Implementing environmental education to foreign language teaching to young learners (original) (raw)

Integrating Environmental Education in Second Language Instruction. Occasional Paper No. 46

1993

Integration of environmental education and second language instruction is discussed, with two purposes: to describe educators' efforts to protect the planet's deteriorating environment, and to explore what-destructive attitudes and actions that have led to environmental devastation have their counterparts in language education methods. The intended result is to heighten students' environmental awareness, knowledge, appreciation, and protective efforts through learner-centered instructional approaches, including learner-generated materials, cooperative learning, encouragement of creativity, integration of subject areas, and involvement with the community. The paper has three main sections. First, environment education is described and placed in the context of a global approach to education. Controversies in environmental protection are discussed briefly here. Second, the psychological and linguistics roots of a learner-centered approach to education are contrasted with those of a teacher-centered approach, and learner-centered classroom techniques are described. The third section contains environmental activities for second language learners using a learner-centered approach, including songs, data-based exercises, problems in decision-making, and making resolutions about protecting the environment. (MSE)

An assessment of Turkish young pupils’ environmental literacy: Nationwide survey

The purpose of this nationwide survey was to assess young Turkish pupils’ environmental literacy level by considering six EL components. 2412 fifth graders selected from 78 elementary schools (26 private and 52 public) in 26 provinces of Turkey constituted the sample of the study. Data was obtained through the use of Elementary School Environmental Literacy Instrument (ESELI) including five parts and total of 81 items. The results revealed that composite EL score of the students was found 149.66 (SD=26.19) suggesting moderate level of EL. Sixty one percent of the students (n=1545) had moderate level EL. On the other hand, more than a quarter of the participants (27.3%, n=659) held high level EL whereas only 22 students (0.9%) showed low level EL. The implications of the results to policy, practice and further research were discussed at the end of the study.

The Environmental Education in Turkey; Some Views and Proposals

Tạp chí Nghiên cứu dân tộc, 2018

The role of education in conservation and in addressing the rapidly increasing environmental problems, while improving the environment, is well-known today. According to the Turkish constitution: Everyone has the right to live in a healthy and balanced environment. Protection of environmental health, prevention of environmental pollutions and development of the environment are the State’s and every citizen’s duty.Education for the environment is not only a task of formal educational institutions, but also of civic organizations, mass media and local municipalities, which play a large role in increasing public awareness. Environmental problems recognize no artificial boundaries based on geography or ideology.For this reason, every nation must be assigned an international task for increasing public consciousness through mass media and education. In this paper, education for the environment in the Turkish national education system will be summarized and discussed, as well as how the pr...

Elementary School Students' Knowledge about Environmental Issues in Turkey

ijbssnet.com

The capitalist lifestyle and the economic understanding, which are widespread throughout the world today, threaten the natural life and the world by spreading every passing day. Individuals' approaches towards the environment, their knowledge levels and behaviors play important roles in the increase of environmental problems. The change of behaviors necessitates the change of attitudes, knowledge and value judgments. The emergence of positive attitudes and value judgments towards the environment is possible through environmental education. In this research, which examines the elementary school second grade students' knowledge levels about several environmental issues; it was determined that while their knowledge levels about some issues are adequate, their knowledge levels about some others are inadequate.

Environmental Knowledge of Primary School Students: Zonguldak (Turkey) Example

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2014

The number of environmentally conscious individuals in society can be raised by increasing environmental education quality in primary schools. Starting studies about environment in the childhood years is very important. In this study, the knowledge and skill levels of primary school students in Zonguldak about waste recycling was determined, and the participation levels of theirs into recycling activities was measured. For this aim, the third and fourth grade primary school students were identified as a target group of the study, and a questionnaire assessing the impact of the parents' socioeconomic structures and education status on environmental awareness of theirs was prepared. The results were evaluated to determine the strengths and weaknesses of environmental education of the students, statistically. The questionnaire was conducted in three elementary schools having different social and economic levels. Questions in the first, second and last parts of the questionnaire relate with the demographic characteristics of students families, the environmental awareness of the students, and the participation of students into recycling activities, respectively. The survey reviews were carried out with a statistical program and differences between the schools were determined by using one way ANOVA test.

