1. Learning for a Sustainable Environment
2. Action Research Guide
3. Sample Completed Reflection Guide
4. Sample Action Research Case Study

INTRODUCTION

Change and development in the twentieth century have brought many social and economic benefits to the people and nations of the Asia-Pacific region. However, these changes have also helped cause a range of environmental problems. Overcoming these problems depends upon collaboration between researchers and governments in the region to find scientific, technological, legislative and economic solutions. Many of these solutions also depend upon education.

Indeed, the international community is in wide agreement that education has an enormously important role to play in educating and motivating citizens to participate in environmental improvement and protection. Over two decades ago, Schumacher described education as "the greatest resource" in his endeavour. In the last decade, major international reports have stressed this also. The theme of the Brundtland Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development (1987), Caring for the Earth: A Strategy for Sustainable Living (prepared as the World Conservation Strategy for the 1990s) (1991), and Agenda 21 (the Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro) (1992) is that it is possible to sustain cultures and redress environmental decline without jeopardising the ecosystem or resources base for the future. Each report speaks to the imperative of education to engender this ethic (Fien and Tilbury 1996).

In the Asia-Pacific region also, education has been identified as a critical factor and countries have adopted a range of strategies for implementing programs in environmental education. Many workshops and training programs have been organised since the 1986 Regional Meeting of Experts in Bangkok at which an action plan was developed for environmental education from primary through post graduate levels. Significant work is taking place in redefining environmental education in an Asia-Pacific context, particularly to incorporate concepts of sustainable development. Much exploration of how teacher education can rise to the occasion of the great need for environmental education and for teacher education in environmental education is on-going in the region.

HISTORY

Four regional and subregional gatherings were held leading up to the Learning for a Sustainable Environment project. The first was an International Experts Meeting on Overcoming the Barriers to the Successful Implementation of Environmental Education through Teacher Education held at Griffith University in Brisbane 4-9 July 1993. There, delegates and official observers from seventeen countries developed guidelines and recommendations for achieving the goal, embodied in this title of the meeting.

Next, a seminar on Environmental Education and Teacher Education in Asia and the Pacific was held in Tokyo, Japan on 20 October to 5 November 1993. This meeting's first recommendations was for an action plan for UNESCO and ACEID to create prototype teacher education materials for trialing and revision followed by region-wide implementation. This recommendation was in accord with the focus on competencies for the environmentally educated teacher identified in the Brisbane meeting.

The recommendation was also adopted by the South East Asia Ministers of Education Organisation (SEAMEO) and UNESCO subregional conference on environment education and secondary teacher education held in Penang, Malaysia, 6-9 December 1993.

Finally, a meeting was hosted by Griffith University in Brisbane from 26 June to 1 July 1994 to plan a specific project to promote innovations in environmental education in teacher education, Learning for a Sustainable Environment - Innovation in Teacher Education.

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

Based on country reports submitted to these UNESCO seminars, a series of guiding principles aimed at enhancing the quality and relevance of education for the environment were consolidated at the fourth meeting. These principles represent a summary of best practice in contemporary environmental education in the region:

• Environmental education considers the environment in its totality, i.e. ecological, political, natural, technological, sociological, aesthetic and built environments.
  
• Environmental education develops awareness of the importance, beauty and wonder that is, and can be, found in these aspects of the environment.
  
• Environmental education explores not only the physical qualities of the human relationship with the environment, but also the spiritual aspect of this relationship.
  
• Environmental education is a response to the challenge of moving towards an ecologically and socially sustainable world.
  
• Environmental education is concerned with the interaction between the quality of the biophysical environment and the socio-economic environment.
  
• Environmental education transcends the division of knowledge, skills and attitudes by seeking commitment to action in an informed manner to realistic sustainability.
  
• Environmental education recognises the value of local knowledge, practices and perceptions in enhancing sustainability.
  
• Environmental education supports relevant education by focusing learning on local environments.
  
• Environmental education considers the global as well as the local environment. Since the world is a set of inter-related systems, there is a need for a world perspective on environmental issues.
  
• Environmental education focuses on current and future perspectives on environmental conditions.
  
• Environmental education is interdisciplinary and can be taught through and used to enhance all subjects in the curriculum.
  
• Environmental education emphasises participation in preventing and solving environmental problems and revokes the passive accumulation of information about the environment. It should foster and arouse a sense of personal responsibility. Greater motivation and commitment towards the resolution of the environmental situation.
  
• Action is both a vehicle for and an outcome of environmental education.
  
• Environmental education develops the skills:
  - to identify alternative solutions for the environmental situation;
  - to clarify the values associated with the alternatives, and
  - to use these values to make decisions about which alternatives to choose.

  

Developing educational programmes based upon those principles may pose problems for many teachers, especially those who work in formal, centrally organised education systems. As Professor Peter Fensham stated in the Final Report of this Planning Group Meeting:

The curriculum goals of environmental education overlap with, but also differ quite markedly from, those for other more familiar components in the school curriculum...Environmental education in its fullness involves very major changes in the ways teachers conceive of, and act in their classrooms. There are many ways teachers can contribute to education for the environment that involve smaller, but significant changes of thought and action. Conceptual and real behavioural changes, however large or small, are not easy and teachers are no different from others in not finding significant change easy.

