Abstract
Compared to previous generations, children today spend less time outdoors interacting with nature and all it offers. The current leisure trends are encompassed in technology as it becomes more accessible to children. Perhaps there is a way to bring back the importance of nature and intertwine environmental education concepts into teacher preparation programs. In that case, there is hope for future generations of children to reap the benefits of nature and more community members who are environmentally literate. This chapter reviews the importance of incorporating environmental education into teacher preparation. The review of literature also discusses common approaches to addressing the current gap in environmental education implementation along with barriers that have been encountered.
TopReview Of Literature
When presenting the implementation of environmental education concepts to preservice teachers or within P-12 grade classrooms, educational leaders play an integral role. According to Mulvik et al. (2022), successful implementation of environmental education “requires the quality professional training of educators and school leaders, as well as opportunities for continuous professional development” (p. 9). In contrast, Gan (2021) discusses the idea of leadership existing in every person and promoting and fostering this thought “might help to integrate EE leadership in all school communities to include students, staff, and parents, both locally and globally” (p. 1462). Shriberg and MacDonald (2013) further explain:
While there is not currently a recognized model for teaching leadership for sustainability, nor a standard set of skills for these leaders, programs are rapidly emerging in response to the urgent call (and high student interest) to develop more sustainability leaders, typically using experiential learning as the primary methodology. (p. 3)
Educational leaders must demonstrate sustainable leadership and provide training that will aid educators in serving as change agents and masters of experiential learning (Shriberg & MacDonald, 2013).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Teacher Preparation Programs: A program of study for students in higher education which includes coursework and field experiences within P-12 schools to prepare preservice teachers to become licensed classroom teachers.
Curriculum: A program of study that describes the standards, teaching methods, instructional resources, and ways to assess student knowledge.
P-12 Schools: Schools which facilitate learning for preschool through twelfth grade students.
Sustainability Education: The process of finding ways to ensure the needs of current generations are being met without compromising the needs of future generations.
Preservice Teachers: A higher education student enrolled in a teacher preparation program to learn the content and pedagogy required to obtain a P-12 teaching license.
Environmental Education: A process by which individuals gain awareness of their environment, explore environmental issues, and collaborate with others to solve problems with the shared goal of improving the environment.