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1
Babikwa, Daniel J. "'Environmental policy to community action': methodology and approaches in community-based environmental education programmes in Uganda." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003400.
Full textAbstract:
This research was conducted in Luwero, a rural district in central Uganda, over a period of three years, half of which entailed fulltime engagement in a participatory action research process with VEDCO, an indigenous NGO. The study focuses on the educational processes involved in the translation of Uganda's environmental policy into action at community level. It looks at community-based education and development activities run by VEDCO among smallholder farmers. The study addressed four objectives. For the first objective I developed a conceptual framework through a review of theories informing education in general and environmental education, adult education, community education, and community development in particular. The second objective was to conduct a situational analysis to identify contextual issues related to policy implementation at community level. The third objective was to engage in a participatory action research process with the NGO in the farming community in response to the identified contextual issues, and the fourth was to explore and comment on environmental education methods used within a community context. PRA techniques, interviews, and other participatory data collection methods were used to generate the data. The study reveals contradictions that limit NGO capacity to make appropriate use of participatory education processes in implementing policy-related training at community level. Elements in the National Plan for the Modernisation of Agriculture, for example, conflicted with the principle of sustainable development underlying the policy. VEDCO itself was changing from a social-welfare-oriented organisation into a commercial enterprise pursuing economic goals, which conflicted with its social goals. The capitalist development ideology of the donor was being adopted by VEDCO, which contradicted the goals of people-centred development. This was exacerbated by VEDCO's dependency on donor funds for its activities. Contextual issues like people's history; poverty, gender and inconsistent land policies further complicated the policy implementation processes. There were also inconsistencies in the epistemological assumptions and didactic approaches evident in the implementation. The study shows that the intended emancipatory education processes are more often supplanted by technicist methodologies. Thus, it exposes the underlying historical, ideological and epistemological tensions and contradictions within the field of education, particularly in relation to the `paradigmatic' orientations (neo-classical, liberal and socially critical/emancipatory) outlined in the literature. Conclusions are made at two levels: in relation to the study goals, of examining policy implementation at community level and in terms of the study's contribution to the understanding of current education theory in the context of sustainable development among communities.
2
Skoien, Petra, and n/a. "Identifying Opportunities for Education for Sustainability: Current Practices of Community-Based Environmental Groups." Griffith University. Australian School of Environmental Studies, 2006. http://www4.gu.edu.au:8080/adt-root/public/adt-QGU20070109.145756.
Full textAbstract:
Education for sustainability (EFS) is emerging as a key strategy for learning and action towards sustainability. Community-based environmental groups are potentially important providers of, and contexts for, educating adults for sustainability because they engage the community in activities such as public awareness raising, advocacy and lobbying, community education, and participatory learning (UNESCO, 2004, p. 25). These groups have been identified as key stakeholders of EFS in UNESCO's strategic plan for the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, from 2005-2014 (UNESCO, 2004). Despite this recognition, there are few models or precedents to guide groups or programs in developing and implementing EFS in their strategies or activities. Additionally, education commonly associated with community-based environmental groups has been rather narrowly conceived as public awareness raising and individual behaviour change, and disconnected from advocacy (Clover, 2002a; Whelan, pending). This thesis addressed this gap in understanding by investigating the dimensions of education and learning in two community-based environmental groups in South-East QueensIand. The aim of this research was to develop a framework to explain and understand the role of education and learning within and by community-based environmental groups. The research inquiry was motivated by an interpretive interest in uncovering the educative dimensions arising from group members' engagement in the activities of community-based environmental groups. This aim was addressed through an investigation of: (1) the community education initiatives of community-based environmental groups; and (2) the learning that occurs within these groups through participation in social action, Two community-based environmental groups that participated in this study were Smogbusters, an environmental advocacy group, which focused on air quality and transport issues in Brisbane; and the Pumicestone Region Catchment Coordination Association, (PRCCA) a community-based natural resource management group. Information was gathered through participant observation, interviews with group members and project staff, and the collection of relevant documents from both groups. A conceptual framework based on five convergent themes in the contemporary EFS literature was used to interpret and analyse the activities of these groups, These are: (1) participation; (2) critical thinking; (3) local relevance; (4) holistic, interdisciplinary and systemic approaches; and (5) values-driven approaches. The analysis of both groups' community education initiatives revealed the use of approaches that extend beyond pubhc awareness, didactic, and information-based approaches to strategies that engaged the community more actively than was possible with conventional approaches. This reflects a more sophisticated and considered approach that connects education with advocacy as an integral part of groups' strategy and practice. The two case studies illustrate the use of participatory learning and action that incorporates adult learning approaches to enhance participation and learning. These findings contribute to knowledge that can help bridge the gap between education and advocacy in the activities of community-based environmental groups (Clover, 2002a; Whelan, 2005). The findings strongly suggest that the two groups engaged a form of education and action that approaches the potential of EFS as envisaged in policy documents and vision statements. The groups provided opportunities for action learning through advocacy and lobbying for policy change, and through a range of activities associated with addressing issues of natural resource management. In Smogbusters, participation in advocacy and education contributed to building the capacity of individuals to engage in social action for sustainable transport and air quality. In the PRCCA, group members' participation in natural resource management related activities developed their skills, knowledge and capacity to advocate for sustainable natural resource management practices. These findings confirm that local participation in environmental action and decision making builds on the individual and collective experiences of participants. Participation in action empowered and enabled group members to engage in action and change. In particular, participants developed a strong sense of their capacity to enact change, and to engage in social action. The findings of this research suggest that community-based environmental groups are important places for adults to gain a stronger sense of personal and collective agency towards sustainability. Further, participation in these groups is an important mechanism for environmental change to be brought about through collective action (Apel & Camozzi, 1996). The research findings confirm that adult and popular education pedagogies can optimise learning in community-based environmental groups (Foley, 1999; Clover & Hall, 2000; Clover; 2002a; Follen & HaIl, 1998; Newman, 1995a). The framework may be able to assist project coordinators in developing and implementing community education strategies into their programs. Finally, the findings have implications for policy and program development in the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development.
3
Skoien, Petra. "Identifying Opportunities for Education for Sustainability: Current Practices of Community-Based Environmental Groups." Thesis, Griffith University, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/365600.