Invitations to change, or to try innovatory teaching strategies are almost inevitably seen as 'additions' and hence requiring extra time and effort. The suggestion to innovate often comes as part of an external innovator's timetable and not at the point in the teachers' lives when they are dissatisfied with their present practice, and hence are looking for alternatives to solve a problem they personally recognise. The uncertain outcomes of using alternative pedagogies also are more likely to be seen as threatening the teacher's authority and stability of their classrooms than as improving these relationships, as they may in fact do

(UNESCO-ACEID, 1994).

The environmental education of teachers must address problems such as these and, to the greatest extent possible, be consistent with the principles of environmental education.

THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

One problem encountered in developing the Learning for a Sustainable Environment project was to find a way of supporting environmental education in teacher education in such a culturally diverse region as Asia and the Pacific - a region that includes both the most populous country in the world (China) and some of the smallest (Pacific island states) as well as some of the wealthiest and some of the poorest. A standard set of prototype materials could not be culturally or educationally relevant nor could they be the teacher educator's own.

A solution to this problem was found in Hart's (1990) and Robottom's (1987, 1989) conceptions of professional development for environmental education. These have been applied in the professional development of teacher educators in this project. Hart (1990) advocates reflection-in-action (Schon, 1983) "as a concept for reconstructing teacher education .... founded in elements of critical theory and reflective teaching but ultimately grounded in a world view of pragmatic reconstructionism" (p. 14).

Hart argues that the constructivist epistemology and its focus on the interdependence of teaching practices and contexts and also between teachers and their communities is philosophically consistent with an ecological world view and, therefore, with environmental education. Hart has identified a range of parallels between ecology and educating teachers environmentally, as reflective practitioners:

A reflection-in-action perspective on teacher education places emphasis on educational aims and consequences as well as the technical skills of teaching. Teachers (and teacher educators) are encouraged to consider ethical and value-based issues and this facilitates environmental education goals. Teachers (and teacher educators) are also encouraged to contribute to the formulation of policy at classroom, local, and national levels thus acknowledging the political nature of human interpretations of the ecological process of change ....

Teacher education programs based on a reflection-in-action paradigm emphasise a process model of education where teachers (and teacher educators) .... monitor and evaluate their own practice reflexively, that is, an action research model, a cyclical process in which teacher action-reflection-improved action is seen as a dialectic between theory and practice, much like the principle of reciprocal relationships is viewed in ecology.

A reflection-in-action approach to teacher education would not propose to eliminate or replace educational disciplines but rather to use them, to emphasise relationships to the teacher's own thinking about practice. That is, the traditional subjects, when combined with classroom experiences, would provide a basis on which to develop teachers' personal theories of action. The associated ecological principle is that of optimisation.

Within this new perspective for teacher education, the effective teacher is not one programmed with research (theory) - based answers to many discrete teaching situations. Rather, the reflective teacher (and teacher educator) is one who is able to conceive his/her own teaching in purposeful terms - one who is able to size up a particular teaching situation, choose an appropriate action, judge results in relation to context and original purposes. This concept operationalised is congruent with self regulation within ecological systems

(Hart 1990, pp. 14-15).

The orientation of this "ecological" approach to professional development for environmental education has guided the development of this project. Also of great value has been Robottom's critical assessment of the implications for professional development in environmental education.

Robottom (1987) argues that environmental education poses a dual pedagogical challenge for teacher education. The first resides in the social change objectives of environmental education which seek a transformation from "business as usual" approaches to development to ecologically sustainable approaches. As a result, environmental education requires its practitioners to adopt pedagogical approaches which are markedly different from traditional teaching styles. These include interdisciplinarity, problematising knowledge and values, the active investigation of local issues, and the development of a willingness and skills to participate in environmental protection and improvement. These approaches need to be modeled in teacher education programmes.

The second challenge involves the practice of professional development experiences and processes that can conscientise teachers to the transformative nature of environmental education and empower them to be active, critically-reflective practitioners in their chosen profession. Robottom describes such a process as the antithesis to the "technocratic paradigm" of competency based training that may flow from an uncritical adoption of the competencies approach.

This perspective on teacher education has led to a sustained critique of centrally-driven "Research, Development, Diffusion, Adoption" (RDDA) models of educational change in the Asia-Pacific and other parts of the world. As Robottom (1989) has argued, such approaches reduce the role of teachers (and, in our case, teacher educators) to that of "passive receivers" of centrally produced curriculum, materials who can be regarded as "technicians" applying the ideas of external experts (p. 441).

Robottom concludes that two key characteristics of environmental education are undermined in the RDDA approach: the development of skills for critical thinking, self-evaluation and reflection, and the need for knowledge, values and actions of participants to be engaged in the process of change. Just as we would not want to neglect these objectives and principles in our teaching, we should not neglect them in our professional development work. The Learning for a Sustainable Environment - Innovation in Teacher Education Project sought to maintain the ecological relationship between curriculum development, professional development, and practitioner-based research to the extent that available resources have allowed.

AN ACTION RESEARCH NETWORK

The Learning for a Sustainable Environment - Innovation in Teacher Education Project began in the first half of 1994 with the primary goal of assisting teacher educators in the Asia-Pacific region to include the educational purposes and innovative teaching and learning strategies of environmental education in their programmes. Following the model of professional development advocated by Hart and Robottom, the project developed an action research network of teacher educators in the region. The purpose of the network is to support teacher educators who wish to share in the writing of carefully-researched and evaluated, and culturally-sensitive, workshop modules for use in pre- and in-service environmental education programmes.

