Tenuous Affair: Environmental and Outdoor Education in Aotearoa New Zealand

2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Irwin ◽  
Jo Straker
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Environmental Education ◽  
Outdoor Education ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Positive Outcome ◽  
Education For Sustainability ◽  
Doctoral Research ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Nature Studies ◽  
Outdoor Experiences

AbstractThe relationship between outdoor education and environmental education in Aotearoa New Zealand has undergone many changes since formal education began in early colonial times. Discussion draws from qualitative doctoral research undertaken by the authors that investigated education for sustainability in outdoor education and how meaning is ascribed to outdoor experiences. The article describes how environmental education and outdoor education had common historical roots in nature studies that eventually were teased apart by the development of separate agendas for learning and assessment, coupled with the political context of the 1970s and 1980s. The article finds that contemporary forces relating to the economy, society and the environment are now driving a re-engagement of the two discourses in Aotearoa New Zealand at a variety of levels, from schools to national bodies, and that this re-engagement signals a positive outcome for addressing key environmental issues and engaging students in the outdoors.

Outdoor Education in Aotearoa New Zealand

2014 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 431-432
Author(s):  
Patrick T. Maher
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Outdoor Education ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand

scholarly journals Pre-Service Early Childhood Teachers’ Preparedness to Teach Education for Sustainability

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-96
Author(s):  
Anita Croft
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Early Childhood Teachers ◽  
Education For Sustainability ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Sustainability Practices ◽  
Preparedness To Teach

The benefits of beginning Education for Sustainability (EfS) in early childhood are now widely documented. With the support of their teachers, young children have shown that through engagement in sustainability practices they are capable of becoming active citizens in their communities (Duhn, Bachmann, & Harris, 2010; Kelly & White, 2012; Ritchie, 2010; Vaealiki & Mackey, 2008). Engagement with EfS has not been widespread across the early childhood sector in Aotearoa New Zealand (Duhn et al., 2010; Vaealiki & Mackey, 2008) until recently. One way of addressing EfS in early childhood education is through teacher education institutions preparing students to teach EfS when they graduate.

scholarly journals Una evaluación crítica de una experiencia de Educación Ambiental para la Sustentabilidad en el nivel educativo básico en Nuevo León, México

2014 ◽  
pp. 184-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mtra. Astrid Patricia De León Rodríguez ◽  
Dr. José María Infante Bonfiglio
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Education ◽  
Environmental Education ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Education For Sustainability ◽  
Elementary Level ◽  
Education Policies ◽  
Nuevo Leon ◽  
Nuevo León ◽  
Educación Primaria

Este trabajo es el resultado de una investigación sobre los mecanismos que pueden ayudar a comprender el uso y la incorporación de los conceptos y las acciones correspondientes a la introducción de la sustentabilidad y educación ambiental dentro de la educación formal en el nivel básico en Nuevo León. El estudio de caso abarca tres instituciones educativas de nivel básico: el Instituto Nezaldi, la Escuela primaria Vicente Guerrero y el Colegio San Patricio. Se toman en cuenta dos corrientes de la sustentabilidad, la naturalsita y la conservacionista, que determinan el enfoque de la Educación Ambiental para la Sustentabilidad en nuestro estado, tanto en teoría como en práctica. También una descripción de políticas públicas educativas, programas y  planes relacionados a la sustentabilidad que existen en la actualidad para la educación primaria en Nuevo León, así como las acciones que se ligan para construir una sociedad sustentable a través de la educación. AbstractThis research is a summary of the implementation of concepts and activities that are related to sustainability and environmental education inside the formal education of Nuevo León. It is a case study, that include three institutions of elementary education level; Instituto Nezaldi, Escuela Vicente Guerrero and Colegio San Patricio. There are also consider two main sustainability theories, naturalist and conservationist that determine the main focus of the Environmental Education for Sustainability in Nuevo León according to theoretical and practice aspects. It is also consider a description of public policies, education policies, sustainable programs that nowadays are available for elementary level students in Nuevo León, as well as all kind of actions that are involved for a sustainable society through education.Recibido: 25 de agosto de 2013Aceptado: 14 de mayo de 2014 

scholarly journals Evaluation, Science and Pragmatism

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Huntington
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Political Party ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Doctoral Research ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Evidence Based Policy ◽  
Research Uptake ◽  
Policy Work ◽  
Good Policy

In Aotearoa New Zealand, as elsewhere, the evidence-based policy movement has been one of the most visible recent influences on how policies are described, discussed and debated. It is now commonly taken for granted that good policy work involves using evidence, and that it is important to increase the influence of data and research uptake during policy development. Promoting evidence-based policy has even been used as the raison d’être for the founding of a political party. However, the voices and perspectives of practitioners themselves are often missing from conversations about evidence’s role in policy work. Drawing on my doctoral research, this article presents three stances that frame how policy workers approach evidence in their practice.