Full textAbstract:
Education for sustainability (EFS) is emerging as a key strategy for learning and action towards sustainability. Community-based environmental groups are potentially important providers of, and contexts for, educating adults for sustainability because they engage the community in activities such as public awareness raising, advocacy and lobbying, community education, and participatory learning (UNESCO, 2004, p. 25). These groups have been identified as key stakeholders of EFS in UNESCO's strategic plan for the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, from 2005-2014 (UNESCO, 2004). Despite this recognition, there are few models or precedents to guide groups or programs in developing and implementing EFS in their strategies or activities. Additionally, education commonly associated with community-based environmental groups has been rather narrowly conceived as public awareness raising and individual behaviour change, and disconnected from advocacy (Clover, 2002a; Whelan, pending). This thesis addressed this gap in understanding by investigating the dimensions of education and learning in two community-based environmental groups in South-East QueensIand. The aim of this research was to develop a framework to explain and understand the role of education and learning within and by community-based environmental groups. The research inquiry was motivated by an interpretive interest in uncovering the educative dimensions arising from group members' engagement in the activities of community-based environmental groups. This aim was addressed through an investigation of: (1) the community education initiatives of community-based environmental groups; and (2) the learning that occurs within these groups through participation in social action, Two community-based environmental groups that participated in this study were Smogbusters, an environmental advocacy group, which focused on air quality and transport issues in Brisbane; and the Pumicestone Region Catchment Coordination Association, (PRCCA) a community-based natural resource management group. Information was gathered through participant observation, interviews with group members and project staff, and the collection of relevant documents from both groups. A conceptual framework based on five convergent themes in the contemporary EFS literature was used to interpret and analyse the activities of these groups, These are: (1) participation; (2) critical thinking; (3) local relevance; (4) holistic, interdisciplinary and systemic approaches; and (5) values-driven approaches. The analysis of both groups' community education initiatives revealed the use of approaches that extend beyond pubhc awareness, didactic, and information-based approaches to strategies that engaged the community more actively than was possible with conventional approaches. This reflects a more sophisticated and considered approach that connects education with advocacy as an integral part of groups' strategy and practice. The two case studies illustrate the use of participatory learning and action that incorporates adult learning approaches to enhance participation and learning. These findings contribute to knowledge that can help bridge the gap between education and advocacy in the activities of community-based environmental groups (Clover, 2002a; Whelan, 2005). The findings strongly suggest that the two groups engaged a form of education and action that approaches the potential of EFS as envisaged in policy documents and vision statements. The groups provided opportunities for action learning through advocacy and lobbying for policy change, and through a range of activities associated with addressing issues of natural resource management. In Smogbusters, participation in advocacy and education contributed to building the capacity of individuals to engage in social action for sustainable transport and air quality. In the PRCCA, group members' participation in natural resource management related activities developed their skills, knowledge and capacity to advocate for sustainable natural resource management practices. These findings confirm that local participation in environmental action and decision making builds on the individual and collective experiences of participants. Participation in action empowered and enabled group members to engage in action and change. In particular, participants developed a strong sense of their capacity to enact change, and to engage in social action. The findings of this research suggest that community-based environmental groups are important places for adults to gain a stronger sense of personal and collective agency towards sustainability. Further, participation in these groups is an important mechanism for environmental change to be brought about through collective action (Apel & Camozzi, 1996). The research findings confirm that adult and popular education pedagogies can optimise learning in community-based environmental groups (Foley, 1999; Clover & Hall, 2000; Clover; 2002a; Follen & HaIl, 1998; Newman, 1995a). The framework may be able to assist project coordinators in developing and implementing community education strategies into their programs. Finally, the findings have implications for policy and program development in the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development.Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Australian School of Environmental Studies
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Uithaler, Eldrid Marlon. "Community knowledge, cohesion and environmental sustainability : an educational case study in Clarkson." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003334.
Full textAbstract:
An ethnographic case study was done in the rural community of Clarkson which lies at the foot of the Tsitsikamma Mountains in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Rural communities gathered and developed local wisdom on the natural resources around them. The study shows that in the past, life in Clarkson was characterised by such shared wisdom, an abundance of natural resources, as well as strong community cohesion. With the advent of modern lifestyles community cohesion and practices were disrupted and today, people living in Clarkson are less dependent on each other and on local resources. This study suggests that some of the past wisdom, community knowledge, practices and skills that existed for ages in Clarkson, can still be useful today in the context of environmental sustainability. The incorporation of this knowledge into the new outcomes-based education curriculum in South Africa and the local school curriculum, is explored.
5
Polistina, Kim Joanne. "Outdoor Learning: A Theory of Community-Based Pro-Environmental Learning Through Leisure." Thesis, Griffith University, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/366542.
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The purpose of this thesis was to develop a theory of outdoor learning grounded in the everyday lives of community-based groups and individuals in Australian Western society. The groups involved in this research where from appreciative outdoor leisure and Indigenous communities in Queensland, Australia. These community-based groups engaged with environmental learning and education through non-formal or informal means of sharing pro-environmental knowledge and values. The theory discussed in this thesis was grounded in the outdoor lifestyles of the people involved in this research and examined the epistemological underpinnings of these lifestyles. The outdoor learning that the people in this research implemented on an ongoing basis expanded their own pro-environmental knowledge and values and also assisted others in society to increase their pro-environmental knowledge and values. This research identified that the outdoor learning practices of those in this research were linked intricately to their outdoor leisure and related everyday activities. A model of the symbiotic relationship between outdoor lifestyle contexts, outdoor leisure settings and outdoor learning practices has been developed. The participatory nature of the research and the development of the theoretical framework of outdoor learning required grounded theory methodology supported by a sub-action research process. This dual methodology process combined with the social action or change aim of the research and the need for critical reflection on the neoliberalist social system currently dominant in Australia firmly established the research within the critical theorist (structural) and social action/interpretivist paradigms. The compatibility of the dual methodology enhanced the ability of the research to provide the best possible avenue for voicing the worldviews of appreciative outdoor recreationists and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples involved in this research. Twenty-nine non-Indigenous appreciative outdoor recreationists and nineteen Indigenous people were involved in this research. People discussed their lives, the environmental worldviews that underpinned them and their outdoor learning practices. Information was also gathered on the constraints imposed by the neoliberalist ideals of the Australian social system on the outdoor learning practices of the people in this research. This thesis also addressed gaps in the literature on the characteristics of community-based environmental education. In this literature people within the community are represented as those to be educated by formal education advocates rather than those who were able to be educators in their own right. The theory developed in this thesis rejected this 'learner' or 'student' label and explained how the people in this research implemented their own educator role through their outdoor learning practices that were manifested in their outdoor lifestyles and their appreciative outdoor leisure settings. The theoretical framework developed in this thesis explained the implementation of non-formal and informal outdoor learning practices that supported a two-way dialogue of pro-environmental knowledge and values being shared between people with pro-environmental knowledge and values and others with a growing interest. The social context for this two-way dialogue was found in the outdoor network groups with whom the people in this research interacted. These appreciative outdoor leisure and social networks provided strength for the maintenance of subcultures and cultures, working within the dominant Australian Western culture, to increase the environmental literacy of the wider social group. The strength of commitment to their outdoor learning practices was highlighted in the resilience and loyalty to the continuation of these practices despite strong constraints imposed by the maintenance of neo-liberalist ideologies in Australian society. This research indicated a number of Australians implement pro-environmental values, through their outdoor lifestyles, rather than supporting the economic rationalist values of materialism. This thesis has theorised the community-based outdoor learning practices adopted by particular appreciative outdoor recreationists and Indigenous Australians living in Queensland. Their voices contribute to the broader outdoor and environmental education discourse. This thesis has also validated appreciative outdoor leisure as a prominent setting for outdoor learning of pro-environmental knowledge and values and highlighted the valuable contribution leisure could make to the environmental education agenda in Australian society.Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Griffith Business School
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Davies, Siân May. "The potential of a stratified ontology for developing materials in community-based coastal marine environmental education processes." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003591.
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This study set out to explore the possibilities that the Critical Realist concept of a stratified ontology might have for environmental learning and materials development processes. This involved processes of ongoing contextual profiling; the use of picture-based resources and storytelling to support the engagement with the marine harvesting contexts of the villages of Hamburg and Ngqinisa, in the former Ciskei. At the heart of the study was the process of uncovering the empirical, the actual and the real in the context of a community of coastal marine harvesters whose lives and livelihoods are affected by poverty and a history of inequality, and more recently by issues such as HIV/AIDS. Their stories of existing practice changed as we engaged with picture-based narratives, gaining depth and focus in relation to sustainability issues. The learning processes associated with and emerging out of the research processes were enhanced through abductive use of metaphors and graphic illustrations, and through intra- and inter community exchanges, again using picture based narratives. As the study unfolded, the development of environmental education materials receded. Focus turned to how conceptual abstraction processes (of abduction (metaphor) and retroduction) and the stratified ontological framework allowed for learning across epistemological divides.