The network supports a dissemination programme which assists teacher educators to critique and adapt the modules in accordance with local cultural and educational needs and to prepare action research case studies of their use of the materials in their own continuing professional development. Thus, the project has created a growing, active network of innovative teacher education practices and practitioners in environmental education. The purpose of this professional development process for teacher educators is to assist them to incorporate into their programmes knowledge and skills which can help teachers to introduce and improve environmental education in their classroom. It is also hoped that promotion of the innovative teaching strategies of environmental education may also improve the quality of learning on other areas of the curriculum.

The project developed in three stages with teacher educators in a small number of countries joining the network at each stage. Stage 1 countries included: Fiji, Philippines, Hong Kong, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and Australia. Japan, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan and Indonesia joined the project in Stage 2 with representatives from Korea, Singapore, China, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Taiwan, Brunei and Tonga also introduced to the project in various regional workshops.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

The guiding principles for the project were established at a planning meeting in 1994 attended by several teacher educators who had also attended one of the 1993 Brisbane or Tokyo meetings. These participants developed two sets of principles to guide the project. The first set of principles relates to characteristics of environmental education and the implications they have for the project. The second set relates to the rationale and objectives of the project in the light of issues related to the ecological relationship between curriculum, development, professional development and research.

Principles Related to Environmental Education

• Environmental education involves participatory processes which should be reflected in the nature of the project and the pedagogies to be promoted in teacher education.
  
• Environmental education is interdisciplinary and focuses on the interaction between environmental quality and development issues. Hence, in teacher education, the relevant biophysical, economic and other social, cultural and political aspects of environmental issues should be recognised and investigated.
  
• Environmental education is responsive to local context. This means that local environmental questions, issues and problems should provide a focus for the development of environmental education projects. This means that materials produced in one country will need to be adapted by others in response to local cultural and educational requirements.
  
• Environmental education involves a range of innovatory teaching and learning strategies which can inform the development and improvement of teacher education.
  
• There are opportunities for environmental education to be taught through and enhance all subjects in the curriculum. Thus, environmental education is relevant to all aspects of the teacher education curriculum, including foundation studies, content studies and applied curriculum studies.

  

Principles Related to Professional Development

• The project's emphasis should be on personal and professional development of teacher educators rather than on the production of resources.
  
• Collegial and collaborative approaches underlie successful professional development. Hence, a system of critical friends should be established to review and trial early drafts of all prototype materials and to advise on their development.
  
• Active participation and critical reflection are essential components of professional development. Participation in these workshops will provide such opportunities and assist teacher educators to:
  - clarify the strengths and limitations of their present practice; and
  - establish their personal ownership of the project through the view, critique, revision, adaptation and curriculum resources.
  
• The cultural and educational diversity in the region requires a framework for professional and curriculum/resource development which gives direction to participants but is flexible enough to accommodate local concerns and priorities.
  
• Existing networks in the region must be used and strengthened to facilitate the diffusion and dissemination of the innovative approaches developed by participants.
  
• The prime focus of the evaluation of the project should be on the teacher educators and the quality of their learning in relation to their use of innovatory teaching and learning strategies.

PROJECT STRATEGY

These principles of environmental education and professional development were incorporated into the three stage strategy for the development of the project.

Stage 1 focused on writing a set of draft workshop modules, and involved:

• establishing a network of teacher educators from a small group of countries and inviting each member to write an environmental education training module for his/her own use in teacher education;
  
• establishing a system of "critical friends" from other parts of the region to assist these authors so that the materials would be flexible enough to have the potential to be adapted to suit the cultural and educational contexts of teacher education in other countries in the region;
  
• maintaining a project office to co-ordinate the activities of the authors and critical friends and to plan later stages of the project;
  
• conducting a review and training workshop (preferably in mid-1995) at which teacher educators from an expanded group of countries would be invited to join the network. At the workshop, new members of the network will be introduced to the materials that have been prepared and to the action research process through which their analysis, adaptation, trial and evaluation of the materials can be documented and shared with teacher educators in other parts of the region.

  

Stage 2 of the project focused on the trial and revision of the draft modules, and involved :

• providing assistance to members of the network so that they could work through a four step process of analysing, adapting, trialing and evaluating the materials;
  
• providing assistance to members of the network to document their activities and reflections in the form of action research case studies;
  
• revising the modules on the basis of the trials for wider dissemination and implementation across the region; and
  
• analysing the action research reports to help understand the issues involved in using teacher education materials in cross-cultural settings, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the linkages between curriculum development, professional development and action research in the project;

Stage 3 of the project commenced in 1997 and promotes the national dissemination and implementation of the project processes and materials in the countries across the region. This publication is an important part of Stage 3.

STAGE 1 WRITING DRAFT WORKSHOP MODULES

Stage 1 of the project commenced with a Project Planning Workshop in June 1994 and involved participants from seven countries - Philippines, Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong and Indonesia. Several environmental educators and teacher educators from these countries wrote a set of environmental education workshop modules. These were then extensively analysed by a network of over 70 "critical friends" across the region and revised accordingly. It is to be emphasised that the modules were written primarily for use by the authors in their own countries. However, the advice of the network of critical friends gave the modules wider cultural relevance. The critical friends endorsed all of the modules as being suitable for adaptation and use in other countries of the region.

These guiding principles for the project outlined in the previous section were reflected in the guidelines for the development of modules provided to the module authors. They included:

• All modules should be written by authors from their own use in a sufficiently flexible way that they can be shared with colleagues in their own country and other parts of the region.
  
• All modules should be written in a workshop format.
  
• All modules should be based on participant centred experiential learning processes and involve direct and active personal experience in order to identify, develop and reinforce new skills.
  