The Place of Experience and the Experience of Place: Intersections Between Sustainability Education and Outdoor Learning

2013 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allen Hill
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Outdoor Education ◽  
Social Economic ◽  
Sustainability Education ◽  
Environmental Issues ◽  
Outdoor Learning ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Critical Scrutiny ◽  
Development Of Attitudes

AbstractAs social, economic and environmental issues have become more prominent in the 21st century, there has been increased critical scrutiny into the ways that outdoor learning interacts with sustainability issues and concepts. As a result, a number of discourses have emerged which interrogate human/nature relationships in traditional outdoor education and propose greater engagement with place-responsive or sustainable approaches. Drawing on research with teachers in Aotearoa New Zealand, this article explores possible intersections between sustainability education outdoor learning. Accordingly, this article focuses on two key ideas: First, the nexus of experience and place offers significant promise for educational endeavours that seek to educate for a sustainable future. Second, traditional conceptions of wilderness as a pedagogical site, can be problematic for outdoor education programs which seek to claim the ground of sustainability. While there is much that can be gained from journeys in remote pristine environments, not all of these experiences necessarily lead to the development of attitudes, understandings, skills, and motivation to live more sustainably. Furthermore, approaches to outdoor learning that seek to develop connection to and care for remote, pristine places, at the same time ignoring more local or impacted places, could present a dichotomous view of ‘nature’ to students, thereby disrupting efforts to educate for sustainability.

Environmental Myopia: The Case For Bifocals

2011 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris North ◽  
Garrett Hutson
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Environmental Education ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Environmental Problems ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Environmental Consequences ◽  
Leave No Trace ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Environmental Educators

Domestic and international tourists have major impacts on Aotearoa/New Zealand, both positive and negative. In 2010, tourism was the biggest export earner and continues to grow. Environmental consequences of tourism are also growing. Ways of addressing the environmental impacts caused by a mobile society continue to be debated from a variety of practical and theoretical positions. Place-based approaches are a logical discussion focus in addressing these types of social and environmental problems but may be associated with environmental myopia. Tourism, mobility and the principles of environmental education programs such as Leave No Trace are all contested topics within the place-based discourse. This article discusses these tensions and proposes an expansion of place-based and cosmopolitan approaches, with the Leave No Trace Aotearoa/New Zealand campaign presented as an example. The article concludes with possible implications of a more bifocal approach for environmental educators.

scholarly journals An 'open letter to teachers'

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-60
Author(s):  
Janette Kelly-Ware
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Curriculum Planning ◽  
Early Childhood Curriculum ◽  
Daily Work ◽  
Doctoral Research ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
The Social ◽  
Shared Humanity ◽  
Just Society ◽  
Socially Relevant

Teaching is a highly complex and political endeavour, and as teachers, we need to be courageous as we support children to make sense of the increasingly complex and diverse societies that we live in. My doctoral research highlighted a number of issues related to teachers and curriculum. Te Whāriki, the Aotearoa New Zealand early childhood curriculum is the framework for critical socially relevant curriculum, and this letter speaks to teachers whose daily work involves recognising and responding to children’s ‘working theories’ about the social world. I argue that as teachers we need to be reflective and reflexive, and think critically about curriculum planning to go beyond children’s surface interests and focus on deeper issues like fairness, justice, anti-racism and our shared humanity – issues of concern to society as a whole. As teachers, we also need to involve families in the conversations that they are part of, and privy to, so together we can create a fairer, more just society for all who call Aotearoa New Zealand home.

scholarly journals The Five Cs of Positive Youth Development in an Aotearoa/New Zealand Program Context

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 36-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jayne Mercier ◽  
Catherine Powell ◽  
Georgina Langdon-Pole ◽  
Daleki (Fole) Finau ◽  
Karen Hicks ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Young People ◽  
Youth Development ◽  
Positive Youth Development ◽  
Education Program ◽  
Outdoor Education ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Five Cs

This study took a qualitative look at an Aotearoa/New Zealand-based positive youth development outdoor-education program in schools using the 5 Cs model of positive youth development. The viewpoints of young people, parents, and teachers were gathered, providing an opportunity to explore additional perspectives of the 5 Cs. All 5 Cs were seen to be present in the program and the 6th C of contribution was also observed. The Cs of competence, confidence and connection featured strongly, whilst the C of connection appeared to be important to young people’s experience of the program. Young people and adults prioritized different outcomes, with adults focusing more on future impacts and young people identifying more immediate benefits. The findings of this study add to an understanding of the 5 Cs model beyond the American context and highlight areas for future research.

scholarly journals University Leadership for Sustainability: an Active Dendritic Framework for Enabling Connection and Collaboration

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Pamela Margaret Williams
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Education For Sustainability ◽  
University Leadership ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Sustainability Learning ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Need For Support ◽  
Sustainability Initiatives ◽  
The University ◽  
Depth Interviews

<p>In a world with increasing environmental and social problems, education is widely accepted as being critical for meeting current and predicted sustainable development issues. This thesis explores possible reasons for the relatively low levels of education-for-sustainability programmes in universities in Aotearoa New Zealand, compared to selected international universities with coherent inter-disciplinary sustainability programmes of learning. The research involved qualitative in-depth interviews with two sub-sets of academic participants teaching in universities, twenty from selected international universities and ten from universities in Aotearoa New Zealand. A grounded theory methodology approach was chosen to analyse the extensive range of qualitative data. Analysis revealed generic essential themes underlying the experiences of the two sets of participants. Key themes included the importance of building connections between distributed sustainability leaders and the need for support from hierarchical university leadership for developing substantive sustainability learning initiatives. A theoretical model is proposed: an active dendritic framework for university leadership for sustainability, for improving collaborative learning within and across disciplinary areas, and building capacity for university-wide learning, leading to establishing coherent sustainability initiatives. Recommendations are offered for improving the uptake of education-forsustainability in universities in Aotearoa New Zealand, based on the research findings and the potential for using the dendritic framework for assisting connection and collaboration between transformational sustainability leaders within the university.</p>

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