7
Gaillard, Estelle. "Learning for Change in a Changing Climate: A Community-Based Education Perspective." Thesis, Griffith University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/366405.
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Climate change is emerging as a dominant challenge to environmental and social sustainability
in the 21st century. Decelerating the growth of greenhouse gas emissions and reducing other
human impacts on the planet, as well as adapting to the changes already in motion, requires
fundamental societal changes. While action is needed at all levels of society, individuals and
communities have a critical role to play in changing their own behaviours as well as supporting
collective action and policy change. The question about how to effectively ‘educate’ individuals
and communities on climate change issues is the subject of a growing body of research.
Research to date suggests that the educational response to climate change has concentrated
primarily on awareness raising and information dissemination, and that the majority of
Australians are now aware of and are concerned about climate change. This calls for alternative
educational approaches that can help facilitate climate change learning and action within
communities.
This research used a multi-method, case study approach drawing from three major theoretical
areas: environmental education, with an emphasis on learning and change in communities,
social diffusion theory, and climate change communication theories. The selected case study
was The Climate Project Australia (TCP), which uses community leaders to educate their
respective communities on climate change and promote action and community dialogue on the
issue. This research explored how community-based education can play a more transformative
role in responding to climate change challenges. More specifically, the research examined
whether TCP offers an effective educational model to enhance learning and support change at
the individual and collective levels. Qualitative and quantitative data, collected through pre/post
questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and participant observation, generated evidence of
both learning outcomes and processes.Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Griffith School of Environment
Science, Environment, Engineering and Technology
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Niane, Mamadou 1961. "ARCVIEW tutorial and database development based on a Senegalese local community cartographic model: Ross-Bethio rural community." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/278624.
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Through this work a database and an ARCVIEW tutorial based on a Senegalese local community cartographic model is developed. The Ross-Bethio rural community model was selected as an example of solving methodological problems in natural resources management at the scale of a rural local community. The tutorial developed will also support Geographic Information Systems Instruction for natural resources management in Senegal using a local known database model. The process of solving the problems identified are based mostly on natural resources management concerns of the local community council and will help users to learn and understand the use of ARCVIEW GIS for spatial analysis. A solution is provided that will help the instructors to evaluate their results with these in this study. However, the tutorial is not a self-taught one for ARCVIEW GIS, but an instructional supervised one.
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Lorenz, Lissette. "Rustbelt Theater: Children's Environmental Justice Narratives from South Elyria, OH." Oberlin College Honors Theses / OhioLINK, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=oberlin1338855346.
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Evanshen, Pamela. "The Foundation for Building Community and Establishing Procedures: Brain-based Learning Environments." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2009. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/4401.
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Adams, Terry Rachael. "Overcoming Barriers to Teaching Action-Based Environmental Education: A Multiple Case Study of Teachers in the Public School Classroom." TopSCHOLAR®, 2013. http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/1230.
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As the human population increases, it becomes increasingly more important for society to understand the impact of humans on the environment. Preserving fixed resources by engaging in sustainable practices is necessary to ensure those resources are available for future generations. Since the early 1960s, policy makers and educators alike have sought to ensure that students graduate environmentally literate. Previous research has identified a multitude of barriers that limit classroom teacher’s ability to integrate environmental education into their curriculum. The purpose of this study was to investigate how teachers overcome those barriers that restrict the integration of action based environmental education into the public school classroom. This was a three case study of public high school teachers. Data were gathered for this qualitative study through observations, interviews, and the collection of documents. Constant comparative method was utilized to analyze data. The researcher conducted a within-case analysis for each case and a cross-case analysis as well. Through the use of coding, the researcher identified patterns and themes across cases. Barriers identified by participants included resources, time, and risk. The primary factors uncovered by this study, which potentially affect teacher efficacy, are personal and educational background, the availability of mentors, and support of outside agencies. The implications for policy makers and institutions of higher education that can be drawn from this study are that, through the course of teacher undergraduate and graduate education, teachers should be provided with field experiences in the area of environmental education. In addition to providing field experiences, finding ways to link teachers to outside environmentally focused agencies and mentors increases teacher efficacy by providing support and resources.
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Agostinho, Shirley Flavia Corrent. "Interactions in a web-based learning environment creating an online learning community /." Access electronically, 2000. http://www.library.uow.edu.au/adt-NWU/public/adt-NWU20061024.154536/index.html.
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Bowling, Emily Erin. "Coupled Pedagogy: A Study of Sustainability Education and Community-Based Learning in the Senior Capstone Program at Portland State University." PDXScholar, 2011. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/260.
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Sustainability has emerged in mainstream higher education over the last few years, and the fields of community-based learning and sustainability education are closely linked through their emphases on active, experiential learning in place-based contexts. In order to create ecologically literate citizens to more adequately address environmental problems, there is a logical connection between teaching about sustainability and engaging students in the community, which can serve as a relevant forum to address sustainability issues. However, there is a problem in that educational programs and courses dealing directly with sustainability topics across the higher education landscape often do not emphasize or include experiential, community-based elements. Understanding this relationship is crucial to advance the field of sustainability with meaningful community engagement. This research investigated the pedagogical strategies and frameworks that are foundational in undergraduate capstone courses that include sustainability education and community-based learning. A sample of five community-based, interdisciplinary senior capstone courses at Portland State University was examined through semi-structured interviews with course instructors and syllabi review. Three broad themes emerged as common values among the instructors: connectedness and relationships, community and place, and diversity and inclusiveness. Reflection was a tool utilized universally by instructors to personalize the learning process, cultivate understanding of connectedness and relationships, and incorporate feelings into the learning process. Competencies and skills related to sustainability and those related to civic engagement were very similar; engagement in community is a sustainable practice. This study provides cogent support for the notion that achieving meaningful, transformative sustainability learning requires community-based learning.
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Schumann, Sherry Haskin Cutright Marc. "The relationship of student characteristics, help seeking behavior, academic and environmental variables with student course completion in community college online courses an application of a conceptual model /." [Denton, Tex.] : University of North Texas, 2009. http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc12198.
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Linden, Sara Jo. "Connecting to Nature, Community, and Self: A Conservation Corps Approach to Re-engaging At-Risk Youth in Science Education." PDXScholar, 2016. http://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/3036.
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The social and environmental challenges of the coming decades will require that individuals possess environmental literacy: the understanding of natural systems combined with a sense of care for the earth, and the confidence and competency to act on its behalf. At the same time, disengaged youth need education environments that foster belonging and promote affective outcomes. The youth conservation corps model provides a natural context for engaging academically at-risk youth in environmental science education, while fostering connection to nature and student self-efficacy in ways that are experiential, relevant, and relationship-based. The focus of this study was a conservation corps program that integrates habitat restoration fieldwork and environmental science curriculum. The participants of this study were eight high school seniors who participated in the program for credit toward their high school diplomas. Data were collected through both quantitative and qualitative measures. Students completed a pre-test to assess their understanding and application of conceptual knowledge in ecosystem relationships and biodiversity. Upon completion of a six-week curriculum, they completed a post-test assessing knowledge in the same areas, two retrospective pre-post surveys measuring connection to nature and self-efficacy, and a post-evaluation measuring affective outcomes. Individual interviews were conducted in order to provide further insights and to identify elements of the program that contributed to positive outcomes. Results showed statistically significant increases in all outcome areas as well as positive student evaluation of affective outcomes. The outdoor and experiential components of the program were found to contribute most significantly to the positive outcomes.