• Modules should be flexible in the following ways:
  - they should be open and flexible enough to allow for culturally responsive adaptation;
  - they should be self-standing, with cross-references to show themes;
  - there should be no restrictive sequence to modules;
  - they should allow for both pre and in-service contexts;
  - they should allow adaptation for primary, secondary and informal context; and
  - they should allow for facilitator-driven, co-operative and independent phases during the workshop.
  
• Modules should be organised according to those innovative teaching strategies through which environmental concepts, skills and values can best be developed.
  
• The modules should not be seen as a finished product but should reflect a dynamic resource that is constantly evolving as it is analysed, adapted, trialed and evaluated. This reflects a concern for professional development as opposed to product development, for the open-ended resource would allow for possible addition of local and/or self-developed materials and adaptation.

  

The nine nominated workshop modules provide information on many environmental themes in the region and illustrate a range of innovative strategies for planning curricula and teaching about them. The topics of the workshops were:

• Nature and Objectives of Environmental Education
• Whole School Approaches to Curriculum Planning in Environmental Education
• Values Education and Environmental Ethics
• Using Indigenous Knowledge, Practices and Perspectives, and Story-Telling in Environmental Education
• Teaching Ecological Concepts and Principles through the Analysis of Local Environments
• Using the Environment as a Resource for Learning
• Issue-or Enquiry-based Teaching for the Environment
• Assessment of Learning in Environmental Education
• Action Research as a Teaching Strategy in Schools and Communities

Each workshop was written to be approximately 5-6 hours in duration and to be used at either the in-service or pre-service teacher education level.

A network of critical friends for each Stage 1 author was established from the attendance list of the three 1993 UNESCO Meetings - and nearly seventy teacher educators from over twenty countries provided advice and suggested revisions.

The Network for Environmental Training at the Tertiary Level in Asia and the Pacific (NETTLAP) located within the UNEP Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok sponsored a feasibility study and survey to establish wider perceptions of the need for the project and develop a mailing list of persons in the region interested in participating in the project.

A project review meeting in May-June 1995, in Thailand, brought together participants from Stages 1 and 2 of the project. The meeting enabled the growth of relationships between authors, critical friends, and new members of the project. In addition, new members of the network were introduced to the materials that have been prepared and to the action research process through which their analysis, adaptation, trial, and evaluation of the materials can be documented and shared with teacher educators in other parts of the region.

Detailed feedback at this meeting was provided to the Stage 1 authors on ways their modules could be further revised in preparation for the trials in Stage 2. In their evaluation of the modules, the participants believed that these nine modules generally provided an excellent framework for professional development activities in environmental education in the region, and were impressed by a number of features of the modules:

1. The range of module topics and their relevance to the professional development needs of environmental educators in the region.
   
2. The range of topics provide for basic introductory workshops as well as advanced workshops on particular teaching strategies.
   
3. The scope of each module deals comprehensively with the major concepts and skills on the individual topics.
   
4. The modules were practical and activity based and provide for participant centred experiential learning processes.
   
5. The modules were flexible in that they allowed for:
   - culturally responsive adaptations in different countries;
   - cross-referencing to show themes;
   - both pre- and in-service use; and
   - adaptation for primary, secondary and informal contexts.
   
6. The modules are not seen as a finished product but reflect a dynamic resource that is constantly evolving as it is analysed, adapted, trialed and evaluated.

STAGE 2 TRIALING THE DRAFT WORKSHOP MODULES

An action research process which could cater for the professional development goals of the project was used to trial and evaluate the draft modules in twelve countries across the region. Each trial involved four steps:

1. Analysis
The working principles for the development of modules stated that the modules were to be written 'by authors for their own use'. Each original author considered his or her own professional context when preparing a module. Trialists were encouraged to take similar considerations and to analyse the materials to identify their relevance - or otherwise - to local cultural, geographical and educational circumstances.

2. Adaptation
The results of such an analysis was used by trialists to help adapt the modules to meet the needs of their own students in your own countries. This included: deleting or changing certain activities and resources, incorporating their own resources and activities, translating overhead transparencies and readings, etc.

3. Trial and Evaluation
The adapted modules were trialed and evaluated in a range of settings - with pre-service teacher education students, with experienced teachers attending in-service workshops, and in workshops attended by teacher educators as well as local government and NGO officers. Figure 1 summarises the trials that were conducted in Stage 2 of the project.

4. Reporting
When participants had completed the trial and evaluation of their modules, they wrote a report in which they reflected on both the quality of the learning experience provided for participants and on the value of the trial/action research process for their own professional development.

The Project Office prepared a Review Guide to aid the professional development process during the analysis, adaptation, trialing and reporting phases of the evaluation . The Review Guide was written to assist participants in the trial process to answer three key questions:

1. What has this workshop done for my personal professional development?
2. How and for what reasons are the adaptations needed?
3. Was the adaptation and trial an effective experience for me?

A copy of the Review Guide which has been revised into an Action Research Guide is provided in Chapter 2. A copy of a completed Action Research Guide on the analysis, adaptation and trial of the module on "Using the Environment as a Resource for Learning", completed by Mr Jose Camagun at Miriam College in The Philippines, is provided in Chapter 3.

