, they began experimenting with various light exposures, fertilizer
types, amounts of watering, etc. Furthermore, the children were taught how to
create a graph that characterized the results over time. At the end of the
experiments, the students were asked to write a report on what they had found
and learned. Throughout the process, the students used their developing skills
in science, language arts, and math. They took ownership of their plants while
discovering the elements that influence optimal plant growth. This experiential
approach broadened an understanding that would have been limited by reading
from the book only (personal communication, October 10, 2011).
This
is a small snapshot of what environment-based education is about. Julie Ernst
and Martha Monroe (2006), university professors who have written widely about
this novel form of education, state that, “environment-based education is a
general term for describing formal instructional programs that adopt local
environments as the context for a significant share of students’ educational
experiences” (p. 432). Instruction can include in-door activities, as seen
above, or can consist of taking students outdoors. The main objective is to use
nature to help students learn in all subject areas, not just biology (Ernst & Monroe, 2006). Environment-based
education’s “defining characteristics are interdisciplinary learning based on
the local environment, project-and-issue-based learning experiences,
learner-centered instruction, and constructivist approaches” (Ernst & Monroe, 2006, p. 432). The use of
environment-based education should be included in our school systems because it
helps students make real-life connections to what they are learning, improves attitudes
toward learning, enhances academic achievement in all subject areas, and assists
students in reconnecting to the Author of the Book of Nature.
According
to Singley and Anderson, leaders in the field of cognitive science, the concept
of transfer is essential for effective education (as cited in Basile, 2000, p.
21). Basile (2000) goes on to explain that “transfer” allows students to apply
their theoretical learning to practical contexts and situations. Integrating
the environment into the classroom experience provides real-life issues and
themes for what is being studied and can help students understand better the
correlation between theory and reality (Lieberman & Hoody, 1998). Instead of just
reading about how the Gulf Oil spill affects the environment for an English
assignment, students can do controlled experiments in the classroom to see for
themselves what happens to various habitats. Through experimentation, observation,
analysis, and documentation, students learn to make the connection between what
they are reading and the reality of what is happening (Hutchings & Ojalvo, 2010).
Students are more likely to be inspired
and motivated to learn when they realize that what they are learning actually
applies to their lives (North American Association for Environmental Education
[NAAEE], 2001). Because they are more motivated, their attitudes toward
learning improve as well. According to Edward H. Falco (2004), an environmental
education consultant, students involved in programs that incorporate
environment-based education are more inclined to think positively about their
teachers and the subjects being taught, whether language arts or math. As they become more absorbed and
captivated by what they are learning, they are also less likely to cause
discipline issues, more likely to want to attend class on a regular basis, and
tend to perform better academically (Falco, 2004; NAAEE, 2001), all of which
teachers are constantly striving for.
A study conducted in forty schools
suggested that academic achievement was significantly improved when
environment-based education was integrated into their programs (Lieberman & Hoody, 1998). For example, 93% of
the students surveyed in these schools had improved in their language arts
skills, 92% improved in their math skills, 99% had a better “understanding of
science content, concepts, processes, and principles,” and 95% had better grasp
of what they learned in social studies (Lieberman & Hoody, 1998, p. 8). This shows that incorporating the
environment into classroom learning can have an impact in all subject areas,
not just the sciences.
The study also showed that enthusiasm
for each subject area increased and students were better able to make
connections to and apply what they were learning to real life situations (Lieberman & Hoody, 1998). Learning became relevant
and interesting, and math, English, and science became tools that students
could use to help them in their discoveries. The point was conveyed that
because students were allowed to study topics that were relevant and
interesting, they became more inclined to
improve their skills of reading, writing, and public speaking (Lieberman & Hoody, 1998).
In addition to the above mentioned
benefits, environment-based education can also be modified to reach the needs
of a variety of learning styles, making success just as possible for hands-on
learners as for the auditory or visual learners (NAAEE, 2001). Since each
student comes into the classroom with different strengths, skills, backgrounds,
and learning styles, it is important to incorporate methods of teaching that
can reach such a variety of students. The environment can be used as a tool by
teachers to inspire, motivate, intrigue, and lead students in their educational
journey.
However, Christians have an added reason
for incorporating the environment into their curriculum. The Spirit of Prophecy
has much to say about the benefits of nature, from its healing qualities to its
usefulness for instruction. We are told in the book Education that “the
system of education instituted at the beginning of the world was to be a model
for man” and that “the Garden of Eden was the schoolroom [and] nature was the
lesson book…” (White, 1903, p. 20). Jesus Himself used nature to illustrate His
teachings (White, 1999) and Christian educators should learn from the example
of the Master Teacher. The book of nature can be used to provide examples that
clarify concepts and to draw the students’ minds to spiritual truths. Nature is
a “great lesson book, which instructors who are wise can use, in connection
with the Scriptures, to guide lost sheep back to the fold of God” (White, 1897,
p. 59).
