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Environmental Responsibility: Teachers' Views
Abstract
Environmental Responsibility: Teachers' Views
This research paper investigates the views of the teachers of elementary and secondary schools in Greece with regard to who bears the responsibility for the state of the environment, as well as who should bear the cost of its protection. The research was carried out at the Environmental Education Centre of Kissavos-Mavrovounio. The research subjects were 144 teachers undergoing training in environmental education. The teachers believe that today the quality of both the natural and the urban environments worsens with those most responsible, in order of importance, being the industrialists and businesses, public administration and control mechanisms, politicians and laws, the citizens as consumers, judges and the judicial system and the farmers as producers. According to the respondents, the parties less responsible are the journalists and the mass media, researchers and scientists and, finally, teachers and the educational system in general. With regard to who should bear the cost of environmental protection, the vast majority think that the government should be the one to pay. The ideas of indirect and direct taxation, the adoption of a lower standard of living are much less accepted.
... In the specific context of massive waste generation, it is not always assumed that the continued demand for products implies a direct personal involvement in the problem [26], transferring the perceived responsibility to the productive industry [27]. Moreover, even when consumerism is recognised as the cause of the problem, it can be justified by linking it to economic growth and the generation of employment [28]. ...
... This can lead to feelings of frustration or helplessness, which may hinder the adoption of the necessary behavioural changes [33,34]. Indeed, there is a widespread perception that it is other sectors which need to take action, especially the institutional and economic sectors [27,35]. ...
... With respect to responsibility (CR), a comparative analysis was made of the level of responsibility they give to different spheres: individual, public administration, society and the business sector [27]. With respect to their willingness to change their habits (CW) and their behaviours (CB), the analysis focused on the priority they give to waste reduction [12,20]. ...
Massive waste generation linked to overconsumption is considered one of the most significant socio-ecological issues today, becoming a challenge for health and well-being and a barrier to achieving sustainability. Education is key to raising awareness and involving citizens in the adoption of responsible consumption habits, facilitating the recognition of the relationship between our daily activities and the production of waste. The aim of this exploratory study is to analyse the perceptions and commitments of future secondary school teachers (FTs) toward this issue and to explore the educational approaches they propose to address it in the classroom (n = 138). In this work, a mixed-methods approach was used based on quantitative and qualitative data collected through a questionnaire. The results show that FTs have difficulties in recognising the different factors involved in the problem of massive waste generation. However, they incorporate the health and ecological vision, which is close to the holistic vision of the One Health approach. The majority of them take personal responsibility for the problem, although they opt for low-effort options. Regarding the educational proposals they design, only a minority can do it following a commitment-oriented approach.
... But we need to consider that there is a generalized lack of personal involvement in this decision-making process (Martínez-Borreguero et al. 2020). Some authors point to the widespread perception that individual actions play a minimal role in a global context where other agents, such as governments or companies, are the ones who should act (Manolas & Tampakis, 2010). Skamp et al. (2013) argued that education needs to be able to motivate students into action, by promoting the feeling that they can influence the future of the world and that environmental protection is important for society. ...
... In this sense, it seems that most FTs are concerned and aware of the socio-ecological challenges; despite not being willing to accept their own responsibility and adopt the necessary changes (Banos-González et al. 2021;Martínez-Borreguero et al. 2020;Manolas & Tampakis, 2010). Varela-Losada et al. (2021) pointed out that, among FTs, some express doubts about the human origin of environmental problems and are indifferent to the need for individual and social responsibility (disengaged profile). ...
... Specifically, participants value and justify the relevance of certain areas as causes of the problem and in achieving solutions (P1 and P2). These domains, in line with Manolas and Tampakis (2010) are institutional, economic, social and personal. In addition, they identify what kind of consequences the presence of microplastics in the environment generates (P3). ...
