Resilience in environmental educators

Contemporary environmental issues (such as global warming) can present psychological stress, the effects of which are under-examined. The ability to "bounce back" from stress associated with increasing environmental adversity can be understood as resilience, and can be found in some environmental educators. The following paper examines how veteran environmental educators respond to psychological stress to increasing environmental adversity and describes the experience of resilience. Through in-depth interviews, this hermeneutical study sheds light on the environmental factors and internal competencies that contribute to resilience in seven environmental educators. Additionally, the interaction (known as the person/environment transactional process) between these factors and competencies is explored, providing insight into how the participants construct resilience. Kumpfer's (1999) Resilience Framework provided the organizational framework for the results of this study. Findings suggest ways in which resilience in environmental educators can be supported and offers directions for future research.

Mentoring experiences as professional development for leaders in environmental education : the cascade of influence

Environmental education is a field which has only come of age since the late nineteen sixties. While its content and practice have been widely debated and researched, its leadership has been minimally studied and, therefore, is only partially understood. The role of mentoring in the development of leaders has been alluded to, but has attracted scant research. Therefore, this study explores the importance of mentoring during the personal and professional development of leaders in environmental education. Four major research questions were investigated. Firstly, have leaders been men to red during their involvement with environmental education? Secondly, when and how has that mentoring taken place? Thirdly, what was the personal and professional effectiveness of the mentoring relationship? Fourthly, is there any continuation of the mentoring process which might be appropriate for professional development within the field of environmental education? Leaders were solicited from a broad field of environmental educators including teachers, administrators, academics, natural resource personnel, business and community persons. They had to be recognized as active leaders across several environmental education networks. The research elicited qualitative and quantitative survey data from fifty seven persons in Queensland, Australia and Colorado, USA. Seventeen semi-structured interviews were subsequently conducted with selected leaders who had nominated their mentors. This led to a further thirteen 'linked interviews' with some of the mentors' mentors and new mentorees. The interview data is presented as four cases reflecting pairs, triads, chains and webs of relationships- a major finding of the research process. The analysis of the data from the interviews and the surveys was conducted according to a grounded theory approach and was facilitated by NUD.IST, a computer program for non-numerical text analysis. The findings of the study revealed many variations on the classical mentoring patterns found in the literature. Gender and age were not seen as mportant factors, as there were examples of contemporaries in age, older men to younger women, older women to younger men, and women to women. Personal compatibility, professional respect and philosophical congruence were critical. Mentoring was initiated from early, mid and late career stages with the average length of the relationship being fourteen years. There was seldom an example of the mentoree using the mentor for hierarchical career climbing, although frequent career changes were made. However, leadership actions were found to increase after the intervention of a mentoring relationship. Three major categories of informal mentoring were revealed - perceived,acknowledged and deliberate. Further analysis led to the evolution of the core concept, a 'cascade of influence'. The major finding of this study was that this sample of leaders, mentors and new mentorees moved from the perception of having been mentored to the acknowledgment of these relationships and an affirmation of their efficacy for both personal and professional growth. Hence, the participants were more likely to continue future mentoring, not as a serendipitous happening, but through a deliberate choice. Heightened awareness and more frequent 'cascading' of mentoring have positive implications for the professional development of future leaders in environmental education in both formal and informal settings. Effective mentoring in environmental education does not seek to create 'clones' of the mentors, but rather to foster the development of autonomous mentorees who share a philosophical grounding. It is a deliberate invitation to 'join the clan'.

Education for strategic environmental behavior

This article reviews four bodies of research that shed light on how to promote active care for the environment in children and youth: research on sources of proenvironmental behavior, socialization for democratic skills and values, the development of a personal sense of competence, and the development of collective competence. The article begins with an overview of studies of formative childhood experiences reported by environmental activists and educators, followed by correlational and experimental studies with young people regarding factors associated with their taking action for the environment. Because behaviors with the largest potential benefits for the environment require political engagement, the article also reviews experiences associated with young people’s interest and engagement in public issues. Action for the environment in the home or in public arena like schools and communities requires a personal sense of competence and a sense of collective competence, or confidence in one’s ability to achieve goals by working with a group. Therefore experiences that promote the development of these assets are summarized as well. The conclusion compares major findings in these different fields and discusses implications for environmental educators.

