Environmental Education and Nature Exposure

Non-formal environmental education programs seek to educate youth about the natural environment while simultaneously reuniting them with the outdoors. Although extensive research has analyzed the outcomes of such programs, the participant voice is under-represented in the literature. Specifically, there is limited understanding of what environmental learning experiences are most meaningful to learners in these programs. Studying environmental learning (EL) is necessary as it can help scholars and practitioners adapt future programming to directly benefit participants. Recognizing this need, this study investigates how a summer camp, Sunship Earth, contributes to participants’ environmental learning experiences in three learning domains, cognitive, affective, and behavioural. A secondary objective is to understand how these experiences influence participants after the program. Participant learning experience was documented using both camper surveys and follow-up parent interviews. Results suggest that Sunship Earth provides various learning opportunities for children to enhance their knowledge about the environment through hands-on learning activities. Campers also reported feeling more connected to the outdoors and concerned about environmental issues after the program. Results suggest that some participants experienced various changes, such as feelings of optimism and confidence, as well as the adoption of environmentally responsible behaviours (ERBs) 2-3 months following the completion of Sunship Earth.

In 2002, the United Nations declared the years 2005-2014 to be the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development stating that “education is an indispensable element for achieving sustainable development” and that environmental education is a catalyst in creating a positive change for the future. This study examines the presence (or absence) of environmental education in the sixth grade within the Halifax Regional School Board in Nova Scotia. Document analysis was conducted to determine the environmental content of three sixth grade curriculum documents – health education, science, and social studies. Semi-structured interviews were then conducted with a cohort of sixth grade teachers to determine their conceptualizations of environmental education, and any barriers to its implementation. The results show the curriculum documents have a strong reliance on knowledge-based connections to the environment and assign less importance to experiential learning, attitudes and values. Also revealed is a significant lack in the time and resources allotted to environmentally focused education subjects. With teachers, the data show that whether or not environmental education is integrated depends highly on personal beliefs, especially due to its minor role in the curriculum. Furthermore, the lack of resources, education and training, and support from the school/board/department level cause environmental education to be “important but not a priority”.  

Early childhood environmental education focuses on expanding children’s bio-affinity, developing their environmental attitudes, and encouraging them to behave in a more environmentally-friendly manner. One example of the educational methods that is based on high-quality practices of both early childhood education and environmental education is the Reggio-Emilia pedagogical approach, which provides children with various nature-related experiences. This study investigated how indoor and outdoor nature experiences facilitated by 2 Reggio-Emilia-inspired preschools located in Halifax, Canada contribute to preschoolers’ cognitive, affective, and attitudinal bio-affinity. To do this, first-hand observations, teacher interviews, and a previously established Game Testing instrument were employed. Results suggest that the Reggio-Emilia-inspired curriculum followed at the preschools provided various opportunities for children to be exposed to nature. However, regardless the emphasis of nature-related experiences in the Reggio-Emelia curriculum, the children’s cognitive, emotional, and attitudinal affinity with nature was weak.

The defining feature on earth, the ocean is an essential component in enabling the existence of life on earth. As anthropogenic threats to the ocean increase, it is integral for individuals to become ocean literate to better understand their effect on the ocean and make informed decisions regarding the health of this resource. Within Nova Scotia, the ocean plays an important role in terms of the economy and culture of the province. Despite this importance, research shows that Nova Scotian youth have low levels of knowledge on ocean concepts. This lack of ocean literacy may be partially a result of the formal education system. Recognizing the importance of developing ocean literate citizens, this study investigated the extent to which internationally-established Ocean Literacy Principles are included in the Nova Scotia high school science curriculum and examined the challenges and barriers of implementation experienced by high school science teachers within Nova Scotia.