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Tanui, Julius Gordon. "Towards community environmental education using current institutional resources, GIS and remote sensing, and local knowledge: a case of the Nandi Hills and Nandi Forests, Western Kenya." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1016074.
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The Nandi Hills and Nandi Forests in Nandi County, Kenya are major water catchments for Lake Victoria. However, these resources have faced significant decline and degradation in recent times, thereby impacting the hydrological quality and quantity in the Lake Victoria Basin. This study was informed by the observed degradation of the Nandi Hills and Nandi Forests, epitomized by the receding forest cover, drying up of previously permanent streams, instances of mudslides and rock falls, and downstream flooding. The study therefore sought to interrogate the current institutional environmental and educational arrangements and practices which are pertinent to the sustainable management of the Nandi Hills Forests, the perceptions and understandings of the local population in terms of forest resources and land use, and the information that can be provided by GIS and Remote Sensing data, in order to produce a heuristic for planning community environmental education in the Nandi County. To achieve this, a mixed methodological design which incorporated both qualitative and quantitative data was embraced. The mixed method approaches used in this study were the concurrent triangulation and nested/embedded designs. A four-tier analysis was carried out once all the data had been coded and grouped. The analysis covered three categories of the population in the study area; namely the households, institutions and community groups, and analysis of Landsat images for change detection. The study reveals that there are several state and non-state institutions that are involved in the management of the Nandi Hills Forests and that their efforts have seen an improvement in the perceptions of the local population in terms of the importance of environmental management of the forests. Analysis of the Landsat images has revealed receding natural forest cover. The contribution of informal, local and indigenous knowledge to sustainable management of the Nandi Hills Forest was notable (85 percent of the population attribute their knowledge on forests and forestry to informal knowledge sources). These results informed the development of a heuristic to enable the adoption of strategies using readily accessible, though loosely applicable, information for problem solving in developing and implementing community environmental education practices for effective forest management and conservation practices that are responsive to the needs of the Nandi Forest community.
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Axe, Josephine. "Developing a learning community : exploring the impact of online activities on the building of campus-based communities." Thesis, University of Bradford, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10454/4322.
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Taking an action research approach, this study explores the experiences of three intakes of undergraduate students who worked in a cohort-based learning environment where team work and classroom participation was expected. This educational setting required students from diverse backgrounds to work closely together on campus during the intense one-year program. To facilitate in the development of a face-to-face learning community, where individual differences could be celebrated and problems could be solved in an open, trusting environment, an online bridging course was developed. Aimed at decreasing the incidence of minority group marginalization and reduce feelings of isolation, the bridging course provided activities directed towards encouraging students to begin to develop an inclusive learning community prior to their arrival on campus. Exploring how online transitional activities had contributed to the development of a face-to-face learning community, as well as perceived disadvantages to that model, key stakeholders' perceptions were obtained through focus groups, interviews, and surveys. Findings include: (a) an enhanced understanding of the ways in which an online course can be used to aid in the development of a learning community for oncampus students; (b) a heightened awareness of challenges faced by those working in a learning community; (c) a systematic approach to the development of learning communities. This research suggests that an online bridging course can be an effective way for on-campus students to start developing a learning community.
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Schumann, Sherry Haskin. "The relationship of student characteristics, help seeking behavior, academic and environmental variables with student course completion in community college online courses: An application of a conceptual model." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2009. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc12198/.
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The purpose of this study was to examine differences and relationships in student definition and background characteristics, help seeking behaviors, academic and environmental variables between and among community college students at a single institution who successfully completed and those who did not complete online courses during a single term. An adapted version of Bean and Metzner's conceptual model of nontraditional student attrition provided the theoretical framework for the study. The results of data analysis revealed statistically significant differences between completers and noncompleters on the basis of definition, gender, ethnicity, experience and prior GPA. Statistically significant relationships were found between definition, ethnicity, gender, experience, prior GPA, orientation and completion and noncompletion. No statistically significant interactions were found between definition and experience and help seeking behaviors. No statistically significant differences, relationships or predictor variables were found by degree seeking, preassessment, or technical help seeking. Additional analyses by defining characteristics revealed statistically significant differences between completers and noncompleters on the basis of residency, age and enrollment status. Predictor variables found to be significant were definition, gender, experience, prior GPA and orientation. The odds of completion increased with nontraditional definition, female gender, higher prior GPA, and orientation participation. The odds of completion decreased with experience.
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Cooper, Barry. "Schools with a religious character and community cohesion : a study of faith-based approaches to educational environments and aims." Thesis, University of Southampton, 2015. https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/378650/.
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Locicero, Ryan Charles Robert. "Mainstreaming Green Infrastructure: The Nexus of Infrastructure and Education Using the Green Space Based Learning (GSBL) Approach for Bioretention Plant Selection." Scholar Commons, 2015. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/5531.
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The Green Space Based Learning (GSBL) approach builds on a long-term partnership between a Research I university, surrounding community, and local school district, transforming underutilized community green space into an interactive educational tool to addresses national infrastructure and educational challenges. The GSBL approach is an educational platform for engaging K-12 and the local community in engineering design and construction of sustainable Green Infrastructure (GI) projects. GSBL was piloted as a part of a federally funded Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program in which teachers participated in two intensive 6-week summer research experiences and two consecutive academic year components. The summer experience focuses on the development of Science Technology Engineering and Mathematic (STEM) lessons and activities that meet Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards and the dissemination of the RET research experience. Approximately 400 K-12 students and teachers participated in both formal and informal educational activities that led to GSBL approach outputs throughout the academic year. These outputs included 4 Campus GI Challenge's for identifying areas of implementation and student driven GI design, the publication of 7 curricular products, the design and installation of 70 personal rain gardens and 8 bioretention cells (a type of GI), one of which was designed as a field scale research site within the Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) district.
The eight bioretention cells, seven of which are on three public school campuses and one located at a local community leader's house were designed and implemented as a result of university research, K-12 outreach, and community engagement. These sites were selected based on one or more hotspot factors (e.g. localized areas of flooding, access to site, presence of learning space, willingness to pay, property ownership, visibility of location) and designed to restore the hydrology and water quality to pre-development conditions. The bioretention cells were designed to capture a storm-event ranging from 1.27 cm to 2.54 cm and cost between $550 and $1,650 to construct depending on the design scope, scale, and installation methods. The installed bioretention systems route stormwater runoff to a ponding area sized approximately 2-5% of the total catchment area, are designed to capture between 31% and 67% of annual runoff (March 2010 - March 2015), and attenuate between 97,500 and 226,100 mg N annually.
The educational sites were used to provide insight into hydraulic performance, maintenance requirements, and nutrient management impacts associated with bioretention design. Three of the bioretention cells (BR 1, BR 2, and BR 3) were used as a field research site for collecting bioretention plant performance data on 12 Florida native plant species, Coreopsis leavenworthii, Flaveria linearis, Salvia coccinea, Solidago fistulosa, Canna flaccida, Tradescantia ohiensis, Tripsacum dactyloides, Hymenocallis latifolia, Iris virginica, Sisyrinchium angustifolium, Spartina patens, and Equisetum hyemale.
