Exploring the Underlying Constructs of Basic Concepts in Environmental Education

Chou, Ju; Roth, Robert E.

doi:10.1080/00958964.1995.9941438

Cited by 8 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Disinger 1997;Sauve 1999;Scott and Oulton 1999;Sauve 2005;Schulze 2005) with some notable exceptions describing the field through Q-Methodology research. Bowman (1972, cited in Disinger 1997 identified four dominant themes underlying college students' ideas about the determinants of environmental issues: biophysical, sociocultural, environmental management, and change; Townsend (1982) validated a set of concepts that participants from universities and environmental organizations felt were the basis of EE programs; Chou and Roth's (1995) study conducted Q-sorts with university faculty from Taiwan and Ohio to surface common and country-specific constructs that they felt students should know about the environment. While the approaches in these studies surface scholarly and expert opinions and even group differences, they emphasize beliefs about environmental issues and the basis of EE programs based almost exclusively on the responses of college students, and about what college students should prioritize in learning about the environment based on the responses of university faculty; and, as such they do not necessarily surface the broader perspectives of professional environmental educators as a group (including those from smaller organizations).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Practitioners’ perspectives on the purpose of environmental education

Fraser

Gupta

Krasny

2014

Environmental Education Research

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Since the 1980s, scholars have suggested that environmental education (EE) has a 'definitional problem' represented by a multiplicity of perspectives that have critically impacted its discourse, practices, and outcomes. This study sought to investigate how North American EE practitioners from backgrounds ranging from formal and non-formal institutions think about their work. We focused on folk narratives and emerging urban environmental concerns of community education rather than reliance on academic opinion alone. Using Q methodology, the study identified five distinct perspectives that appear to represent different ways of prioritizing EE outcomes. All five perspectives were concerned with promoting sustainable living and improved human well-being, but the nuances suggest that an individual who adheres strongly to one may feel someone holding a contrasting perspective is working at cross-purposes. The authors suggest that understanding these perspectives can help reduce misunderstanding within the EE field.

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