This article discusses a narrative inquiry as a methodology for understanding and examining teachers' interpretations of their environment-related teaching experiences. Focusing on the value of teacher stories for interrogating the discursive practices of schools as institutional contexts, four main rhetorical themes are identified to illustrate…

"Transformative leaders for sustainable schools", was a nationwide research project conducted in 150 primary schools in Cyprus during 2005-2007. The project explored the role of the principals in the organisation of sustainable schools. A mixed methods approach to data collection was employed combining quantitative and qualitative…

The school curriculum addresses issues of structured environmental education; however, what informal opportunities are afforded to children at school to interact and expand their knowledge of the world around them? This small case study attempts to elucidate children's experience of the school playground environment. The findings suggest that…

This article examines the nature of early adolescents' environmental involvement based on a study with 10-13-year-olds. Drawing from literal and metaphorical interviews, a visual survey and visual maps, the study points to the dimensions of environmental involvement: connectedness, engagement with the environment, questioning, belief in capacity,…

Twenty-four black parents from Houston were interviewed for their perspectives on nature and environmental education. Four overarching questions addressed the importance of nature, environmental concerns, environmental practices, and views toward environmental education for their children. Parents spoke of commitment to environmental issues and…

Children in middle class Australia, and many western countries around the world experience restricted opportunities to engage in free play in their neighbourhood streets and parks. The impact of this has been a drastic decrease in children's independent mobility and environmental play. Recent research has focused on the physical environment of…

This study focuses on children's understanding of hazardous household items (HHI) and waste (HHW). Children from grades 4, 5 and 6 (n=173) participated in a questionnaire and interview research design. The results indicate that: (a) on a daily basis the children used HHI and disposed of HHW, (b) the children did not realize the danger of these…

Presents a personal response to a set of critical commentaries on significant life experience research which formed a special issue of this journal and a symposium on the same subject at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) (2000). (Contains 29 references.) (YDS)

Internationally, commentators have identified a growing demand for environmental expertise. Matching this has been an expansion in the range of environmental careers available to workers: from environment protection and bio-physical areas, to local government operations, environmental auditing, assessment, and management. However, in Australia…

This article uses a series of interlinked, personal vignettes to discuss the first three years of the North American Association for Environmental Education research symposium, from the perspectives of the key organizers. Seven challenges in the field of environmental education research are identified in a recent historical context, and we…

This article reports on a baseline survey, designed to collect information on students' and teachers' conceptions on environmental issues and their involvement in three Zimbabwean colleges of secondary teacher training. The survey was the first step of a research programme designed to evaluate the Secondary Teacher Training Environmental Education…

Reports on a research project in which school children's answers to the question "I think the term/word environment means ..." were analyzed using the qualitative research method of phenomenography. Six distinct conceptions were isolated ranging from the least sophisticated--environment as a place--to the most inclusive and…

Presents an analysis of the lessons for program design and management that were distilled from a recent evaluation of the Worldwide Fund for Nature's (WWF) global educational programs. Clarifies and documents the contribution that education is making to the achievement of the conservation goals of the organization. (Contains 24 references.)…

Memory-work is a feminist research methodology that is used by research collectives to study socialization within the dominant values that make up a particular culture. The power of memory-work lies with its potential to interrupt hegemonic ways of seeing and knowing the world. Consequently, it can open up possibilities for individual and social…

Zoos and aquariums have shifted their focus over recent years, taking a much more active role in wildlife conservation and in promoting conservation learning among their visitors. Research in these settings provides a valuable foundation for the emerging field of non-captive wildlife tourism. In particular, valuable lessons regarding the potential…