		Pre-Service	In-Service	Teacher Educators
1. Nature and Objectives of Environmental Education		Japan New Zealand Thailand Hong Kong India	Australia New Zealand Thailand Philippines Brunei	India New Zealand Thailand
2. A Whole School Approach to Environmental Education		Malaysia Vietnam Thailand Hong Kong India	Australia Vietnam	Vietnam
3. Using the Environment as a Resource for Learning		Indonesia Vietnam New Zealand	Indonesia New Zealand Philippines Vietnam	New Zealand
4. Environmental Values and Ethics		Australia Indonesia Japan Hong Kong	Indonesia Philippines
5. Issue or Inquiry Based Teaching		New Zealand Thailand Fiji	Australia New Zealand	New Zealand Thailand
6. Teaching Ecological Concepts in the Local Area		Vietnam	Thailand Vietnam	Thailand
7. Indigenous Knowledge and Storytelling		Australia Indonesia Fiji	Brunei
8. Action Research and Community Problem Solving		Thailand Vietnam	Thailand Vietnam Australia	Thailand Vietnam
9. Appropriate Assessment		Australia Hong Kong

The completed Review or Action Research Guides provided research data both for the Stage 1 authors to assist them in the further revisions of their modules, and also for the trialists in writing the action research case study reports of their experience with the project. A copy of a sample action research case study written by Mrs Premila Kumar from Fiji College of Advanced Education is provided in Chapter 4.

The purpose of providing the reports from Fiji and The Philippines is to illustrate the action research approach to professional development for teacher educators used in Stage 2 of the project - and to encourage participants in Stage 3 to follow this process also.

The Review Guide was useful in ensuring a consistent process for the trial and reflection process across the region, whilst being sufficiently flexible to meet the individual needs of workshop facilitators working within the broad cross-section of cultures and educational systems of the Asia-Pacific region. The wide consultations on the nature and structure of the Review Guide and the contributions of various teacher educators involved with the project helped ensure that the document could be used with credibility within the cross-cultural framework of the project.

The trialing process not only resulted in a range of professional development experiences for all of those involved, but also resulted in the progressive improvement of the quality and regional relevance of the modules. Figure 2 summarises the way the processes of review and reflection contributed to these progressive improvements across the three stages of the project and many draft versions of the modules.

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PROJECT EVALUATION

Stages 1 and 2 of the project were evaluated by the participants at a seminar hosted by the National Institute for Educational Research in Tokyo in October-November 1996. The evaluation was based upon a meta-analysis of action research case study reports and an extensive series of focus group discussions about various aspects of the action research network approach to professional development used in the project.

EVALUATION OF THE ACTION RESEARCH NETWORK PROCESS

The evaluation of the action research network approach to professional development was designed to seek answers to five question: 1. Personal professional development: What did you learn - what benefits did you gain - from participating in the network - either as an author, critical friend or trialist? 2. Positive Influences on the process: What factors contributed to the success of your professional development experiences and benefits from the project? 3. Issues related to the process: What problems, obstacles, or barriers (however small or large) did you face as an author, critical friend or trialist? How did you overcome these? 4. Recommendations for improving the process: If we were starting the project again, what changes (however small or large) would you recommend in order to help improve the operations of the network and trial process? 5. Wider application of the process: To what extent (and in what ways) could the action research network process used in this project be used to promote the professional development of teacher educators in other curriculum areas in the Asia-Pacific region - or even in other UNESCO regions?

Personal Professional Development

All participants indicated that they gained a great deal from the action research process of reviewing, adapting, trialing and evaluating the project modules. Many indicated they were transformed from being an environmentalist into and environmental educator through this process. They stated that during the project they developed a rich knowledge and understanding of the scope and purposes of environmental education, as well as, the ability to choose and make use of the most appropriate teaching and learning strategies to develop the environmental education competencies of student teachers and teachers attending inservice education workshops.

The professional development process was supported by the collaborative processes adopted in this project. The action research network and project office supported collaboration between countries, facilitating the sharing of ideas for developing teacher education in environmental education. By attending seminars participants were able to make plans for writing and trialing modules in their countries with the advice and support of experiences colleagues from other countries. Guidelines provided by the project office for evaluating and reporting on the progress of these plans at subsequent workshops were seen as key influences on the high level of professional development experienced by participants.

For a number of countries, participants reported that involvement in the project provided a catalyst for the promotion of environmental education. One of the professional development benefits from involvement in the project reported by participants was an increased sense of confidence and personal efficacy to deliver environmental education in teacher education at both pre-service and in-service level and to encourage teacher education colleagues, supervisors and others to actively promote environmental education also.

Authors of modules said that they especially benefited from the positive feedback and the ideas for improvement and extending the cultural relevance of their module provided by critical friends and trialist. Trialists said that they especially benefited from having a lot of the original time consuming research and innovative teaching strategies done for them by the authors, and from the model workshop ideas provided in the draft modules. They then found that it was generally easy, on most occasions, to substitute local examples and to revise the structure of the workshop to suit local time constraints and educational contexts.

Many participants commented that writing an action research report on their participation in the trials greatly aided their development as educational researchers. The assistance with data gathering and structure of the case study report provided by the project office and the review guide were seen as invaluable, especially for those who were relatively new to the research process. Researching ones own practice was seen as a very relevant and accessible approach to research for teacher educators. In this way the project might be seen as an important contribution to helping develop a culture of research among teacher educators in the Asia Pacific region.

Positive Influences on the Process

In analysing the reasons for the success of the professional development afforded by participation in the action research network, participants identified a variety of levels of influence, including personal, institutional and regional influences. At the personal level, participants indicated that they enjoyed responding to the challenges of implementing and evaluating innovations in their teacher education work and of participating in a cross-national collaborative project. They derived great motivation from their challenges and from the intrinsic satisfaction that came from the successful adoption of the innovative teaching approaches by participants in their inservice and pre-service workshops.