Mean baseline accumulated nitrogen concentration for tested species was 18.24 ± 5.76 mg N/g biomass. This compared to a harvested mean concentration rate of 12.28 ± 2.23 mg N/g biomass, a reduction of uptake capacity of nearly 33% after two growing seasons. This study found a similarity in mean total nitrogen concentration between baseline and harvested plant species for Flaveria linearis, Sisyrinchium angustifolium, Solidago fistulosa, Canna flaccida, Salvia coccinea, Spartina patens, and Coreopsis leavenworthii and a significant difference in means for Equisetum hyemale, Iris virginica, Salvia coccinea, and Tradescantia ohiensis. These harvested data were used to calculate mean total nitrogen concentration per square meter with Sisyrinchium angustifolium, Equisetum hyemale, Spartina patens, Solidago fistulosa, Salvia coccinea, Coreopsis leavenworthii, Iris virginica ranging from 286 mg N/m2 to 4,539 mg N/m2, and Canna flaccida, Flaveria linearis, Tradescantia ohiensis ranging from 12,428 mg N/m2 to 15,409 mg N/m2. Seven of the twelve species (Flaveria linearis, Equisetum hyemale, Iris virginica, Tripsacum dactyloides, Coreopsis leavenworthii, Salvia coccinea, Tradescantia ohiensis) displayed highly desirable results, ranking (>0.20x̅) when evaluated across 10 quantitative attributes and assessed for their applicability for the subtropical Tampa Bay area.
This research developed a plant selection utility index (PSI) that allows for individual plant scoring based on qualitative and quantitative plant selection criteria. The qualitative PSI was used to evaluate 26 native and regionally friendly plant species commonly found within the subtropical Tampa Bay climate to provide an example and act as a template for selecting plant species. The qualitative PSI scores categorized the identified plant species as highly desirable (n=4, PSI ≥ 80), Flaveria linearis, Tripsacum dactyloides, Salvia coccinea, and Chamaecrista fasciculata; moderately desirable (n=15, 80 > PSI ≥65), Solidago fistulosa, Hymenocallis latifolia, Canna flaccida, Tradescantia ohiensis, Arachis glabrata, Mimosa strigillosa, Callicarpa Americana, Penta lanceolata, Monarda punctate, Muhlenbergia capillaris, Helianthus debilis, Glandularia tampensis, Silphium asteriscus, Stachytarpheta jamaicensis, and Coreopsis lanceolata; and least desirable (n=7, PSI < 65) Spartina patens, Equisetum hyemale, Sisyrinchium angustifolium, Iris virginica, Coreopsis leavenworthii, Myrcianthus fragrans, Zamia puila. The quantitative PSI was used to evaluate attributes of 11 of the 26 species within a 32.5 m2 field-scale bioretention system (BR 1, BR 2, and BR 3) ter two-growing seasons. The tested species scored as highly desirable (n=2, PSI ≥ 70) for Salvia coccinea, Tradescantia ohiensis; moderately desirable (n=5, 70 > PSI ≥ 50) for Equisetum hyemale, Sisyrinchium angustifolium, Solidago fistulosa, Iris virginica, Coreopsis leavenworthii, and least desirable (n=4, PSI < 50) for Spartina patens, Flaveria linearis, Canna flaccida, Hymenocallis latifolia. Both qualitative and quantitative scores were combined on a 0-200 scale to provide a list of recommended species based, ranking from high to low: Salvia coccinea (PSI=160), Tradescantia ohiensis (PSI = 148), Sisyrinchium angustifolium (PSI =127), Flaveria linearis (PSI = 125), Solidago fistulosa (PSI = 124), Iris virginica (PSI =121), Coreopsis leavenworthii (PSI = 117), Equisetum hyemale (PSI = 114), Canna flaccida (PSI = 104), Spartina patens (PSI = 103), Hymenocallis latifolia (PSI =90).
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Jacoby, Jill Beth. "Art, Water, and Circles: In What Ways Do Study Circles Empower Artists to Become Community Leaders around Water Issues." [Yellow Springs, Ohio] : Antioch University, 2009. http://etd.ohiolink.edu/view.cgi?acc_num=antioch1260285346.
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Thesis (Ph.D.)--Antioch University, 2009.Title from PDF t.p. (viewed March 25, 2010). Advisor: Jon Wergin, Ph.D. "A dissertation submitted to the Ph.D. in Leadership and Change program of Antioch University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2009."--from the title page. Includes bibliographical references (p. 238-245).
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Dawson, John L. "The impact of technical barriers on the effectiveness of professional development as related to a distance education system-based course: A case study in the Web World Wonders environmental science learning community." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2003. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc4426/.
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This study reports and discusses the impact of technical barriers on the effectiveness of professional development as related to a distance education system based course: a case study of the web world wonders environmental science learning community in Florida. The project involved 4th through 12th grade public school teachers learning how to use GPS readers, digital cameras, and Arc View software for the purpose of utilizing a Website that enabled remote Internet camera access in Florida State Parks. Under the supervision of Florida State University and the Florida Department of Education those teachers received professional development in techniques for developing lesson plans utilizing the equipment and software as stated above. Using the Concept Based Adoption Model, a description of the teacher's demographics, Levels of Use and Stages of Concern with relation to gender, age, teaching experience, and technological experience was examined. Technical barriers were identified and an explanation of how they were overcome in the process of receiving the professional development is reported.
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Tshabeni, Veliswa. "An exploration of the school nutrition programme's potential to catalyse community-based environmental learning : a case study of a rural Eastern Cape school." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1020306.
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The purpose of this study was to explore the extent to which a School Nutrition Programme can catalyse community-based environmental learning and promote food security in the school and the community. This is an interpretive case study of a junior secondary school in the rural Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The school is located in an area characterised by high levels of poverty and under-nutrition. The school’s food garden, a central focus of this study, contributes to the School Nutrition Programme, which falls under the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP). The aim of the NSNP is to alleviate poverty in public schools. This case study was conducted by means of questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis and field observations. The data set was analysed, firstly, to ascertain if the School Nutrition Programme functions as a community of practise (Wenger, 1998). Thereafter, the data set was analysed to identify the knowledge related to food security and environmental sustainability that is learned and shared in the School Nutrition Programme, and also how such learning took place. The study found that the School’s Nutrition Programme was indeed operating as a community of practice and that it created a platform for sharing explicit and tacit knowledge and skills related to food security and environmental sustainability. The case study also revealed the contextual and experience-based nature of knowledge related to food cultivation.
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Cole, Elaine J. "A Community-Based Social Marketing Campaign to Green the Offices at Pacific University: Recycling, Paper Reduction, and Environmentally Preferable Purchasing." Antioch University / OhioLINK, 2007. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=antioch1196103329.
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Pronto, Lindon N. "Exploring German and American Modes of Pedagogical and Institutional Sustainability: Forging a Way into the Future." Scholarship @ Claremont, 2012. http://scholarship.claremont.edu/pitzer_theses/21.
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Rooted deep in Germany's past is its modern socio-political grounding for environmental respect and sustainability. This translates into individual and collective action and extends equally to the economic and policy realm as it does to educational institutions. This thesis evaluates research conducted in Germany with a view to what best approaches are transferable to the United States liberal arts setting. Furthermore, exemplary American models of institutional sustainability and environmental education are explored and combined with those from abroad to produce a blueprint and action plan fitting for the American college and university.
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Bennett, Jeffrey V. "Community-based learning and social support in the Midwestern District high school internship program relative influences on seniors' occupational and citizenship engagement orientations /." Columbus, Ohio : Ohio State University, 2006. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=osu1164659045.
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Minkin, Sarah M. "Starting from Here: An Exploration of the Space for Sustainability Education in Elementary Science and Social Studies." Ohio University / OhioLINK, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1431083779.
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Kachilonda, Dick Daffu Kachanga. "Investigating and expanding learning in co-management of fisheries resources to inform extension training." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1018659.
