Can environmental responsibility be taught?
Teachers in natural sciences, politics, history, social studies, as well as the arts and literature are
already debating the degree to which education curricula should be oriented toward social
transformation (Lehtonen, Salonen, & Cantell, 2019), and to what extent is it their responsibility to
impart not only knowledge and facts, but also values (Dewi & Primayana, 2019). The currents of
research associated with environmental education, in particular the possibility of integrating
curricula with the aim of teaching environmental responsibility (Aarnio-Linnanvuori, 2019), includes
environmental ethics, citizenship education, and education for sustainable development. In this
paper, it will be argued that, while these currents may appear to have different objectives and
values, they have to be combined in order to contribute to the construction of an eco-citizenship
identity in a way that will develop the emancipation, responsibility, and commitment (Levy, Oliveira,
& Harris, 2021) of the future generation of eco citizens.
Definition and scope
Teaching environmental responsibility refers to advocating specific initiatives such as reducing direct
and indirect consumption, reducing and recycling waste, minimizing the frequency and quantity of
the polluting modes of transport, solidarity and environmental justice (Alexander et al., 2021), and
the political, economic, and cultural links to the environment (Lehtonen, Salonen, & Cantell, 2019).
Teaching environmental responsibility as such requires implementing specific teaching methods
(Aarnio-Linnanvuori, 2019), which engage the subjects, in particular by inviting them to challenge
the social, economic, and political systems, and question their values (Olsen et al., 2020). On the one
hand, it is suggested that this should be independent of school disciplines (for example, by parents
and the community). On the other, teaching environmental responsibility should be already
addressed in schools by teaching the roots of participatory and “deliberative democracy” (Devaney
et al., 2020). This means favouring action over knowledge (Alexander et al., 2021) in a way that
explicitly addresses personal and societal principles and morals, but also interdependence and
interdisciplinarity (Olsen et al., 2020) in the face of the rapidly changing world.
Citizen participation is, in all discourse, particularly in the field of the environment and sustainable
development, a deliberative aim whose objective is the formation of an enlightened public opinion,
preparing future generations to participate in the consultative processes (Parra et al., 2020), and
acting in an emancipatory aim which seeks to integrate collective awareness to induce the
transformation of socio-environmental realities (Cachelin & Nicolosi, 2022) which are taking the
society on the path to an environmental crisis (Levy, Oliveira, & Harris, 2021). This is not a question
of transmitting knowledge or facts (Devaney et al., 2020) so much as teaching a new generation how
to apply that knowledge so that they can appropriate the different principles and values (Aarnio-
Linnanvuori, 2019) and understand how they can contribute to tackling the emerging issues.
The difference between teaching environmental science and teaching environmental
responsibility
The notion of responsibility is often attached to a context or an area (Cachelin & Nicolosi, 2022),
namely moral and social responsibility (Alexander et al., 2021) with respect to our surroundings and
the resources we need for our survival. In the beginning, parents, the extended family, and the
community are largely responsible for setting the children on the right path, who, upon being
formally educated, would then become responsible adults (Levy, Oliveira, & Harris, 2021) who
understand how their contribution (or lack of) affects society at large. At the same time, parents
teaching environmental responsibility early on is not a guarantee (Zhang & Gibson, 2021) that they
will become socially and environmentally responsible adults. And, along the same lines, a lack of
awareness about environmental responsibility in childhood does not mean that, through the course
Teachers in natural sciences, politics, history, social studies, as well as the arts and literature are
already debating the degree to which education curricula should be oriented toward social
transformation (Lehtonen, Salonen, & Cantell, 2019), and to what extent is it their responsibility to
impart not only knowledge and facts, but also values (Dewi & Primayana, 2019). The currents of
research associated with environmental education, in particular the possibility of integrating
curricula with the aim of teaching environmental responsibility (Aarnio-Linnanvuori, 2019), includes
environmental ethics, citizenship education, and education for sustainable development. In this
paper, it will be argued that, while these currents may appear to have different objectives and
values, they have to be combined in order to contribute to the construction of an eco-citizenship
identity in a way that will develop the emancipation, responsibility, and commitment (Levy, Oliveira,
& Harris, 2021) of the future generation of eco citizens.
Definition and scope
Teaching environmental responsibility refers to advocating specific initiatives such as reducing direct
and indirect consumption, reducing and recycling waste, minimizing the frequency and quantity of
the polluting modes of transport, solidarity and environmental justice (Alexander et al., 2021), and
the political, economic, and cultural links to the environment (Lehtonen, Salonen, & Cantell, 2019).
Teaching environmental responsibility as such requires implementing specific teaching methods
(Aarnio-Linnanvuori, 2019), which engage the subjects, in particular by inviting them to challenge
the social, economic, and political systems, and question their values (Olsen et al., 2020). On the one
hand, it is suggested that this should be independent of school disciplines (for example, by parents
and the community). On the other, teaching environmental responsibility should be already
addressed in schools by teaching the roots of participatory and “deliberative democracy” (Devaney
et al., 2020). This means favouring action over knowledge (Alexander et al., 2021) in a way that
explicitly addresses personal and societal principles and morals, but also interdependence and
interdisciplinarity (Olsen et al., 2020) in the face of the rapidly changing world.
Citizen participation is, in all discourse, particularly in the field of the environment and sustainable
development, a deliberative aim whose objective is the formation of an enlightened public opinion,
preparing future generations to participate in the consultative processes (Parra et al., 2020), and
acting in an emancipatory aim which seeks to integrate collective awareness to induce the
transformation of socio-environmental realities (Cachelin & Nicolosi, 2022) which are taking the
society on the path to an environmental crisis (Levy, Oliveira, & Harris, 2021). This is not a question
of transmitting knowledge or facts (Devaney et al., 2020) so much as teaching a new generation how
to apply that knowledge so that they can appropriate the different principles and values (Aarnio-
Linnanvuori, 2019) and understand how they can contribute to tackling the emerging issues.
The difference between teaching environmental science and teaching environmental
responsibility
The notion of responsibility is often attached to a context or an area (Cachelin & Nicolosi, 2022),
namely moral and social responsibility (Alexander et al., 2021) with respect to our surroundings and
the resources we need for our survival. In the beginning, parents, the extended family, and the
community are largely responsible for setting the children on the right path, who, upon being
formally educated, would then become responsible adults (Levy, Oliveira, & Harris, 2021) who
understand how their contribution (or lack of) affects society at large. At the same time, parents
teaching environmental responsibility early on is not a guarantee (Zhang & Gibson, 2021) that they
will become socially and environmentally responsible adults. And, along the same lines, a lack of
awareness about environmental responsibility in childhood does not mean that, through the course