Participants also commented on the positive support they had received from their colleagues and institutions. This came variously in the form of encouragement, assistance with secretarial support, photocopying, etc., and in many cases from the direct relevance to existing college courses and subject content. Other participants were able to incorporate the module trials into the in-service education outreach activities of their institutions or professional associations. These factors meant that the module trials often could be seen as part of the normal scope of duties of participants. However, the commitment of many participants meant that they devoted a considerable amount of their own time (and sometimes funds) in revising, translating, adopting, delivering workshops and evaluation of the trials.

The largest number of positive influences for professional development were at the regional and international level. The project has great credibility because it was supported by UNESCO-ACEID. This encouraged their colleagues and institutions to support them. A second regional influence was the support from other members of the network. Participants indicated that learning from the experiences of others was very important.

Participants were unanimous about the role of the project in providing encouragement and its excellent coordinating function in preparing guidelines for all persons and institutions in Stage 1 and 2. This included advice to Stage 1 authors and critical friends related to writing and critique of modules. Advice to Stage 2 participants enabled them to write action research-based case studies of the factors that influenced their critique, revision, adaptation and re-writing of the Stage 1 modules. The case studies also addressed the issues involved in using cross-cultural materials in teacher education.

Issues Related to the Process

Participants identified four outstanding issues in, or barriers to, their work on the project as an author, trialist or critical friend. These included time, funding and the expertise of students and teacher educators as well as, the process of adapting the modules.

The problem most often identified by the participants was "time". Many participants indicated that they often used their own time to write, trial and participate as critical friends for this project. Finding time and space within the teacher education curriculum also posed a problem for some trialists at the pre-service level. The relatively long length of some modules also posed problems for some. This problem was overcome by adapting modules - by leaving out less locally significant sections and optional activities thus reducing the amount of content covered.

Funding was another issue encountered by some participants. This included funding for the preparation and delivery of workshops as well as translating the modules (or parts of them) into local languages. Both of these issues were overcome by securing small amounts of funding (from UNESCO) or local sources or using personal funds.

The attitude of some teacher education colleagues was an issue faced by some participants where colleagues were not familiar with the nature and scope of environmental education or its balance of teacher and learner centred teaching and learning strategies. This could be overcome, it was suggested through the provision of national workshops as well as the wider availability of the project modules.

The final issue involves strategies and resources for adapting the modules. A number of factors need to be considered when adapting modules, including the level of difficulty and local relevance of concepts and skills involved, the teacher trainees' familiarity with some of the teaching and learning strategies, the availability of materials to localise the modules, as well as issues related to translation. It was suggested that further details or a glossary should be provided for workshop facilitators to assist with some of the more difficult concepts.

Participants suggested that the modules were not only applicable to teacher education they also could be adapted for use with government officials and administrators. It was thought that this process would facilitate the inclusion of environmental education in teacher education.

To highlight the adaptability of the modules participants suggested that the next stage of the project could include details of the types of adaptations made by various countries. This could also illustrate the multiple pathways offered by each of the modules.

Recommendations for Improving the Process

A number of suggestions for improving the project were offered by participants. Many of these were are of direct relevance to Stage 3 of the project.

Participants indicated that the next step for the project should involve more opportunities to disseminate the project within the region and individual countries. Inclusion of more Pacific countries was mentioned specifically. An increased budget for the project would have allowed more infrastructure to support participants, e.g. placing the modules on Internet and providing email for network members and promoting the development of national environmental education associations as well as an international environmental education association were seen as important for the dissemination process. Requirements include: printing of the modules, inservice training for people presenting the modules, the inclusion of teacher educators from various disciplines to consider environmental education across the curriculum, funding for translation as well as regular meetings of network members at the national and regional level. Throughout the dissemination process it will be important to include government officials and administrators to ensure their understanding of the importance of environmental education in teacher education.

Wider Application of the Process

The participants strongly endorsed the action research network approach to professional development adopted in this project as directly relevant to professional development of teacher educators in other curriculum areas and in other geographical regions. The action research cycles of analysis, planning, evaluation and reflection used by the authors, critical friend and trialists in this project was recognised as among the most rewarding approach to both curriculum and professional development that most participants had experienced. They particularly valued the following aspects of the regional network approach to the improvement of their work as teacher educators:

• Participants appreciated the opportunity to learn from the educational experiences of other countries, especially when most were able to meet every one to two years to share updated news on initiatives and liaise on possible solutions to ongoing concerns.
  
• Participants acknowledged the motivational value of agreeing to work collaboratively and having to plan their work to meet internationally agreed timelines.
  
• Participants welcomed the ongoing support and guidance of the established project office.
  
• Participant believed their professional expertise was respected in the project and that they were able to play an active role as equals with colleagues from other countries.
  
• Participants welcomed the democratic consensus approach to decision making in the operation of the network and the openness of their regional colleagues to the opportunities and constraints posed by local, cultural and educational influences.
  
• Participants believed that the module review and adaptation process allowed them to acknowledge their commonalties in their work, experiences and plans while maintaining and respecting the value of local adaptations to the content and approach in the modules made necessary by cultural diversity.
  
• Participants believed that the action research network approach was a relatively inexpensive way of providing a catalyst for curriculum and professional development in teacher education. They also appreciated the way in which involvement in the project served as a catalyst for many additional local initiatives in national curriculum policy and guidelines for environmental education, community development and non formal education.