... With regard to this problem, some studies indicate that the individualistic framework promoted by capitalist systems often causes a feeling of powerlessness when facing global problems [50,64]. Furthermore, people tend to hide behind the responsibility of the business sector and the political sphere in order to avoid getting involved [65], ignoring the fact that, although transformation must come from the social sphere, it is necessary to promote it from personal empowerment [64,66]. Will these teachers be able to promote change starting in the schools when they do not seem to believe in the need to modify their own lifestyles? ...
The aim of our research was to study attitudinal trends in Spanish trainee teachers regarding Global Environmental Change (GEC), in order to identify elements that should be enhanced in their education. The Scale of Global Environmental Change (SGEC) was used as a measurement instrument to explore attitudes on how to deal with GEC. A cluster analysis of the scores of the four SGEC factors (N = 950) was carried out in order to segment the cases into groups of similar response profiles. Two solutions are proposed: one made up of two clusters (Concerned and Disengaged) and the other of four clusters (Egocentric, Indifferent, Sceptical and Committed). Furthermore, we have analysed whether some of the students’ characteristics significantly influence their inclusion in one cluster or another. The results of this study show that among trainee teachers there are sceptical, self-centered and indifferent trends, which do not correspond to people capable of promoting the transformation needed to deal with GEC. Therefore, it is necessary to improve their training with new educational models that favour the recognition of the real origin of socio-environmental problems and provide them with skills to promote individual and social responsibility.
... The fact that environmental values have an important place in the expression of citizens' environmental responsibility behaviors (Biagi and Ferro, 2011) has led to many studies examining opinions and beliefs of teachers and teacher candidates on environmental education, sustainability and nature in different countries (Cotton, 2006;Munoz et al., 2009;Manolas and Tampakis, 2010;Begum, 2012;Ahi et al., 2017;Uitto and Saloranta, 2017;Aarnio-Linnanvuori, 2019). Green et al. (2016) addressed the role of governments in overcoming environmental problems in their study and highlighted the need to handle the solution in the dimensions of citizen and government. ...
... Ahi, Balci, and Alicinano glu 2017;Munoz et al. 2009), but much less that analyses their experience of environmental responsibility specifically. However, according to Manolas and Tampakis (2010), Greek teachers consider businesses, administrations, and politicians and laws to be most responsible for environmental problems. In addition, they consider citizens responsible, because as consumers citizens create a demand for production. ...
Environmental responsibility can be collective or individual. In environmental education, private-sphere responsibility is often promoted. However, emphasising individual pro-environmental behaviour may cause problems, such as feelings of guilt and powerlessness, a focus on ineffective activities, and gendered responsibility. In this article, I discuss the perceptions of 13 environmentally minded Finnish teachers concerning environmental responsibility. Results suggest that the individualisation of environmental responsibility may limit educational possibilities at school. Although the interviewees are well aware of significant environmental behaviours, they perceive their pupils’ range of action possibilities as narrow. Based on the results, I suggest that collective responsibility be promoted in environmental education, and practitioners should develop easy options for youth participation.
... The main environmental issues affecting the planet are pollution, the disruption of the balance of ecosystems and the over-exploitation of natural resources 2 . Moreover, human beings, as users of the various ecosystems, consume products whose production involves a number of polluting activities, and therefore certainly contribute to the current downgrading of the quality of the environment 3 . The main causes of the leading environmental problems include: over-consumption, the exploitation of the earth natural resources and over-population 4 . ...
The objective of this paper is to study the effect of mass media on shaping the attitudes and behaviour of elementary school teachers in Greece in relation to environmental issues. The study highlights the structural cohesion of the questions which comprise the main 'factors' which impact on the teachers attitudes and behaviour, and their significance as regards their final formulation. In order to examine the structure of the parameters linked to the effects of mass media on formulating the views, attitudes and, therefore, the behaviour of teachers concerning environmental issues, Non-linear-categorical Principal Components Analysis with optimum scaling was used, which was applied to the teachers answers to questions related to the evaluation: as a result of the application of this method, five (5) significant components were identified which account for 72.104% of the total variance. The components analysis shows that the composition and definition of a 'model' which describes the effect of the mass media on shaping the teachers attitudes and behaviours regarding environmental issues is dominated by the promotion and frequency of promotion of environmental problems by the mass media; the model also highlights the role of newspapers, the internet and magazines in raising public awareness. Teachers are not only affected by the promotion of environmental problems but also by the substantial contribution of the mass media in addressing them.
