Environmental Education Inclusion in Higher Education: Thoughts, Models and Action

1. Environmental Education Inclusion in Higher Education: Thoughts, Models and Action

2. Outline • Introduction • What Research Says • NCATE and NAAEE • Pennsylvania Case Study

3. Why Focus on Pre-service Teacher Education for EE? • EE is an increasingly important tool for environmental compliance • Transcends all levels of public education • Reaches the majority of citizens

4. Why Focus on Pre-service Teacher Education for EE? • Provides structure needed for quality education • Needed to meet the Environment and Ecology standards • EIC increases the effectiveness of education overall and teacher satisfaction

5. Big Picture Items • Systemic change in how teacher preparation programs • Sustainability in program • Partnership • Between elementary, science and social studies • Between teacher education and liberal studies courses/faculty • Between faculty and administration • Quantifiable results

6. Higher Education Services • 1) Communication and information • 2) Education of university administration • 3) Leadership

7. Priorities within Pre-service • Instructional methodology (39%) • Principles of ecology (29%) • Program models (17%) • Critical thinking models (12%) • Others (2%)

8. What we know about EE Inclusion in higher education • EE is scattered through the curriculum • Could be in liberal studies or teacher prep • Little scope and sequence • Often dependent on an interested instructor • Lack of stability within the curriculum • Inclusion is often superficial

9. What we know about EE Inclusion in higher education • Faculty often does not have formal background • Often dependent on supplemental not fundamental EE • PLT, Project Wild, etc. • NAAEE has joined NCATE

10. What we know about EE Inclusion in higher education • Many faculty are unaware of the added value of EE • Contribution to purpose of public ed • critical thinking, work independently, collaborate with others, etc • Making education more relevant to students

11. What we know about EE Inclusion in higher education • When EE is taught, it is not typically taught in the pre-service elementary education programs as separate courses • When EE is integrated into a pre-service teacher education program, it is unpredictable as to what courses it may be found

12. What we know about EE Inclusion in higher education • Of the traditional course offerings EE is most often taught in: • general methods • biology • environmental education • field experience

13. Barriers to EE Inclusion in Higher Education • Time is a significant issue • Faculty preparation time • Course time • Credit limit: New 120 for graduation • Interdisciplinary nature of EE • Interest: Limited faculty and administrative

14. Elementary education Faculty Interest in Environmental Education • Not high • 2/5 (43%) of elementary education faculty are interested • 2/5 (43%) of faculty is neutral to environmental education. • Few (13%) have a great interest in environmental education

15. Education administration interest in EE • Half of education administrator (50%) are interested in EE • Half are very interested (24%) • This is higher than elementary education faculty (43%)

16. Barriers to EE Inclusion in Higher Education • Budget • Faculty knowledge • Environmental content • EE associated pedagogy • Environmental issues • Administrative support • Perception of adequacy

17. Institution self-rating of effectiveness in EE

18. Positive factors for EE Inclusion • The majority (80%) believe that there are positive factors • State certification/standards 28% • Interest/knowledge 23%

19. Positive factors for EE Inclusion • Increase standardized scores • Majority (83%) of elementary education pre-service teacher programs are interested in increasing EE inclusion • Interest in DEP to fund the project

20. Positive factors for EE Inclusion • Supportive Documents • 21st Century Environment Commission Report • Pennsylvania’s 21st Century Environmental Readiness Report

21. Models to consider • Environment as an integrated context (EIC) • Scope and sequence is critical • Student Learning of Subject Matter • Development of Student's Thinking Skills • Incorporation ofAlternative Instructional Strategies

22. Student Learning of Subject Matter

23. Development of Student's Thinking Skills

24. Incorporation ofAlternative Instructional Strategies

26. Models to consider • Separate EE course (3 credit) • Address content and teaching pedagogy • Separate EE course (1 credit/each) • One course for pedagogy • One course for environmental content