As a result of all these factors participants believed that the action research network approach could be used not only for professional development in teacher education in environmental education, but also in many other curriculum areas, especially in cross-disciplinary fields such as civics education.

Participants also suggested that the network approach would be useful for professional development in both formal and non formal education, for educators at all levels from kindergarten to university, and also for officers in government departments and non-government organisations. Participants also believed that the action research network approach could be applied at scales other than the regional scale used in this project. For example, they argued that it would be very relevant for use at the national, provincial and local district scale to create support systems for professional development

EVALUATION OF THE MODULES

In order to develop guidelines for the revision of modules, participants analysed the overall quality and usefulness of the modules and ways in which they may be improved. This involved revising the evaluation of the set of draft modules presented at the 1995 Project Review Meeting. Participants at the 1995 workshop believed that the draft modules generally provided an excellent framework for professional development activities in environmental education in the region and were impressed by several features of the modules. Participants at the 1996 seminar generally agreed with these features and, in several cases, clarified them in order to provide revision guidelines for authors and editors. Participants also provided two additional points of evaluation. Thus, participants agreed that:

1. The modules address a wide range of topics that are relevant to the professional development needs of environmental educators in the region. However, participants suggested that some additional material to clarify concepts and that alternative and additional examples could be provided to guide adaptations to the modules. This would be particularly useful for teacher educators and others involved in non-formal education who might not be familiar with certain teaching strategies. It was suggested that alternative pathways and simplified versions for some modules be considered.
   
2. The range of topics provide for basic introductory workshops as well as advanced workshops on particular teaching strategies. Participants suggested that three modules could be seen as introductory. These were: Nature and Objectives of Environmental Education, Whole School Approaches to Environmental Education, and Environmental Values Education and Ethics.
   
3. The scope of each module deals comprehensively with the major concepts and skills on the individual module topics. Participants suggested that a glossary of key concepts be provided to assist in the interpretation of new ideas.
   
4. The modules were practical and activity based and provided for participant centred experiential learning processes. Participants also suggested that wherever possible additional practical activities be provided as well as activities to assist with practical application.
   
5. The modules were judged to be flexible in that they allow for:
   • culturally responsive adaptations in different countries;
   • cross-referencing to show themes;
   • both pre- and in-service use; and
   • adaptation for primary, secondary and non-formal contexts.

Participants also suggested that wherever possible the key aims, objectives and processes of environmental education be included in all modules in order to reinforce these ideas.

1. The modules are not seen as a finished product but reflect a dynamic resource that can be continuously revised as they are analysed, adapted, trialed and evaluated.

In further evaluating the modules as a set of professional development materials, participants identified two additional positive aspects of the modules. Firstly, they stated that the trial process had acted as a catalyst to many initiatives in teacher education for environmental education in their countries, and also led to new initiatives in non-formal education and community development. These included, for example:

• national teacher education workshops for teacher education in environmental education were held in several countries;
  
• a national centre for excellence in teacher education for environmental education was being discussed in two countries;
  
• set of professional development materials for the study of coastal and marine environments based upon the project modules for teachers was prepared in one country; and
  
• community leadership development and environmental improvement workshops were held in two countries.

Secondly, participants indicated that several modules would be most valuable to use not only in environmental education courses, but also as part of general teacher education courses because they provide excellent models for developing teachers' skills in a range of innovative teaching and learning strategies.

Issues for the Revision of Modules

The original project modules were written in Stage 1 in 1994 by the original authors for their use in their own countries. These first drafts of the modules were revised after comments by critical friends from many countries of the region, and after comments provided at the 1995 Project Review Meeting. One purpose of the Stage 2 trials in 1995 and 1996, was to provide advice to authors and editors for further revision. Substantial advice for the revision of each module was provided for individual authors. In addition, participants developed a set of general principles for module revision as well as specific principles on the format, language, style and content of modules.

General Principles

The modules should:

• be seen primarily as support materials for professional development for teacher education, with the potential of being accessed by a wide audience including ministries, other decision making bodies and community groups;
  
• include more explicit reference to the environmental education process within the modules;
  
• emphasise environmental education process skills in order to prepare the facilitator and the participants who may not be familiar with the participatory approaches;
  
• develop commitment and skills and not just consciousness - raising;
  
• consider a consistent view of "action" across modules;
  
• acknowledge that some issues in environmental education are debatable;
  
• identify linkages with the objectives of environmental education from Module 1; and
  
• provide a mixture of student-centred approaches and teacher directed approaches in some cases to cater for cultural differences in different countries.

Principles related to the structure of modules

• Illustrate examples of possible cultural adaptations, subject-specific adaptations, or adaptations related to national education policies and syllabuses;
  
• provide notes to highlight how modules might be adapted for example to local issues, into a number of shorter sessions, suggesting the most capable people for delivering modules based on subject areas;
  
• prioritise the objectives within modules; and
  
• include diagrams or matrix to illustrate the linkages between modules.

Principles related to the style of modules

• Consider the idea of incorporating a more graphic and visual approach for different learning styles; and
  
• maintain the consistency of style across the modules.

Principles related to the language used in modules

• Provide additional materials for facilitators to understand difficult concepts; and
  
• ensure gender neutral language is used.

