171
11.4.4 Development of Action Competence
In relation to environmental behaviours and key skills for Environmental Citizenship,
habits such as energy savings or recycling are worth encouraging and have received
high levels of social acceptance. However more general action competences (like
cooperation or decision-making skills) are needed to successfully address current
environmental problems and the challenges related to an uncertain future (Jensen
and Schnack 1997). Cooperation, problem-solving and skills to identify elementary
casual links and feedback loops in basic social and environmental systems are key
competencies worth developing in this age period, along with the ability to recognise and express values for one’s self and others (Wiek et al. 2011).
The most straightforward way for competence development is student participation in real-life projects. Different research across the globe reports on successful
experiences when involving primary school students in real-life environmental projects intended at developing their action skills in relation to local issues.
For instance, in the framework of a national programme of education for sustainability in Australia, primary school students worked on a wide variety of projects
(planting native reeds at the local lake, creating a community permaculture garden
and conducting a trial for a turtle nesting site). Teachers used a specific approach
called the ‘whole systems thinking’ to support students in the development of their
projects. Evidence showed that conducting environmental education projects, with
an education for sustainability perspective, was an effective, meaningful approach
to develop environmental awareness of the whole systems thinking and pupils’
social, civic and environmental responsibility for local issues.
Moving from Australia to Africa and in an attempt to build the social capacity to
address key environmental issues in Ethiopia, a pilot project was designed to use
primary schools as change centres and teachers and students as change agents to
bring about positive changes on the biophysical environment. Eleven upper-level
primary schools were selected to take part in the dissemination of alternative energy
know-how and technologies The results indicated that participating schools attracted
the attention of individuals and community-based organisations, engaging them in
the demand and use of alternative energy sources, showing that schools could act
not only as centres of dissemination of knowledge about environmental but also a
place where skills are developed to seek sustainable solutions to these problems
(Dalelo 2008).
In Portugal, a qualitative study was conducted to understand the potential of collective initiatives to empower primary school students to take action in relation to
local environmental issues. Participants were 26 third grade students and their
teachers. The results showed that the students’ engagement in addressing the local
issues required them to mobilise their scientific knowledge to support their actions,
as well as the development of several other competences. Students became aware
that acting is crucial to overcome issues that may persist and impact future generations and that only by engaging in action can change take place (Baptista et al. 2018).
11 Environmental Citizenship in Primary Formal Education
11.4.4 Development of Action Competence
In relation to environmental behaviours and key skills for Environmental Citizenship,
habits such as energy savings or recycling are worth encouraging and have received
high levels of social acceptance. However more general action competences (like
cooperation or decision-making skills) are needed to successfully address current
environmental problems and the challenges related to an uncertain future (Jensen
and Schnack 1997). Cooperation, problem-solving and skills to identify elementary
casual links and feedback loops in basic social and environmental systems are key
competencies worth developing in this age period, along with the ability to recognise and express values for one’s self and others (Wiek et al. 2011).
The most straightforward way for competence development is student participation in real-life projects. Different research across the globe reports on successful
experiences when involving primary school students in real-life environmental projects intended at developing their action skills in relation to local issues.
For instance, in the framework of a national programme of education for sustainability in Australia, primary school students worked on a wide variety of projects
(planting native reeds at the local lake, creating a community permaculture garden
and conducting a trial for a turtle nesting site). Teachers used a specific approach
called the ‘whole systems thinking’ to support students in the development of their
projects. Evidence showed that conducting environmental education projects, with
an education for sustainability perspective, was an effective, meaningful approach
to develop environmental awareness of the whole systems thinking and pupils’
social, civic and environmental responsibility for local issues.
Moving from Australia to Africa and in an attempt to build the social capacity to
address key environmental issues in Ethiopia, a pilot project was designed to use
primary schools as change centres and teachers and students as change agents to
bring about positive changes on the biophysical environment. Eleven upper-level
primary schools were selected to take part in the dissemination of alternative energy
know-how and technologies The results indicated that participating schools attracted
the attention of individuals and community-based organisations, engaging them in
the demand and use of alternative energy sources, showing that schools could act
not only as centres of dissemination of knowledge about environmental but also a
place where skills are developed to seek sustainable solutions to these problems
(Dalelo 2008).
In Portugal, a qualitative study was conducted to understand the potential of collective initiatives to empower primary school students to take action in relation to
local environmental issues. Participants were 26 third grade students and their
teachers. The results showed that the students’ engagement in addressing the local
issues required them to mobilise their scientific knowledge to support their actions,
as well as the development of several other competences. Students became aware
that acting is crucial to overcome issues that may persist and impact future generations and that only by engaging in action can change take place (Baptista et al. 2018).
11 Environmental Citizenship in Primary Formal Education