So, if environment-based education has
so many positive benefits, what are some of the barriers that prevent it from
being used more often in the educational system? According to research, one of
the main barriers to using environment-based education is lack of training in
how to incorporate it into the curriculum (Ernst, 2007). Many teachers have
associated this type of teaching with science classes and are not aware of how
it can be used in their math or English classrooms nor its potential for
enhancing learning (Ernst, 2007). This lack of
awareness is an additional barrier.
Another obstacle to using environment-based
education is the scarcity of resources and textbooks that provide curriculum
examples. Therefore, teachers who want to incorporate nature and project-based
activities into the classroom have to spend much of their personal time
researching, planning, and preparing lessons; time they often do not have and
are not given (Ernst, 2007). Some additional
reasons teachers mention for not integrating environment-based activities
include: “too much other material to
cover”, “emphasis on state testing”, “lack of relevance to curriculum”, and
“lack of funding” (Ernst, 2007, pp. 17, 24).
According to Julie Ernst (2007), one of
the first steps to breaking down these barriers would be to provide more
training for teachers on the benefits of environment-based education and how to
incorporate it into their specific curriculums. This could be done at the
college level for teachers-in-training, as well as having professional
development classes for current teachers. Through such classes, teachers would
learn about their local environment, become more comfortable in using it to
teach, and develop the necessary skills to implement it into their curriculum (Ernst, 2007). The classes could
also help teachers identify strategies for dealing with other perceived or real
barriers (Ernst, 2009).
Although there are some obstacles to
using environment-based education in the classroom, research has shown that it
has many benefits. It can assist students in making correlations between what
they are studying and real life, help them feel more positive about learning, bolster
their academic achievement in all subject areas, and help them reconnect to the
God who created nature. Providing training and creating awareness would
encourage current and future teachers to more readily incorporate
environment-based education into their classrooms. “An
environment-based education movement – at all levels of education – will help
students realize that school isn’t supposed to be a polite form of
incarceration, but a portal to the wider world” (Louv, 2005, p. 222).
References
Basile, C. (2000). Environmental education as a
catalyst for transfer of learning in young children. Journal of Environmental Education , 32(1), 21-27. Retrieved from ERIC
database. (EJ618815)
Ernst, J. (2007). Factors
associated with K-12 teachers' use of environment-based education. Journal
of Environmental Education
, 38(3), 15-32. Retrieved from ERIC
database. (EJ771682)
Ernst, J. (2009). Influences
on US middle school teachers' use of environment-based education. Environmental Education
Research , 15(1), 71-92.
Retrieved from ERIC database. (EJ829999)
Ernst, J., & Monroe, M.
(2006). The effects of environment-based education on students' critical thinking skills and disposition
toward critical thinking. Environmental Education Research , 12(3-4), 429-443. Retrieved from ERIC database. (EJ744306)
Falco, E. H. (2004). Environment-based
education: improving attitudes and academics for adolescents. Retrieved from State Education &
Environment Roundtable website: http://www.seer.org/pages/research/Southcarolinafalco2004.pdf
Hutchings, C., & Ojalvo,
H. (2010, May 5). Education: the learning network [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/05/the-drill-on-the-spill-learning-about-the-gulf-oil-leak-in-the-lab
Lieberman, G. A., & Hoody,
L. L. (1998). Executive summary - closing the achievement gap: using the environment as an integrating context for learning.
Retrieved from State Education and Environment
Roundtable website: http://www.seer.org/extras/execsum.pdf
Louv, R. (2005). Last child
in the woods: saving our children from nature-deficit disorder . Chapel
Hill, NC :
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Environmental Education, R. A., & National Environmental Education and Training Foundation,
W. C. (2001, October ). Using environment-based education to advance learning skills and character development.
Retrieved from National Environmental Education
Foundation website: http://www.neefusa.org/pdf/EnviroEdReport.pdf
White, E.G. (1897). God in nature.
In Special Testimonies on Education
(pp. 58-62). Retrieved from https://egwwritings.org
White,
E. G. (1903). The Eden school. In Education (pp. 20-22). Retrieved
from https://egwwritings.org
White, E. G. (1999.) August- the ministry of Christ. In Christ Triumphant (p. 225). Retrieved from https://egwwritings.org