Global Environmental Change (GEC) refers to alterations in the structure and functioning of Earth Systems arising from the detrimental effects of human activities in the biophysical and socioeconomic spheres. This study constructs and validates a scale to measure GEC-related attitudes (SGEC) for use with educators and the public. The results, which were validated by a wide sample (N = 962), show a factor structure of four well-defined interrelated factors (χ² = 268.75; p < .000; χ²/gl = 1.84; AIC = 394.75; CFI = .934; RMSEA = .042 [.034 .050]), with reliability (α = .817, glb = .894, Ω = .855). The factors were Social Responsibility (SR), Need to Cope (NC), Individual Responsibility (IR), Anthropogenic Origin (AO). These factors and findings suggest the SGEC can provide relevant information on: (i) awareness of the anthropogenic origins of GEC, (ii) perceptions of the need to deal with GEC, and attributions of (iii) social and (iv) individual responsibility in solving and mitigating GEC-related problems.
Nowadays, governments admit that environmental pollution is the most dramatic problem to threaten anything in the world therefore, they offered some courses like environmental education of the students by starting their preschool years as a solution to the matters, as it is the most suitable stage to acommodate any habits related with environmental education The purpose of this study was to put forward environmental educational process of the preschoolars and their preschool teachers' views in the frames of pre-training, while-training and post-training practices and to determine to what extend the classroom practices would work about environment education, recycling and disposing of used up batteries.The study comprised 60 preschoolars from 4 preschool education institutions and 6 pre-service teachers from the Faculty of Education in Konya. After having trained the preschoolars for 4 weeks about eco-system, ecology, recycling and clear environment the pre-service teachers explained that the preschoolars would be conscious environmentalists for sustainable community.
This study marks the end of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development that coincides with the 10th anniversary of the Baltic and Black Sea Circle Consortium on Educational Research (BBCC), and aims to analyse the research output performance of BBCC members and other scholars published in the Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability (JTEFS) during this last decade. Using the methodology of bibliometric study and literature review, the authors describe the main bibliographic indicators of JTEFS and provide a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the research paradigms and their developmental changes in the papers published by JTEFS (2005ñ2014). The results of the study show that in general the journal has evolved in line with the advanced trends in educational research, research in teacher education, research in sustainability education and sustainability studies in higher education. The analysis of published papers indicates both the progress and issues of research in teacher education for sustainability. The authors conclude with some visionary insights into the further development of JTEFS and this research field in general.
Purpose
– This paper aims to contribute to the body of practical knowledge about reorienting teacher education to address sustainability by reflecting on an action research experience from a study course on sustainability in a regional university.
Design/methodology/approach
– It contemplates the usage of aesthetic learning to activate pre-service teachers’ presentational knowing about inclusion and exclusion – modes of relationships which are essentially sustainable and unsustainable, respectively. The research participants are involved in creation, interpretation and discussion of drawings-cum-concept-maps about inclusive and exclusionary relationships in social and educational contexts.
Findings
– The participants are found to express their knowledge through presentational forms such as colour, spatial alignment, direction and mimicry.
Research limitations/implications
– This qualitative study being an action research into the particulars of a specific situation precludes abstract generalisation. Yet it is hoped that the findings may illuminate related concerns in similar contexts as educators seek inspiration and guidance for improving their practices of implementing teacher education for sustainability.
Originality/value
– The paper proposes aesthetic learning as a means to involve pre-service teachers in active generation of personally meaningful and practically applicable insights, enabling communication of complex ideas and fostering emotional engagement with peers. It is also suggested as a pathway towards accessing, exploring and, potentially, enriching the participants’ assumptions about relational issues such as inclusion and exclusion as pre-service teachers strive to make personal sense of what it means to live sustainably.