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This study investigates and expands learning associated with the co-management of fisheries resources to inform extension and training in the fisheries sector in two case study sites in Malawi. The study was located in the field of environmental education with a specific focus on community learning, agency and sustainability practices in co-management of fisheries resources. It focuses on how fisheries stakeholder learning can be mediated through expansive social learning processes to inform extension and training in the Malawi fisheries sector and aims at understanding learning as an emergent, agency centred process of change through social learning models that are said to have power to mobilise community agency for change. The empirical research for the study was conducted in two Malawian fishing communities: in Lake Malombe and the south-east arm of Lake Malawi using qualitative case study research design. The two sites were selected because they were the first sites in Malawi to implement fisheries co-management programmes following the failure of centralised management of fisheries resources. Data was generated through interviews, focus group discussions, document analysis, observations and change laboratory workshops in both sites. The two sites fall under one administrative office based in Mangochi where the two important institutions of the sector – the Fisheries Research Unit of the Department of Fisheries and the Fisheries College (a government institution responsible for the training of extension services) are also based. Both sites have implemented new governance structures named Beach Village Committees which are community-based organisational structures that function in parallel with traditional authorities to manage the fishery. Contextual and literature review work showed that extension services and programmes over the past hundred years, as observed in the fisheries sector in Malawi and in extension services elsewhere, have co-evolved with approaches to natural resources management. Early approaches to natural resources management involved traditional management (associated extension services and programmes were community based); later fisheries governance practices changed to centralised management and associated extension approaches were mainly top-down involving command and control or technology transfer. These early approaches have been problematic as resource users were pushed away from their own resources and were viewed as poachers. This resulted in loss of ownership among resources users. Recently in Malawi, after the change of government to democracy in 1994, fisheries management policy focused on co-management and/or adaptive co-management approaches, an approach that has also been adopted in other African water bodies. This has implications for extension service programmes in the fisheries sector that are not yet well defined. The study’s literature review revealed that co-management approaches assume collaborative learning, or co-learning, also termed social learning, or approaches that promote the engagement of different actors who are working on shared practice. They also assume a new form of agency among co-management stakeholders and extension workers. However, the theoretical foundations for establishing co-learning or social learning approaches in support of co-management policies are not well established in the fisheries co-management sector in Malawi, nor are the practices of how to support co-learning amongst diverse stakeholders in the fisheries co-management in the Lake Malawi context. This study sought to address this gap in knowledge and practice.
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McAllister, Nia. "Social Sustainability: The Role of Ecotourism in Regenerating Cultural and Environmental Histories in Rio de Janeiro." Scholarship @ Claremont, 2017. http://scholarship.claremont.edu/pomona_theses/173.
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Ecotourism is a rapidly growing global export industry that aims to uphold the ethics of responsible tourism by engaging with local communities and encouraging environmentally conscious travel. With existing critiques of the greenwashing of ecotourism and the tendency for tourism agencies to exploit host communities, I advocate for participatory community-based models of ecotourism. This thesis explores both the material and conceptual benefits of community-based ecotourism through the critical examination of community-based ecotourism projects in Rio de Janeiro Brazil. Focusing on the implementation of ecotourism in of some of Rio de Janeiro’s peripheral communities, areas that are impacted by social and spatial marginalization, this thesis argues that the cultural and environmental history of a location are inseparable. When ecotourism is participatory and community-based, it can be a method for sharing cultural and environmental knowledge. Exploring the parallels between environmental justice toxic tourism and community-based ecotourism, this thesis examines the extent to which ecotourism can be used as a tool for social justice, serving to valorize the land histories and lived experiences of communities. Beyond generating money for host communities, the case studies of participatory ecotourism demonstrate the potential for ecotourism to serve as a platform for advocating for land rights in historically marginalized communities.
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Ryan, Brittany. "Overcoming Barriers to Local Food Access: A Case Study." TopSCHOLAR®, 2013. http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/1289.
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This thesis focuses on the idea that food insecurity and access are real issues in the lives of many Americans. Simply stated, food insecurity is when a person does not have enough food to eat or does now know where his/her next meal is coming from. More importantly when looking at food insecurity is the realization that healthy, local food access is even more prevalent an issue – with increasingly more under-resourced individuals and families being food insecure and unhealthy at the same time. This thesis includes a literature review on diet and nutrition in the United States, a chapter on methodology, history of Bowling Green, Kentucky, where this case study is focused, the benefits of shopping at farmers’ markets, perceived barriers to shopping at those farmers’ markets, and suggestions for overcoming these barriers. Local, sustainable food is the hope for a future of planet earth. It is what nourishes and sustains lives. And, it should not be a privilege. Through researching the benefits and barriers to farmers’ markets, examining these barriers, developing suggestions for overcoming these barriers, and implementing as many as these initiatives as possible in Bowling Green, Kentucky, I have not only compiled a detailed thesis, but I have also been a small part of creating change in the food community in Bowling Green. This thesis can serve as a nationwide model and describes the way to overcome food accessbarriers in urban/rural communities.
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Webb, Keelie Suzann. "Exploration Through Visual Art: Ego-Identity Development Among Hispanic American Adolescents." Bowling Green State University / OhioLINK, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1333757499.
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Norris, Jessica R. "FOOD LANDSCAPES: A CASE STUDY OF A COOKING AND ART- FOCUSED PROGRAM FOR TEENS LIVING IN A FOOD DESERT." VCU Scholars Compass, 2014. http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/3575.
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This study constructs themes and propositions about the experiences of youth participants in the fall 2013 Food Landscapes program at the Neighborhood Resource Center in Richmond, Virginia. During the program, youth participated in cooking-based volunteerism with adults with disabilities and created short videos about their experiences. In this study, I analyzed pre- and post-program participant interviews, twice-weekly program observations, and facilitator reflections to understand how Food Landscapes affected youths’ conception of community engagement and communication strategies. This case study offers insight into how youth experience after-school programming of this design. Based on my findings, youth develop and rely upon a sense of togetherness in out-of-school programs. Togetherness as a bridge to commitment strengthens participation. Individually, youth need to form personal connections to and/or empathy with the content areas of the program in order to derive meaning, critically reflect, and problem solve. Furthermore, the youth articulated their perceptions of the community and the program by developing, organizing, and voicing their ideas of cooking/food, volunteering, and art making. By sharing research about the experiences of youth in after-school programming, organizations and educators can better construct, facilitate, and sustain youth participation and engagement.
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Birchenough, Andrew Christian. "Community-based science." Thesis, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, 2001. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.366519.
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Askin, Jacalyn Ann. "Community college funding: Environmental and institutional influences." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/282905.
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Community colleges are unique among higher education institutions in their potential access to local appropriations as well as state funding. Twenty-six states reported to the Education Commission of the States in 2001 that community colleges in their states received some share of local funding. In research question one, using data for 781 public community colleges, we explore the implications of resource dependency theory for mission differentiation between dual-funded and state-funded colleges. Research question two studies the influences of state demographics, economics, politics and college governance on state and local appropriations. We examine how these factors similarly and differently influence the two streams of public funding as well as how the two interact. We also investigate the question of whether local appropriations "pay off" for community colleges. This work extends prior research that has focused on funding for higher education in the aggregate or for four-year colleges and universities.
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Ramírez, Iñiguez Alma Arcelia. "Community-based education: reflections on teacher education." Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, 2017. http://repositorio.pucp.edu.pe/index/handle/123456789/117522.
