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Environmental Education: Guiding the Next Generation to Fall in Love...
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Environmental Education: Guiding the Next Generation to Fall in Love with Nature

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Science and Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2023) | Viewed by 9885

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Antonio Torralba-Burrial

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Education Sciences, University o f Oviedo, ES-33005 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
2. Institute of Natural Resources and Territorial Planning, Indurot – University of Oviedo, ES-33600 Mieres, Asturias, Spain
Interests: environmental education; didactics of experimental sciences; teacher training; citizen science; science education; aquatic ecology; biodiversity; natural resources

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, focused on the practices of environmental education in guiding the next generation to fall in love with nature, has been organized by the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. The venue is a peer-reviewed scientific journal that publishes articles and communications in the interdisciplinary area of environmental health sciences and public health. For detailed information on the journal, go to https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph.

The global changes derived from human actions include (among others): climate change; biodiversity loss; social inequality increase; human life quality decrease; the production of situations of discomfort; stress; and increased pandemic risk. This situation is accompanied by a growing disconnection with nature, with decreasing numbers of both children and adults undertaking experiences in nature. However, there is increasing evidence of improvements in nature perception, in the desire to enjoy leisure in more natural environments, and in stress reduction derived from contact with nature, suggesting a relationship between childhood experiences in nature and environmentally favorable attitudes in adulthood.

Environmental education, both formal (within schools and educational centers of early childhood, primary, secondary, and university education) and informal (in environmental facilities, NGOs, guided nature tourism routes, etc.), has been shown as an important way to increase awareness and concern about environmental problems. Therefore, educational activities in nature (both in natural ecosystems and in urban green spaces, or in naturalized schoolyards), or experiences that analyze current knowledge and environmental behaviors for the implementation of an environmental education that guides the next generation to fall in love with nature, are welcome here

Dr. Antonio Torralba-Burrial
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • environmental education
  • teacher training
  • education for sustainability
  • nature connectedness
  • informal learning, sense of community
  • urban nature, environmental psychology
  • social participation
  • environmental citizen science

