The overall aim of this grounded theory multiple-case study was to better understand how K-12 independent schools ("schools") in the United States cultivate a connection between children and adolescents ("students") and the natural world ("environment") by exploring the interplay between this connection and (a) the…

This Educational Leadership Portfolio (ELP) addresses the issue related to children's screen time and indoor sedentary behavior. Research shows that young children need to have time outside in nature to ensure holistic development in the twenty-first century. The overarching goal of this work is to reduce the extent of children's indoor sedentary…

The learning journey toward sustainability requires the generation of action-oriented knowledge to understand the progress and potential adaptation of strategies to facilitate collective transformation. One integral area where advancing these strategies is essential is higher education. While efforts in the field have identified relevant learning…

Environmental unpredictability has become a crisis for the 21st century. In response, organizations ranging from a local to international level are addressing the issues by creating, supporting, and promoting initiatives. An example of a multi-scaled initiative is the U.S. Department of Education's Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) which recognizes…

Climate change is a pressing global issue that has a short window for action and mitigation. In this study, I utilized protection motivation theory (PMT) to examine relationships among tertiary-level instructors' perceptions of climate change risks and their inclusion of climate change education (CCE) in their curricula. The purpose of this study…

This dissertation explores the institutionalization of sustainability studies within undergraduate programs in the United States, investigating its implications for interdisciplinary structure, faculty expertise, and curriculum focus. It specifically examines how sustainability studies differentiates itself from the established field of…

Environmentally conscious science education is of great importance due to dramatic anthropogenic effects on the environment. The World Health Organization reports 25% of children deaths, ages five and under, are the direct result of pollution (Osseiran & Chirscaden, 2017). Anthropogenic climate change has resulted in the higher severity and…

Although the majority of scientists agree that we are facing unprecedented climate crises, higher education's engagement with environmental and sustainability problems is lacking. While the role of human behavior on climate change has been well established by science, these insights have yet to be adequately applied by citizens, thus exacerbating…

Action towards planetary well-being requires more than environmental awareness, acquisition of knowledge, or technological fixes; it necessitates a sacred connection, recognizing interdependence, and an ethic that maintains dignity for all non-human beings. It requires a shift in our ecological consciousness from the dominator and exploitative…

The purpose of this exploratory collective case study is to understand how climate change education can meet the learning needs of emergency management professionals to prepare and adapt to the impacts of climate change on communities throughout the United States. The primary research question guiding the study was: How do emergency managers…

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions of practicing nature-based educators and to find how classroom educators can become skilled in providing students with opportunities to learn in nature. In the study, there were 13 participants who represented a variety of individuals, with impressive educational…

Research suggests spending time outdoors and with natural materials can benefit all young children across different areas of development. However, children with developmental disabilities often have fewer opportunities to engage with nature as a result of the limited understanding and negative views about nature expressed by their caregivers and…

Children experience limited time outdoors and have few opportunities for outdoor learning in schools, putting them at risk for being unprepared to engage in solving environmental and societal problems. Researchers have examined outdoor learning at the preschool and high school levels; elementary school experiences have been explored less…

Attitudes and values are considered an important component of learning in higher education, but natural resources and environmental education programs typically emphasize cognitive gains in the design of instructional activities and subsequent assessments. This research suggests that greater consideration of affective learning outcomes should be…

The objective of this study was to better understand what aspects of place and curriculum influence experiences for underserved youth in an environmental education program. For instance, how can environmental education managers create program experiences that maintain depth and focus, while honoring the unique ways students connect and find…