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view and expands on the developed perspective under a change-oriented educational approach:
1. Knowledge: In Education for Environmental Citizenship, this includes knowledge of ecological concepts and processes that provide the foundations for
understanding the human impact on ecosystems, of the interrelationships
between human and natural systems, of ecosystem services, global change, links
between human activities and environmental problems, environmental health
and environmental action strategies.
2. Critical thinking, analytical skills and problem-solving skills: This involves abilities to critically analyse and evaluate environmental information (environmental, social and economic data), look for scientific evidence-based information
and recognise, distinguish and counteract fake news.
3. Attitudes and values: Environmental awareness and sensitivity, internal locus of
control, sense of environmental justice, assumption of personal environmental
responsibility and averseness to ‘enlightened inaction’.
4. Active participation: Putting into practice the knowledge and skills in environmental issue resolution and enhancing civic engagement aiming at environmental and social change.
It is significant that sociopolitical knowledge is addressed by Education for
Environmental Citizenship alongside ecological knowledge and that citizenship
skills are recognised alongside higher-order thinking skills as foundational bases of
advanced sustainability-oriented environmental literacy (Goldman et al. 2013).
Four proposed Education for Environmental Citizenship competences (C1–
C4) are:
• Education for Environmental Citizenship-C1: Competence for critical analysis,
establishing interrelations between the social, economic and environmental
aspects from local to global levels
• Education for Environmental Citizenship-C2: Competence in the sustainable use
of resources and in the prevention of negative impacts on the natural and social
environment
• Education for Environmental Citizenship-C3: Competence in the application of
ethical principles at personal, local, national and global scales related to the values of Environmental Citizenship
• Education for Environmental Citizenship-C4: Competence for active participation in community processes enhancing environmental protection through environmental and social change
In order to reach these competences, efforts should be taken to increase the initial
teacher education following recommendations to reform (or modify) the curricula
to be more focused on Education for Environmental Citizenship. Special attention
should be paid to introduce change in order to better prepare teachers in primary and
secondary education, for instance, by establishing better educational skills on
Environmental Citizenship at undergraduate and graduate courses. Education for
Environmental Citizenship teachers need to be able to develop practical experiences
G. Parra et al.
view and expands on the developed perspective under a change-oriented educational approach:
1. Knowledge: In Education for Environmental Citizenship, this includes knowledge of ecological concepts and processes that provide the foundations for
understanding the human impact on ecosystems, of the interrelationships
between human and natural systems, of ecosystem services, global change, links
between human activities and environmental problems, environmental health
and environmental action strategies.
2. Critical thinking, analytical skills and problem-solving skills: This involves abilities to critically analyse and evaluate environmental information (environmental, social and economic data), look for scientific evidence-based information
and recognise, distinguish and counteract fake news.
3. Attitudes and values: Environmental awareness and sensitivity, internal locus of
control, sense of environmental justice, assumption of personal environmental
responsibility and averseness to ‘enlightened inaction’.
4. Active participation: Putting into practice the knowledge and skills in environmental issue resolution and enhancing civic engagement aiming at environmental and social change.
It is significant that sociopolitical knowledge is addressed by Education for
Environmental Citizenship alongside ecological knowledge and that citizenship
skills are recognised alongside higher-order thinking skills as foundational bases of
advanced sustainability-oriented environmental literacy (Goldman et al. 2013).
Four proposed Education for Environmental Citizenship competences (C1–
C4) are:
• Education for Environmental Citizenship-C1: Competence for critical analysis,
establishing interrelations between the social, economic and environmental
aspects from local to global levels
• Education for Environmental Citizenship-C2: Competence in the sustainable use
of resources and in the prevention of negative impacts on the natural and social
environment
• Education for Environmental Citizenship-C3: Competence in the application of
ethical principles at personal, local, national and global scales related to the values of Environmental Citizenship
• Education for Environmental Citizenship-C4: Competence for active participation in community processes enhancing environmental protection through environmental and social change
In order to reach these competences, efforts should be taken to increase the initial
teacher education following recommendations to reform (or modify) the curricula
to be more focused on Education for Environmental Citizenship. Special attention
should be paid to introduce change in order to better prepare teachers in primary and
secondary education, for instance, by establishing better educational skills on
Environmental Citizenship at undergraduate and graduate courses. Education for
Environmental Citizenship teachers need to be able to develop practical experiences
G. Parra et al.