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This article presents an analysis about teacher’s education possibilities regardingtheir professional context in elementary education. For this, a conceptual reviewabout relationship between education and community is explained. In this analysis,the educational processes’ characteristics from this perspective are highlighted, aswell as their implications. Subsequently, some guidelines about teacher’s education from this view are exposed and a systemic approach of education are presented taking into account educational factors inside and outside the school, as well as the teacher as an agent who learns permanently.Este artículo presenta un análisis sobre las posibilidades de formar al profesorado de educación básica en relación con el contexto en el que desarrolla su labor profesional.Para ello, se parte de una revisión conceptual sobre el vínculo entre educación ycomunidad con la finalidad de explicar las características de los procesos formativosque se llevan a cabo desde una visión comunitaria, así como sus implicaciones. Apartir de este análisis se establecen algunas orientaciones sobre los aspectos a considerar en la formación del profesorado en este sentido, destacando una visión sistémica de la educación, dentro de la cual los factores escolares y los del entorno se relacionan, y en la que el profesor es un agente en continuo aprendizaje.
Este artigo apresenta uma análise sobre as possibilidades de formar professoresde educação básica relacionado com o contexto em que desenvolvem seu trabalhoprofissional. Para tanto se partirá de uma revisão conceitual sobre o vínculoentre a educação e a comunidade, com o objetivo de explicar as características dosprocessos formativos que desenvolvem dentro de uma visão comunitária, assimcomo suas implicações. A partir desta análise se estabelecem algumas orientaçõessobre os aspectos a serem considerados na formação do professorado, enfatizandouma visão sistêmica da educação, dentro da qual a escola e o meio ambiente estãointer-relacionados, e na qual o professor é um agente em contínua aprendizagem.
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Roudebush, Deborah May. "An ethnography of community leadership through community-based community education." Virtual Press, 1985. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/425454.
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The purposes of the study were: 1) To describe important characteristics of an ongoing, viable "community-based" community education project, 2) to determine whether the critical-principles postulated at the beginning of the study would be illustrated by considering a community-based community education project in one community, and 3) to describe the leadership behaviors utilized in a successful community-based community education project, and 4) to generate hypotheses for future research studies in community education.The data were collected and analyzed using a modified version of Spradley's Developmental Research Sequence Writing methodology, including interviewing participant observation, supplemented with document analysis and surveys.Eight of nine postulated critical principles were present in the organization studied. A partial listing of proposed hypotheses follows:1. The general principles, values, and leadership actions outlined in the agency summary can be successfully transplanted to another community.2. The director of a successful community-based community education agency must be good at controlling the flow of information, adept at negotiating, and politically persuasive.3. A tax levy is a sound, stable means for providing primary local financial support.4. The non-profit corporation is an effective structure capable of building on the resources of the major political bodies (the city council, the public school board, and the township trustees) while maintaining integrity in decision making and service provision.5. The political bodies, the people of the community, and the businesses and community organizations must all be represented in the governing body of a commuity-based community education organization.6. Detailed procedures and policies play a critical role in bridging the transition period when a new director is hired.
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Westover, Jay Allen. "Integrating environmental education into the curriculum through environmental community service learning." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2001. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/2083.
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The goal of environmental education is to increase individuals' ecological knowledge, awareness of associated environmental problems, and motivation to evaluate and implement solutions. This project combined the concepts of environmental education with community service learning to create a new method of curriculum integration: environmental community service learning. The California state standards for environmental education, service learning, language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies were integrated into four thematic units using the teaching methodologies of cooperative learning, authentic assessment, and reflection. The integrated, thematic units of this project could be used by educators in a multi-disciplinary, team teaching scenario on in a single classroom setting as either sequential, thematic units of study or independent activities.
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Adams, Chelsea G. "“I WONDER WHAT YOU THINK OF ME”: A QUALITATIVE APPROACH TO EXAMINING STEREOTYPE AWARENESS IN APPALACHIAN STUDENTS." UKnowledge, 2017. http://uknowledge.uky.edu/edp_etds/59.
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Historically, Appalachia has been stereotyped as being a culture bred in poverty and ignorance. Much research has shown that stereotyping reveals a pattern of behavioral change and an impact on psychological well-being for the stereotyped (e.g., Pinel, 1999; Woodcock, Jernandez, Estrada, & Schultz, 2012), and has largely been centered on race and gender (e.g., Byrnes, 2008; Tuckman & Monetti, 2011). Less is known about the development of culture-specific stereotypes such as those related to Appalachians – a highly stigmatized group (Daniels, 2014; Otto, 2002). The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of how adolescents in rural Appalachia develop awareness of stereotypes about Appalachia. Stratified random sampling was used to select twelve students (Grades 6-12) belonging to a small school district located in the Appalachian region of eastern Kentucky who were invited to participate in individual interviews. Eight of the participants self-identified as Appalachian, but for distinct reasons. Students characterized Appalachia for its strong sense of community, accessibility to nature, and lack of opportunities. All students readily identified negative Appalachian stereotypes, but most, particularly older students, were quick to defend the integrity of their culture and community. When discussing cultural stereotypes, the richness of student responses varied by grade-level.
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Mearns, Kevin Frank. "The sustainability of community-based ecotourism in southern Africa." Thesis, University of Portsmouth, 2010. https://researchportal.port.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/the-sustainability-of-communitybased-ecotourism-in-southern-africa(8a403ded-d0b4-4a20-aacb-3dbc5a641aa0).html.
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The global trend towards sustainability is influencing humankind on a daily basis. One of the aspects of human life that is significantly influenced by this trend is decision making with regard to travel and holidays. The investigation was initiated in an attempt to monitor the sustainability of community-based ecotourism in southern Africa and to set a baseline for future comparison. A comprehensive inventory of 331 community-based tourism ventures across southern Africa was compiled as part of the study. A spatial selection was undertaken to refine the selection of ventures which could be safely and economically visited in southern Africa. A telephonic interview was carried out with each of the remaining 241 community-based tourism ventures in order to determine which ventures may be categorized as community-based ecotourism ventures. The results of the telephonic interview were used to classify the community-based ecotourism ventures into types. A random selection within types followed to select six case studies for further investigation. An evaluation framework was constructed to monitor the sustainability of the selected community-based ecotourism ventures. The evaluation framework made use of a number of sustainability issues and their associated indicators. The evaluation framework was then tested for its applicability to investigate the social, economic and environmental sustainability of the six case studies. Thereafter a cross-case analysis was undertaken to compare the results and to obtain baseline data for future comparison. The utility of the constructed evaluation framework was subsequently commented on and changes were recommended. The study provided a time- and cost-effective evaluation framework for monitoring the sustainability performance of community-based ecotourism ventures. The constructed framework also makes an important contribution as a departure point in the adaptive learning cycle for the development and implementation of sustainable tourism indicators for community-based ecotourism ventures. Case study specific recommendations were made in order to improve the sustainability performance of the investigated case studies. The results of this study serve as a benchmark against which future investigations into the sustainability of community-based ecotourism ventures in southern Africa may be compared. Conclusions relating to the sustainability of community-based ecotourism ventures in southern Africa are drawn, and a number of recommendations for further research are made.
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Loi, Chung-yu Joanne, and 雷頌宇. "Community environmental education for sustainable development in Hong Kong." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2003. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31255590.
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Brown, Holly Beth. "Social Justice and Community-Based Art Education." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/193320.
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Both in and out of the classroom, critically discussing and exploring the issues of gender, race, power, equality, and social justice can be a social and emotional minefield for educators and students alike. In politically charged times, escaping pre-formulated reactions and creating real change and empathy can seem a nearly impossible task. Some educators have turned to the visual and creative arts to provide students with emotional connectedness, visceral responses, and modes of self-expression. In this study, I examine two education programs to understand the effectiveness of social justice pedagogical methods using phenomenological research. My focus is on the educators' experiences, influences, and personal pedagogies. I plan to highlight three successful programs to better understand how complex and emotional issues can be better explored through art and visual culture and how other educators can adapt these methods to their own classrooms.