IMPACT OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION ON ELEMENTARY

Abstract: The main goal of the study is to present the findings of a field research related to the impact of environmental education on the awareness and knowledge of Turkish elementary school students about nature, environmental issues and human-environment interactions. Pre-surveys and post-surveys were used to gather data. The overall results indicate that environmental education does have an impact on the knowledge and awareness of the elementary students about environment, and this impact is higher on female students than male students. Keywords: Environmental problems, Environmental education, Gender, Turkish elementary students.

A Review of Research on Environmental Education in Non-Traditional Settings in Turkey, 2000 and 2011

International Journal of Environmental and Science Education, 2013

The purpose of the present study was to collect and analyze the research on environmental education in non-traditional settings in Turkey undertaken with various subjects (e.g. students, graduates and teachers) and published over the years of 2000-2011. For systematic analysis, selected data-bases and journals were scrutinized across five pre-determined criteria. The close examination resulted in 11 studies reporting the effects of the interventions (e.g. hands-on practices, field trip activities) and 4 studies reporting participants' views on the effects of the interventions in general. Field trips, ecology-based nature education programs, nature camps and science education instruction in non-traditional settings were used as educational intervention in the selected studies. Later, these studies were subjected to content analysis to present the trends and to synthesize the common findings of the selected studies. The techniques and instructions used as the intervention in these selected studies were observed to contribute to development of participants' gains associated with knowledge of the environment and nature, perception of nature, environmental affect, responsible environment behaviors and conception and understanding of science.

An Indonesia example of teaching English via environmental education

. In S. Mayer and G. Wilson (Eds.), Ecodidactic perspectives on English language, literatures and cultures (pp. 45-62). Trier, Germany: Wissenschaftlicher Verlag Trier., 2006

This essay describes the development of an English coursebook that drew upon environmental education for the content. The book was designed to assist Indonesian university students in learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL). The three authors of the present essay served as the book’s three editors. The authors of the individual lessons in the coursebook were lecturers at Indonesian universities. The essay begins with a brief introduction to environmental education. Next, common methodological foundation of environmental education and second language instruction are considered. These include learner centeredness, connecting class activities with students’ lives outside school, curricular integration, a focus on learning for meaning, valuing diversity, concern for process and long-term effects, a preference for cooperation rather than competition or individualism, and teachers as fellow learners. Student participation in environmental education is emphasized. Finally, the process of the book’s development is described and sample materials are shown and explained. Keywords: environmental education, English teaching, second language instruction, foreign language instruction, teaching methodology, curricular integration.

The Extent to Which Upper Primary School English Curriculum Has Addressed Environmental Pollution

International Journal of Education and Teaching

Environmental pollution is now a recurrent theme and a topical issue in the corridors of power. Awareness of environmental pollution was raised significantly at the well documented conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 under the auspices of the United Nations. This event was a game changer and signalled to the international community that action is needed to tackle the problem of environmental pollution at all levels. This study examined the extent to which the teaching and learning of English at upper primary school level has addressed the problem of pollution encountered in schools in the Jwaneng Primary Schools in Botswana. The study was undergirded by the behaviorists and social cognitive theory. The methodology for this study utilized the qualitative approach. An observation tool and focus group discussions were used as instruments for data collection. Data were collected among teachers of English and pupils at Upper Primary school levels in Jwaneng Township utilizing purposive sampling. Data obtained gave a consistent picture that participants were aware of the various forms of pollution such as water contamination, air pollution, and noise pollution and littering. Awareness about pollution has been promoted by debates on climate change which is now a global issue often tackled at summits where super powers like United States of America and China are expected to show the necessary leadership. The study revealed that inhalation of air polluted of polluted air cause many health hazards due to the negative effects on the organs of the body, including primarily the Respiratory system, circulatory system, heart, nervous system and brain. It was also found that there was lack of adequate materials and the textbooks in use did not reflect any significant content on Environmental Education (EE). It is therefore recommended that the Department of Curriculum Development consider to expand the scope of infusion of Environmental Education in English teaching and learning resources/materials.