Mapping social change in U.S. coastal counties: a social atlas of coastal North Carolina

This document represents a pilot effort to map social change in the coastal United States—a social atlas characterizing changing population, demographic, housing, and economic attributes. This pilot effort focuses on coastal North Carolina. The impetus for this project came from numerous discussions about the usefulness and need for a graphic representation of social change information for U.S. coastal regions. Although the information presented here will be of interest to a broad segment of the coastal community and general public, the intended target audience is coastal natural resource management professionals, Sea Grant Extension staff, urban and regional land-use planners, environmental educators, and other allied constituents interested in the social aspects of how the nation’s coasts are changing. This document has three sections. The first section provides background information about the project. The second section features descriptions of social indicators and depictions of social indicator data for 1970, 1980, 1990, and 2000, and changes from 1970 to 2000 for all North Carolina coastal counties. The third section contains three case studies describing changes in select social attributes for subsets of counties. (PDF contains 67 pages)

Produção discursiva sobre questões ambientais no currículo de Licenciatura em Geografia

Nas últimas décadas a preocupação com as questões ambientais tem se tornado mais presentes em diversos contextos sociais. As transformações de origem antrópica operadas no ambiente se intensificaram com os adventos tecnológicos característicos da modernidade que, em função da conjuntura política, econômica e social do capitalismo, consolidou uma lógica de dominação que, ao contrário do que enunciava, aprofundou e tornou mais complexo formas excludentes, discriminatórias e destrutivas de se relacionar com o outro e com o externo. Frente a isso, como movimento para diminuir ou sanar tais questões referentes a relação violenta do homem com o ambiente, a educação ambiental emerge apoiada em diferentes campos do conhecimento, manifestando-se de diversas formas. O presente estudo visa abordar essa temática analisando aspectos curriculares do curso de Licenciatura em Geografia com Ênfase em Meio Ambiente da Faculdade de Educação da Baixada Fluminense que se constitui propondo-se a formar de docentes de geografia que sejam também educadores ambientais. O ementário do curso foi analisado de modo a observar de que maneira as questões ambientais manifestam-se nos textos. Para isso, nos pautamos, sobretudo, na teoria do discurso, de Ernesto Laclau, e nas discussões e concepções sobre políticas curriculares construídas por Stephen Ball, Elizabeth Macedo e Alice Lopes. Buscamos compreender de que forma as significações ou associações presentes nas ementas contribuem para a formação de educadores ambientais, e sob qual perspectiva de educação ambiental isso ocorre. Analisamos o documento indicado cumprindo uma exigência de delimitação, uma vez que estamos cientes (e esse é um princípio importante da nossa abordagem) que a construção discursiva não se limita ao que é dito/escrito, mas se dá na interação social, arrolada pelas/nas disputas hegemônicas por significação e enunciação.

Formação dos educadores ambientais e paradigmas em transição

Este artigo trata dos pressupostos teóricos presentes na formação dos educadores ambientais nos cursos de graduação das universidades e resulta da tese de doutorado da autora. Esses pressupostos definem um quadro teórico analisado a partir do referencial metodológico do materialismo históricodialético. Esse quadro teórico pode ser organizado, pelo núcleo das representações dos professores, em concepções naturais, racionais e históricas da relação homem-natureza e da educação. A análise dessas tendências revela um movimento de superação dos paradigmas tradicionais presentes na organização curricular na universidade.

Educação Ambiental: referências teóricas no ensino superior

Este artigo trata dos pressupostos teóricos presentes na formação dos educadores ambientais nos cursos de graduação. Esses pressupostos definem um quadro teórico analisado a partir do referencial metodológico do materialismo histórico-dialético. Esse quadro teórico pode ser organizado em concepções naturais, racionais e históricas da relação homem-natureza e da educação e suas análises sugerem princípios metodológicos de organização curricular nesses cursos.

A temática ambiental e o ensino de biologia: o professor enquanto sujeito ecológico

Pós-graduação em Educação - IBRC

Trajetória de educadores ambientais: revelando os caminhos trilhados

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Formação do educador ambiental: reflexões de um professor da escola pública

Pós-graduação em Educação para a Ciência - FC

A transversalidade no processo de formação do educador patrimonial ambiental

O objetivo desta investigação é analisar as representações de Educadores Ambientais sobre questões de ambiente consideradas relevantes no contexto da Educação Patrimonial Ambiental. Busca compreender a Educação Patrimonial Ambiental como educação para a formação da consciência do sujeito ecológico na perspectiva de que o ambiente é patrimônio. Os dados da investigação foram obtidos durante a realização do Curso Formação de Educadores Ambientais, realizado em Vigia de Nazaré/Pará, por meio de questionário semiestruturado e manifestações dos sujeitos durante o curso. Os sujeitos participantes da pesquisa são professores do Ensino Médio e das Séries Iniciais, Representantes de ONGs e alunos do Ensino Médio. As discussões preliminares ocorrem de acordo com análise do discurso (Orlandi, 2007) e o Discurso do Sujeito Coletivo (Lefèvre; Lefèvre, 2005). Para as análises, os dados foram categorizados com base nas aproximações e similaridades e nas comunalidades dos discursos. As conclusões parciais apontam que há uma tendência crítica na maioria das concepções sobre Educação Ambiental, e as principais temáticas que desenvolvem nos trabalhos educativos estão relacionadas às ações do sujeito humano na sociedade e suas intervenções no meio ambiente. Os sujeitos da pesquisa compreendem que o ambiente é considerado patrimônio e suas concepções se aproximam da teoria da Educação Ambiental Crítica, adotada por Loureiro (2006) e Carvalho (2006).

