255
Engaging students in authentic controversial environmental socio-scientific
issues that need a solution could be of great importance. Environmental education
which focuses on authentic inquiry and action as well as on civic engagement and
participation is more appropriate for the development of the Environmental
Citizenship needed to achieve sustainability (Berkowitz et al. 2005) and responsible
research and innovation. The Education for Environmental Citizenship curricula is
important to provide opportunities for students to act as environmental citizens.
Assessment of Education for Environmental Citizenship should take place at different levels from the micro-level to the macro-level, from the individual level to the
collective level, and from knowledge to praxis. There is a need to have the appropriate metrics to assess the outputs of Education for Environmental Citizenship on
students, groups, classes, educational programmes, schools, communities, educators, the educational community, and even in educational systems. These needs
could be an emphasis in future research.
The Education for Environmental Citizenship Pedagogical Approach could be
implemented in both formal and non-formal settings as well as in different levels of
education (e.g., primary and secondary). Of course, an adequate differentiation
should be undertaken according to students’ ages, educational settings as well as
educational contexts. Future research with empirical studies will shed light in this
differentiation of the Education for Environmental Citizenship Pedagogical Approach.
15.5 Teachers and Teacher Professional Development
for Education for Environmental Citizenship
Teachers play a crucial role in influencing the knowledge, values, attitudes, actions
and their students’ citizenry towards the environment and thus influence the outcome of the observed environmental challenges (e.g., Hungerford 2010; DesjeanPerrotta et al. 2008). Pre-service and in-service training is therefore of particular
importance to empower teachers to act as formative agents of Environmental
Citizenship. However, what abilities and competences should teachers have in order
to be able to engage in Education for Environmental Citizenship? Which Teacher
Professional Development (TPD) models are the most appropriate to train educators
for Education for Environmental Citizenship? Which teacher-oriented strategies
could help the establishment of Education for Environmental Citizenship? These
are two questions that need to be answered in order to facilitate teachers’ engagement in the new initiative of Education for Environmental Citizenship.
A large number of scholars argue for the importance of ecological literacy in
teacher education (e.g., Effeney and Davis 2013; Desjean-Perrotta et al. 2008).
Well-designed teacher professional development programmes aiming at
Environmental Citizenship, in addition to ecological literacy, need to include educational approaches that involve teachers in the process of solving authentic
environmental problems (Short 2010a, b). Additionally, TPD programmes should
15 Education for Environmental Citizenship: The Pedagogical Approach
Engaging students in authentic controversial environmental socio-scientific
issues that need a solution could be of great importance. Environmental education
which focuses on authentic inquiry and action as well as on civic engagement and
participation is more appropriate for the development of the Environmental
Citizenship needed to achieve sustainability (Berkowitz et al. 2005) and responsible
research and innovation. The Education for Environmental Citizenship curricula is
important to provide opportunities for students to act as environmental citizens.
Assessment of Education for Environmental Citizenship should take place at different levels from the micro-level to the macro-level, from the individual level to the
collective level, and from knowledge to praxis. There is a need to have the appropriate metrics to assess the outputs of Education for Environmental Citizenship on
students, groups, classes, educational programmes, schools, communities, educators, the educational community, and even in educational systems. These needs
could be an emphasis in future research.
The Education for Environmental Citizenship Pedagogical Approach could be
implemented in both formal and non-formal settings as well as in different levels of
education (e.g., primary and secondary). Of course, an adequate differentiation
should be undertaken according to students’ ages, educational settings as well as
educational contexts. Future research with empirical studies will shed light in this
differentiation of the Education for Environmental Citizenship Pedagogical Approach.
15.5 Teachers and Teacher Professional Development
for Education for Environmental Citizenship
Teachers play a crucial role in influencing the knowledge, values, attitudes, actions
and their students’ citizenry towards the environment and thus influence the outcome of the observed environmental challenges (e.g., Hungerford 2010; DesjeanPerrotta et al. 2008). Pre-service and in-service training is therefore of particular
importance to empower teachers to act as formative agents of Environmental
Citizenship. However, what abilities and competences should teachers have in order
to be able to engage in Education for Environmental Citizenship? Which Teacher
Professional Development (TPD) models are the most appropriate to train educators
for Education for Environmental Citizenship? Which teacher-oriented strategies
could help the establishment of Education for Environmental Citizenship? These
are two questions that need to be answered in order to facilitate teachers’ engagement in the new initiative of Education for Environmental Citizenship.
A large number of scholars argue for the importance of ecological literacy in
teacher education (e.g., Effeney and Davis 2013; Desjean-Perrotta et al. 2008).
Well-designed teacher professional development programmes aiming at
Environmental Citizenship, in addition to ecological literacy, need to include educational approaches that involve teachers in the process of solving authentic
environmental problems (Short 2010a, b). Additionally, TPD programmes should
15 Education for Environmental Citizenship: The Pedagogical Approach