EDA3046-001_2007_4_e Study Guide

,# 2006 University of South Africa

All rights reserved

Printed and published by the
University of South Africa
Muckleneuk, Pretoria

EDA304-6/1/2007±2009
97979937


3B2




PRS styl

, (iii) EDA304±6/1/2007±2009



Contents
Study unit Page
1 AN INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION 1
1.1 Introduction 1
1.2 The concept ``environment'' 4
1.2.1 A dictionary definition 4
1.2.2 A holistic representation of the environment 4
1.3 Development of the concept ``environmental education'' 5
1.3.1 Development of the concept in different parts of the world 5
1.3.2 Development of the concept in South Africa: A case study 6
1.3.3 Inclusion of environmental education in formal education in South
Africa 6
1.3.4 The concepts ``environmental studies'' and ``environmental education'' 6
1.4 Definitions of the concept ``environmental education'' 6
1.4.1 Values 7
1.4.2 Concepts in environmental education 11
1.4.3 Skills 14
1.4.4 Attitudinal or behavioural change 19
1.4.5 Decision making 21
1.4.6 The role of human needs in environmental education 21
1.5 Paradigms, philosophies and ideologies for environmental education 24
1.5.1 Dominant social paradigm versus new environment-oriented paradigm 25
1.5.2 Ecocentrism versus anthropocentrism 26
1.5.3 Technocentrism versus ecocentrism 26
1.5.4 Empirical versus hermeneutic versus critical sciences 28
1.6 Environmental literacy 31
1.7 Sustainable development and education for sustainability 33
1.8 Principles of environmental education 34
1.8.1 Introduction 34
1.8.2 Principles of the Tbilisi Conference and their implications for
environmental education in South Africa 34
1.8.3 Conclusion 35

2 ENVIRONMENTAL LEARNING IN THE CURRICULUM 36
2.1 Introduction 36
2.2 The introduction of environmental learning in the curriculum 36
2.3 Methods, techniques and resources for environmental education 38
2.3.1 Introduction 38
2.3.2 What is a method? 39

, (iv)


Study unit Page
2.4 Resources for environmental educators 39
2.4.1 What are resources (media)? 39
2.4.2 Why are resources (media) used? 40
2.4.3 Groups of resources (media) and their use in environmental education 40
2.5 Environmental learning 42
2.6 Assessment in environmental education 42

3 INTRODUCTION TO BASIC ECOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES AND SOME
ENVIRONMENTAL THEMES AND ISSUES Ð BASIC ECOLOGICAL
PRINCIPLES 43
3.1 Introduction 43
3.2 What is ecology? 44
3.3 Interaction between living organisms 44
3.4 Food chains and food webs 45
3.5 Energy 46
3.6 Ecological cycles 48
3.6.1 The carbon cycle 48
3.6.2 The nitrogen cycle 49
3.7 Population ecology 50
3.8 Environmental issues 51
3.8.1 Introduction 51

SOURCES USED IN THE COMPILATION OF THIS WORKBOOK 56