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Blondrage, Mary Alexis. "Linking community revitalization, urban agriculture, and elementary education /." Online version of thesis, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1850/10105.
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Chicoine, Geneviève. "Citizen-scientist partnerships, a step toward community-based environmental management?" Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1997. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp03/MQ36412.pdf.
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Chambers, Cynthia R. "Building Inclusive, Community-Based Book Clubs." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2015. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/3861.
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Phillips, Jocelyn Katrina, and n/a. "CoastWalk : a case study of environmental education in the community." University of Canberra. Resource, Environmental & Heritage Sciences, 1995. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20061113.150337.
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Walks organised at the community or 'grass roots' level both in Australia and
internationally have been organised as a means to highlight environmental and social
issues to the wider community.
This thesis focuses on a coastal walk from Melbourne to Sydney during November 1993
to March 1994 called CoastWalk which was organised as part of the Australian Conservation Foundation's 'Coasts in Crisis' campaign. The Walk aimed to highlight
environmental management problems specific to the coastal zone at both local and national
levels using mass media, information evenings and targeting groups within local
communities.
Using a case study approach to the methodology, combined with principles from both
social (interpretive) and empirical methods, this study involved determining the impact of
CoastWalk, i.e. whether it changed individuals at the levels of awareness, understanding
or action. The scope of the study does not include a detailed analysis of the communities
themselves, nor does it explore the psychological aspects of individual and social change.
It was found that the mass media aspect of the CoastWalk campaign created a short term
awareness of the need to have concern for coastal management issues in those who did
not participate in the Walk. For those who did participate, the impact was deeper and
profound, changing individuals understanding and actions towards coastal management
and translating into other areas of their lives. The impact of the Walk on local community
groups who supported the Walk was negligible and it was determined that CoastWalk did
not meet their needs.
Community involvement in environmental management or campaigning equates to long
term ownership and responsibility being taken for those issues. However, neither
community nor government intervention in environmental management alone can resolve
these issues successfully. This thesis argues that a combined approach from both
community and government organisations is required - but as exemplified by CoastWalk,
the success of this approach requires equality in communication and co-operation.
As other environmental awareness walks have occurred, it is evident that they are
perceived as worthy events by the community, and that there is potential for them to occur
again in the future. It is therefore essential for an evaluation to occur of the techniques
used to achieve their environmental education aims. Thus, the learning from previous
Walks can be built into future Walks enhancing their success.
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Kempster, Jonathan. "Integrating innovative environmental pedagogies into practice in adult community education." Thesis, University of Sheffield, 2016. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/16421/.
Full textAbstract:
This study explores whether innovative environmental pedagogies that encourage learners to reflect on nature and are socially-critical can be integrated into teaching practice in a local government adult community education setting. Existing environmental education (EE) research reports that integrating innovative environmental pedagogies into teaching practice is problematic as a result of institutional constraints and teachers’ subjective influences. Most of this existing research has been conducted in schools, not in adult community education. My study recognises this gap in knowledge and explores how eleven practitioners working in one particular local government adult community education setting in England make meaning of innovative environmental pedagogies. In my study I employ an action research strategy, collecting data through semi-structured interviews and cooperative inquiry meetings. Heron and Reason’s (1997) extended epistemology provides an appropriate theoretical framework. Their extended epistemology resonates strongly with my methodology and supports the practical methods required to address my research aims and questions. My findings show that integrating innovative environmental pedagogies into one adult community education setting is indeed problematic. Problems include: practitioners’ concerns with adhering to externally imposed government performance targets; their practice of working in isolation and how their beliefs over remaining neutral in teaching significantly influences their attitude towards innovative environmental pedagogies. Unlike previous research, my findings also make visible how practitioner beliefs about nature and privileging learner needs mitigate against the integration of innovative environmental pedagogy into practice. I conclude that innovative environmental pedagogies cannot simply be grafted on to pre-existing practices. Innovation in EE must be situative and aligned with the contexts in which practitioners work.
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Mullen, Keara Anita. "Community based education working together to realize change /." Cincinnati, Ohio : University of Cincinnati, 2007. http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd/view.cgi?acc%5Fnum=ucin1196913269.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M.A.)--University of Cincinnati, 2007.Advisor: Marvin Berlowitz. Title from electronic thesis title page (viewed Feb. 18, 2008). Includes abstract. Keywords: community based education; engaged pedagogy; justice learning. Includes bibliographical references.
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MULLEN, KEARA ANITA. "COMMUNITY BASED EDUCATION: WORKING TOGETHER TO REALIZE CHANGE." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2007. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1196913269.
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Pedraza, Jennifer E. A. "Assessment of “Community Stepping Stones,” a Community-Based Youth Art Education Program." Scholar Commons, 2010. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/3613.
Full textAbstract:
Community Stepping Stones is an art education program whose objective is to
“provide education, mentor children and adolescents, enhance the community
economics, and enrich the quality of life in the community” (Community Steppping
Stones [CSS], 2009a). Community art education programs, particularly for youth, have
become increasingly popular as a way to address and prevent delinquent behavior.
However, art education programs have proven challenging to evaluate and sustain.
The goal of my thesis was to explore how Community Stepping Stones
implemented and evaluated a community-based youth arts education program
compared to other, similar programs and how the organization could make the program
more effective and more sustainable long-term. As part of an internship with Community
Stepping Stones, I conducted participant observation, document review, and interviews
with individuals affiliated with Community Stepping Stones and other art education
programs in the community. Data was collected between February 2009 and September
2010.Community Stepping Stones has grown significantly during my involvement with
the organization, expanding funding, programming, and staff. Current efforts to reinforce
evaluation measures and secure additional funding sources will help make the program
more sustainable in the future. Additional efforts towards collaboration with other
community and government organizations, increased community involvement, and better
program organization will also be beneficial towards sustainability efforts.
At this time, published evaluations of community-based youth art education
programs and organizational impact on youth and community are limited. Although not a
comprehensive assessment, I hope my research can help bolster the literature in this
area.
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Turnbull, Deborah Anne. "Community Wildlife Care Education by Wildlife Carers." Thesis, Griffith University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/366940.
Full textAbstract:
It has been suggested that the most important role of volunteer wildlife carers in not the rehabilitation and release of native animals, but the incidental public education they provide. The problem for me, a wildlife carer and educator, was the lack of any information about the public or community education role of wildlife carers. The aim of this thesis, therefore, is to describe the community education role of wildlife carers. At a later time, the ultimate goal is to provide adequate carer training in this area.
In order to examine community education by wildlife carers I asked carers what they do that they believe to be environmental community education. Using interpretive inquiry as my guiding methodology, and interview and questionnaire as data collection tools, I invited wildlife carers to share with me their stories of community or environmental education. Twenty-two wildlife carers from across Queensland, Australia told me about their experiences educating the general public about wildlife. The resulting research narrative was cumulative, with various versions of the emerging narrative being offered back to participants and the wider wildlife caring community to ensure I was telling their story truthfully.
I used the stories from my wildlife carer participants and related literature to describe a new construct: community wildlife care education. The emergence of this new construct provides the basis for the distinctive contribution that this thesis makes to community, wildlife and care education. Community wildlife care education has social, temporal and spatial dimensions but it is the social dimension that is dominant. Informal learning encounters between wildlife carers and members of the public are social. Our first experiences of care as humans are social. Care is expanded through the temporal and spatial dimensions, including the development of care for wildlife.Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School of Education and Professional Studies
Arts, Education and Law
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