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 4719 KiB  
Article
Secondary Students’ Knowledge on Birds and Attitudes towards Conservation: Evaluation of an Environmental Education Program
by Unai Ortega-Lasuen, Oier Pedrera, Erin Telletxea, Oihana Barrutia and José Ramón Díez
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(10), 5769; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20105769 - 09 May 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1948
Abstract
Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve holds a diversity of habitats and resources that are essential for migratory bird species’ conservation, and at the same time provides a rich milieu for the development of environmental education programs. This study evaluates the impact of a daylong and [...] Read more.
Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve holds a diversity of habitats and resources that are essential for migratory bird species’ conservation, and at the same time provides a rich milieu for the development of environmental education programs. This study evaluates the impact of a daylong and place-based environmental education program, performed at the Urdaibai Bird Center (UBC), on secondary education students’ environmental attitudes and knowledge. Students (n = 908) completed a written questionnaire where their perceptions on the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve and marshes, together with their interest in biodiversity, knowledge about bird migration and bird species identification skills, and attitudes towards conservation were assessed. Results show that students’ knowledge regarding Biosphere Reserves, marshes, and bird migration is limited, and that their bird identification skills are scarce. Although they scored high on environmental attitudes, a significant number of them feel that conservation efforts are excessive and hinder economic development. Students living within the Biosphere Reserve, as well as from rural milieus or who underwent primary education through a bird-centered curriculum hold a better knowledge of the local biodiversity. To adapt the environmental education program at the UBC, its integration in formal teaching/learning contexts via meaningful hands-on and/or project-based activities could be considered, together with the systematic evaluation of the outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Education: Guiding the Next Generation to Fall in Love with Nature)
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16 pages, 7017 KiB  
Article
Urban Itineraries with Smartphones to Promote an Improvement in Environmental Awareness among Secondary School Students
by Juan-Francisco Álvarez-Herrero
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(3), 2009; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032009 - 21 Jan 2023
Viewed by 1510
Abstract
Our world is undergoing a series of changes that are taking it to an unsustainable situation. In addition to alerting the population, we must seek education towards a more sustainable world. This research proposes the realization in Alcoy (Spain) of some urban itineraries [...] Read more.
Our world is undergoing a series of changes that are taking it to an unsustainable situation. In addition to alerting the population, we must seek education towards a more sustainable world. This research proposes the realization in Alcoy (Spain) of some urban itineraries with mobile devices and with secondary school students, in order to promote an improvement in awareness and action on environmental problems. This activity aims, among other objectives, through informal learning and outside the classroom, to raise awareness among secondary school students about the environmental problems that threaten us. With the completion of a questionnaire, after carrying out these urban itineraries, the results of 214 students confirm that, with this type of activity, there is a notable improvement in the level of awareness and concern for environmental problems. It is also detected that men prefer these types of environmental awareness tests, compared to women, who prefer tests that have a more creative and artistic theme. It is worth continuing to propose this type of activity among students and improve their approach by forecasting, planning, and improving the training of the teachers involved in it. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Education: Guiding the Next Generation to Fall in Love with Nature)
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14 pages, 1280 KiB  
Article
Out-of-School Learning in the Wadden Sea: The Influence of a Mudflat Hiking Tour on the Environmental Attitudes and Environmental Knowledge of Secondary School Students
by Till Schmäing and Norbert Grotjohann
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(1), 403; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010403 - 27 Dec 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2971
Abstract
In this study, the Wadden Sea, as an out-of-school learning site, is considered from an empirical-research perspective of environmental education. The Wadden Sea in Germany is part of the largest contiguous mudflat area in the world. Although much evidence is already available on [...] Read more.
In this study, the Wadden Sea, as an out-of-school learning site, is considered from an empirical-research perspective of environmental education. The Wadden Sea in Germany is part of the largest contiguous mudflat area in the world. Although much evidence is already available on different teaching and learning processes at various out-of-school learning sites, this is not yet the case for the Wadden Sea. This research gap was taken up. In this paper, 427 students (mean age: 11.74 years) participated in a mudflat hiking tour. A pre–post-test design followed by a retention test was used to determine the impact of this on participants’ environmental attitudes and environmental knowledge. The single factor analyses of variance with repeated measures demonstrated that the mudflat hiking tour had both a positive short-term and a positive long-term impact on environmental attitudes, as well as on environmental knowledge. All three constructs could, therefore, be positively influenced by the intervention. Correlation analyses revealed a positive relationship between environmental attitudes and environmental knowledge at three measurement time points. These results empirically confirm the potential of the Wadden Sea as an out-of-school learning site for environmental education with students from secondary schools. The effectiveness of non-formal education in this ecological environment can be proven. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Education: Guiding the Next Generation to Fall in Love with Nature)
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Review

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18 pages, 386 KiB  
Review
Environmental and Moral Education for Effective Environmentalism: An Ideological and Philosophical Approach
by Abida Begum, Jingwei Liu, Hina Qayum and Amr Mamdouh
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(23), 15549; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192315549 - 23 Nov 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2119
Abstract
This article offers a critical review of the research on moral and environmental education as a basis for building environmentalism. The review’s objective is to present an ideological and philosophical theory and research on environmentalism through moral education. The bulk of this research [...] Read more.
This article offers a critical review of the research on moral and environmental education as a basis for building environmentalism. The review’s objective is to present an ideological and philosophical theory and research on environmentalism through moral education. The bulk of this research involves empirical research that examines the correlation between moral education and environmentalism, ideologies produced by moral education, and philosophical arguments inherent in environmental education. A deductive argument is made following the review of the existing research on moral education to highlight the educational approaches that have been hailed as effective. Some of the environmental educational approaches identified as being effective include proactive environmental education, creating an environmentally conscious environment, and real-life environmental education simulations. The research also identifies moral education whose focus is the creation of a moral consciousness among learners as being critical for the development of environmental consciousness. Inculcation of religious education, creating a moral educational atmosphere, moral leadership, moral life simulations, and use of Ubuntu and Ukamu theoretical frameworks will bolster building a moral consciousness among learners. The argument presented in this article is that despite the existence of some contrary research, moral education can act as a bolster to positive attitudes, actions, and behaviors towards the environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Education: Guiding the Next Generation to Fall in Love with Nature)
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