27. Models to consider • Integrated approach with scope and sequence • Ex: science and social studies methods for pedagogy and two liberal studies courses for environmental content • Distance learning • Web based course • EETAP web based course

28. Strategy Considerations • Partner with a professional teacher educator association (PAC-TE) • Increase standardized testing for reading and mathematics • Connect with any state standards • Work from the top down and the bottom up

29. Pedagogy to include: • How to teach about environmental issues • Questioning and analysis skills (critical thinking) • History and philosophy of EE • Education not advocacy • Exemplary EE practice

30. Pedagogy to include: • How and when to teach in an outdoor setting • Knowledge of EE materials and resources • PCEE website! • Environment as an integrated context • Personal and civic responsibility

31. Most Common EE Strategies • Hands-on observation and discovery • Inquiry • Cooperative learning • Community-based action research and problem solving • Investigating environmental issues • Service learning • Simulation and models • Case studies • Problem-based learning • Project-based learning

32. Documents to use • PDE Environment and Ecology academic standards • Chapter 4 • Chapter 354 • NAAEE Guidelines for EE • Closing the Gap • Leave no child behind document

33. Documents to use • PCEE modules • History and philosophy of EE • Teaching environmental issues

34. Emerging Models • Integration • Separate course • Environment as an integrated context • Workshops

35. Environmental Education Inclusion in Teacher Preparation Pennsylvania Case Study

36. Overarching goal Provide systemic, systematic and sustainable inclusion of environmental education into teacher preparation programs throughout Pennsylvania

37. Project Specific Goal • Integration of PDE’s environment and ecology standards (environmental content) and environmental education pedagogy • Emphasis is placed on: • Elementary education • Science education • Social studies education

38. DEP EE Inclusion Grant Program • Phase 1 : determine current status of EE inclusion in teacher preparation and prepare plan to increase inclusion • Phase 2 : implement plan • Phase 3 : evaluate plan

39. Promising Programs

40. Class of 2002 California University Indiana University Lehigh University St. Francis University St. Vincent College Slippery Rock University Valley Forge Christian College West Chester University Class of 2003 Chatham College La Salle University Millersville University Pennsylvania State University – main Pennsylvania State University – Harrisburg University of Pittsburgh – Johnstown Washington and Jefferson College Participating Institutions

42. Research Needs Assessment for PCEE Pa Environmental Readiness for the 21st Century Survey Report Inclusion of EE 2 in Pa Teacher Preparation Curricula: A Survey of Elementary Pre-service Teacher Program Pre-Post Assessment and Analysis for EE Inclusion in Teacher Preparation

43. Inclusion in Course Work Teacher Preparation Institution Grants Program Essentials Learning's in EE Modules PCEE Technical Support to Teacher Preparation Programs Grant Coordinator

44. Professional Development Teacher Preparation Institution Grants Grants Portion of PCEE Website PCEE Technical Support for Grant Writing

45. Professional Development Professional Development Faculty/Administration EE & Higher Ed Scholarships to NAAEE EE & Higher Ed Scholarships to PAEE

46. Networking & Constituent Building EE & Higher Ed Summit EE & Higher Ed Listserve EE & Higher Ed Workgroup EE Standards/ Public Environmental Literacy Colloquium EE & Higher Task Group

47. Networking & Constituent Building cont. NAAEE Pre-service Task Group EE & Higher Ed Section in PCEE Newsletter PartnershipPAC-TE Higher Ed & EE Directory on PCEE Website PDE Teacher Certification in EE

48. Observations • Reduction in participating institutions • Teams, as expected, are advancing slowly • While preparing for or involved in PDE reviews, participants are not seeing accountability • Non-state system schools are progressing with less barriers than state system schools

49. Observations • A strong and dedicated leader is a positive influence • Science professors are the most likely environmental content team members • Environmental content team members are more positive toward the project than education team members

50. Observations • Faculty attending professional development workshops are not applying them to their plan • Mandating environmental content does not guarantee inclusion • A number of faculty still see EE as science