257
individual action. As Schindel Dimick argues (2015, p. 399) “individual action and
consumption show students only limited ways that they can interact with the environment, but there is another way – as the environmental citizen– in which they can
act as members of a public that have shared obligations with others to address concerns about the environment and its resources for themselves, for the global community, for non-human life on earth, and for future generations”.
The establishment for synergies, partnerships and support from academic institutions, NGOs and other social actors could empower schools and educational institutions to adopt flexible mechanisms for integrating Education for Environmental
Citizenship. The adoption of environmental landscapes and ecosystems near the
school will strengthen the relationships of the school with the local environment and
the local communities, which will not only help students to understand their environment, what is affecting it and its problems, but also to develop participatory
behaviours and actions of citizenship to solve these environmental problems.
However, many external factors influence schools and educational institutions
such as school systems, professional unions and associations, available instructional
materials and resources, standards and the results of assessments, parents, taxpayers, trade associations, educational organisations. These all affect a school’s policy
and its effectiveness (Hoy and Miskel, 2008) and not always in a positive way.
Schools should therefore evaluate these external factors and plan appropriately.
15.7 Conclusion
In conclusion, this chapter highlights the importance of the concept of Environmental
Citizenship and the need to reconceptualise it on an educational perspective for
twenty-first century education. The chapter strengthens the significance of the integration of Environmental Citizenship in education and introduces expanded ways of
thinking as it proposes the establishment of the Education for Environmental
Citizenship as a distinct, integrated and holistic educational field with its own aims
and primary tasks. It is also an attempt to provide an educational rationale for developing Environmental Citizenship in schools and educational institutions and to lay
the foundations of Education for Environmental Citizenship, since it discusses fundamental issues such as pedagogy, curriculum and learning materials, teachers and
teacher professional development as well as the role of the educational institutions
and schools. Finally, the European Network for Environmental Citizenship (ENEC)
is expected to serve as a precursor for the establishment and dissemination of
Education for Environmental Citizenship within the research community in the
forthcoming years (Hadjichambis and Reis 2018).
Acknowledgments This chapter is based on work from Cost Action ENEC – European Network
for Environmental Citizenship (CA16229) supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science
and Technology). Thanks to Pedro Reis, Ralph Levinson, Jan Činčera for their comments and suggestions as critical friends.
15 Education for Environmental Citizenship: The Pedagogical Approach
individual action. As Schindel Dimick argues (2015, p. 399) “individual action and
consumption show students only limited ways that they can interact with the environment, but there is another way – as the environmental citizen– in which they can
act as members of a public that have shared obligations with others to address concerns about the environment and its resources for themselves, for the global community, for non-human life on earth, and for future generations”.
The establishment for synergies, partnerships and support from academic institutions, NGOs and other social actors could empower schools and educational institutions to adopt flexible mechanisms for integrating Education for Environmental
Citizenship. The adoption of environmental landscapes and ecosystems near the
school will strengthen the relationships of the school with the local environment and
the local communities, which will not only help students to understand their environment, what is affecting it and its problems, but also to develop participatory
behaviours and actions of citizenship to solve these environmental problems.
However, many external factors influence schools and educational institutions
such as school systems, professional unions and associations, available instructional
materials and resources, standards and the results of assessments, parents, taxpayers, trade associations, educational organisations. These all affect a school’s policy
and its effectiveness (Hoy and Miskel, 2008) and not always in a positive way.
Schools should therefore evaluate these external factors and plan appropriately.
15.7 Conclusion
In conclusion, this chapter highlights the importance of the concept of Environmental
Citizenship and the need to reconceptualise it on an educational perspective for
twenty-first century education. The chapter strengthens the significance of the integration of Environmental Citizenship in education and introduces expanded ways of
thinking as it proposes the establishment of the Education for Environmental
Citizenship as a distinct, integrated and holistic educational field with its own aims
and primary tasks. It is also an attempt to provide an educational rationale for developing Environmental Citizenship in schools and educational institutions and to lay
the foundations of Education for Environmental Citizenship, since it discusses fundamental issues such as pedagogy, curriculum and learning materials, teachers and
teacher professional development as well as the role of the educational institutions
and schools. Finally, the European Network for Environmental Citizenship (ENEC)
is expected to serve as a precursor for the establishment and dissemination of
Education for Environmental Citizenship within the research community in the
forthcoming years (Hadjichambis and Reis 2018).
Acknowledgments This chapter is based on work from Cost Action ENEC – European Network
for Environmental Citizenship (CA16229) supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science
and Technology). Thanks to Pedro Reis, Ralph Levinson, Jan Činčera for their comments and suggestions as critical friends.
15 Education for Environmental Citizenship: The Pedagogical Approach