The sixth edition of Environment and Society continues to connect issues about human societies, ecological systems, and environments with data and perspectives from different fields. The text looks at the environment from a primarily sociological viewpoint and is designed for courses in Environmental Sociology and Environmental Issues in departments of Sociology, Environmental Studies, Anthropology, Political Science, and Human Geography. Clearly defined terms and theories help quickly acquaint students from various backgrounds with the material. Every chapter of the sixth edition has been significantly revised with new research, data, concepts, and ideas. Also new to this edition, the end of each chapter features review questions, as well as additional examples and conceptual questions that help make macro-micro links between large-scale issues and lived experiences.
Preface. Development of ideas on natural resources and the environment. Economics and policies in fisheries. Economics and policies in forestry. Agriculture and the environment. Economics of mining, petroleum and natural gas. Economics of environmental degradation and policies. International environmental problems. Valuation methods for environmental costs and benefits. Economics of natural wonders. Economics and policies in nuclear waste disposal. Ordinary and modified discounting in natural resource and environmental policies.
Part 1 Introduction: Environmentalism and Social Movement Theory. Part 2 Movements in Context: The Evolution of Environmentalism Europeans and Environmentalism. Part 3 Environmental Organizations: The Organization of Environmentalism Environmental Elites. Part 4 Political Repertoires: Defining the Agenda Alliance Patterns and Environmental Networks Patterns of Action Political Parties and Environmentalism. Part 5 Conclusion: Environmental Poltics and Advanced Industrial Democracies.
The most serious long-term threat facing the world is the danger that human actions are producing irreversible, harmful changes to the environmental condi-tions that support life on Earth. If this problem is not overcome, there may be no viable world for our descendants to inhabit. Because this threat is caused by human population growth, overconsumption, and lack of resource conservation, social scientists have a vital role in helping our world escape ecological disaster and approach a sustainable level of impact on the environment—one that can be maintained indefinitely. Enormous changes to human lifestyles and cultural practices may be required to reach this goal. This article discusses major obstacles to this goal, describes a variety of motivational approaches toward reaching it, and proposes that we should view the achievement of sustainable living patterns as a superordinate goal—a war against the common enemy of an uninhabitable world. A central topic of this Journal issue is sustainability, that is, the urgent need for us to use the Earth's resources in ways that will allow human beings and other species to continue to exist acceptably on Earth in the future. In 1987, the Brundtland Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) defined sustainable development as "meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" (p. 363). Starkly stated, the issue is whether there will be a livable world for our descendants and other creatures to inhabit.
The most serious long-term threat facing the world is the danger that human actions are producing irreversible, harmful changes to the environmental conditions that support life on Earth. If this problem is not overcome, there may be no viable world for our descendants to inhabit. Because this threat is caused by human population growth, overconsumption, and lack of resource conservation, social scientists have a vital role in helping our world escape ecological disaster and approach a sustainable level of impact on the environment—one that can be maintained indefinitely. Enormous changes to human lifestyles and cultural practices may be required to reach this goal. This article discusses major obstacles to this goal, describes a variety of motivational approaches toward reaching it, and proposes that we should view the achievement of sustainable living patterns as a superordinate goal—a war against the common enemy of an uninhabitable world.
The most serious long-term threat facing the world is the danger that human actions are producing irreversible harmful changes to the environmental conditions that support life on Earth. If this problem is not overcome, there may be no viable world for our descendants to inhabit. Enormous changes to human lifestyles and cultural practices may be required to reach the goal of a sustainable level of impact on the environment—i.e., one that can be maintained indefinitely. Social science courses can aid in reaching this goal by teaching about environmentally responsible behavior. Such teaching should provide sound information and strengthen motivation and behavioral skills that are necessary to make the needed changes in behavior and lifestyles. This paper discusses major obstacles to the goal of sustainability, describes a variety of motivational approaches toward accomplishing it, and proposes that we should view the achievement of sustainable living patterns as a superordinate goal—a war against the common enemy of an uninhabitable world.
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