Educação ambiental escolar, formação humana e formação de professores: articulações necessárias

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

A Universidade e as questões ambientais: a formação de professores em destaque

At the beginning of the 21st century, several crises are intertwined and the environmental crisis is the most global of them all. For a complex and global crisis, which has implications of a social, economic, technological nature, etc., solutions will probably not come from a single source, but rather the sum of efforts of society as a whole (including all its instances, government, business, population, etc.). The objective of this review was to discuss the need to produce “environmental” professionals who, through their activities, are in some way involved with the quality of the environment. We believe that, ultimately, it is the quality of the environment that will ensure the quality of life in a fairer society. Thinking about the training of teachers, as environmental educators in undergraduate (bachelor) universities, means having as a reference the idea of wholeness (environmental, political, educational, social, scientific, etc.) in the diversity that these areas possess. Even though there are many difficulties involved in getting this topic included in the university structure, based on a complex approach, we believe this is one of the best paths toward environmental training.

A teoria, a prática, o professor e a educação ambiental: algumas reflexões

The acceleration of economic and scientific development caused by the production system and mechanistic science, have created new power structures and new political and social problems, including environmental ones, consolidating a period of widespread crisis in different spheres of society. In this context, reflection about the major causes of environmental problems is necessary in the field of environmental education. Therefore, considering that the current environmental crisis is directly related to the mode and the devices of production of the capitalist system, initiatives on environmental education should reflect, from a historical and dialectical process, on what is advocated by capitalist society. Considering the various theoretical-practical concepts and approaches in environmental education, the principles of Critical Environmental Education can provide conditions to confront the structural crisis that we are facing, through the educational process. It is a political process of reflection and critical appropriation of knowledge, attitudes, values and behaviors that aims to contribute to build a sustainable society from the social and environmental points of view. We intend to articulate it through the theoretical formulations of Historical-Critical Pedagogy with the purpose of presenting a reflection that may contribute to a pedagogic response to environmental issues, especially regarding the formation of teachers who develop projects in schools. Thus, this present study intends to highlight the contributions of the philosophy of praxis in the formation of environmental educators, grounded in theoretical aspects of Critical Environmental Education.

A EDUCAÇÃO AMBIENTAL NO CONTEXTO DA FORMAÇÃO DO AGENTE SOCIAL DA TERCEIRA IDADE COMO EDUCADOR

A idéia do envelhecimento como declínio da existência humana começa a perder sentido nas sociedades contemporâneas e dar espaço a uma outra concepção da terceira idade. Neste contexto, a Universidade Metodista de São Paulo, campus Vergueiro São Bernardo do Campo, oferece o curso Universidade Livre da Terceira Idade, que tem como finalidade a formação de agentes sociais. Um dos eixos desse curso é a educação ambiental. Meio ambiente é aqui entendido como entorno do indivíduo, sendo ele natural, construído e sócio-cultural, com suas instituições, saberes e valores. Assim, o educador ambiental apresenta conhecimentos sobre as questões ambientais e habilidade ao lidar com pessoas dos mais diferentes contextos. Nesta perspectiva, o agente social da terceira idade desenvolve os atributos necessários para atuação enquanto educador ambiental, uma vez que trabalha o saber ambiental necessário às ações de intervenção e consolida sua formação pessoal. Este trabalho objetiva analisar a percepção ambiental dos alunos da universidade da terceira idade ao iniciar o curso, dentro do módulo de educação ambiental. Verificar se os conteúdos e metodologias utilizadas na disciplina de educação ambiental contribuem para a formação do agente social da terceira idade e para sua atuação como educador ambiental. O corpo teórico desta pesquisa foi composto pelo conceito de complexidade de Edgar Morin, as idéias de meio ambiente de Enrique Leff, a concepção de educação de Paulo Freire e a compreensão de educação ambiental de Marcos Reigota. Como instrumentos metodológicos, foram utilizados técnicas de análise de documentos, questionários e grupo focal. A apresentação e interpretação dos dados coletados sugerem a viabilidade da atuação do indivíduo da terceira idade como educador ambiental nas ações de intervenção em sua realidade local.