Principles related to the content of modules

• Maintain the balance between natural and socio-cultural environments as examples in the modules;
  
• include a wider range of alternative themes and readings for the facilitator to chose from;
  
• facilitators should be encouraged to structure the content of the modules into shorter time frames by dividing the sections into shorter discrete sessions;
  
• increase the experiential dimension by using a variety of learning environments such as in-class and outdoors;
  
• practical activities, application and participatory methods should be considered to develop critical thinking and process skill needed for problem solving;
  
• ensure that the titles and objectives of modules are relevant to and accurately reflect the content of the modules;
  
• use classroom anecdotes/scenarios as a vehicle for providing examples of theoretical content; and
  
• ensure that modules include classroom and curriculum applications of the concepts and skills explored in modules.

These guidelines and principles were provided to the editors for the revisions and, where possible, these are reflected in the version of the modules in this publication.

STAGE 3 NATIONAL DISSEMINATION AND IMPLEMENTATION

The teacher education sector is the focus of all activities in the Learning for a Sustainable Environment: Innovation in Teacher Education Project. The goal of Stage 3 is the dissemination and implementation of the project in teacher education in all the countries in the Asia-pacific region.

Objectives

The objectives of Stage 3 are:

1. To have the Learning for a Sustainable Environment: Innovation in Teacher Education Project recognised by the ministries and departments of education of each country, with the support of UNESCO.
   
2. To develop and enrich national action programmes which support the professional development of teacher educators, teachers and leaders in environmental education in both formal and non formal sectors.
   
3. To provide a regional programme of activities which support national efforts in professional development and teacher education for environmental education in the Asia-Pacific region.

A range of activities are planned at the regional and national level to achieve these objectives.

Regional Strategies

The purpose of a regional strategy is to provide support to national strategies. This can be done by:

• maintaining the project office, resource centre, clearing house and newsletter
• conducting high level consultations/seminars with ministers of education and senior ministry officials
• fund-raising to support regional activities and national activities
• developing a national co-ordinators' training program
• conducting a national co-ordinators' training workshop
• editing and publishing a project manual of "generic" modules
• distribution of ACEID book on environmental education in teacher education across the region
• presentations about the project at national and international conferences and seminars to build support for the project
• develop a project home-page on WWW
• publication of articles in national journals in national languages
• reports on project implementation in UNESCO publications, such as APEID newsletter and Connect
• support collaboration between environmental education teacher educators and researchers across the region to promote environmental education research
• if sufficient funds are raised, create 1-2 regional coordinator positions in order to
  (i) maintain the project office,
  (ii) be available to travel between countries to assist with local activities,
  (iii) support the development, trial and revision of new modules,
  (iv) evaluate the project, etc.

These activities are being conducted as funding becomes available.

National Strategies

The purpose of a national strategy is to help promote environmental education in teacher education through national capacity building. The following are suggestions from which countries in the region are developing locally appropriate strategies, as resources become available.

• assigning a national co-ordinator(s) for the national professional development network
• operating a national/district project office
• establishing a national/district committee/group for environmental education in teacher education
• national/district project newsletters
• translation and adaptation of modules
• national and district train-the-trainer workshops to introduce the professional development network process and the modules to other teacher educators
• develop team teaching partnerships as a professional development approach with colleagues
• develop distance education and extension services for the professional development of teacher educators in remote areas
• representation to senior officials in teacher training colleges and ministries of education (particularly curriculum development departments, where appropriate) to obtain their support
• fund-raising
• help establish and/or work with existing professional societies/associations in both environmental education and teacher education
• media releases and award programmes to build support for environmental education and teacher education
• work with others to seek reforms in school examination systems to include environmental education outcomes
• project evaluation.

  

REFERENCES

Fien, J. and Tilbury, D. (1996) Learning for a Sustainable Environment: A New Agenda for Teacher Education, UNESCO-ACEID, Bangkok.

Hart, P. (1990) Rethinking teacher education environmentally, in Monographs in Environmental Education and Environmental Studies, Vol. VI, North American Association for Environmental Education, Troy, Ohio.

IUCN, UNEP and WWF (1991) Caring for the Earth, International Union for the Conservation of Nature, Gland.

NIER (1993) The Final Report of a Regional Seminar: Environmental Education and Teacher Education in Asia and the Pacific, National Institute for Educational Research, Tokyo.

NIER (1996) Learning for a Sustainable Environment: Teacher Education and Environmental Education in Asia and the Pacific, NIER, Tokyo.

Robottom, I. (1987) The dual challenge for professional development in environmental education. In A. Greenall, ed., Environmental Education: Past, Present and Future, AGPS, Canberra.

Robottom, I. (1989) Social critique or social control: Some problems for evaluation in environmental education, Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 26(5), pp. 435-443.

Schon, D. (1983) The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action Basic Books, New York.

Schumacher, F. (1973) Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People Really Mattered, Abacus Books, London.

UNCED (1992) Promoting education and public awareness and training, Agenda 21, United Nations Conference on Environmental and Development, Conches, Chapter 36.

UNESCO (1993a) The Final Report: UNESCO Asia-Pacific Regional Experts' Meeting on Overcoming the Barriers to Environmental Education through Teacher Education, Griffith University, Brisbane.

UNESCO-ACEID (1994) Final Report of the Planning Group meeting for the UNESCO-ACEID Project, Learning for a Sustainable Environment - Innovations in Teacher Education, Griffith University, Brisbane.

World Commission on Environment and Development (1987) Our Common Future, Oxford University Press, Oxford.

INTRODUCTION

The Learning for a Sustainable Environment: Innovation in Teacher Education Project seeks to provide professional development opportunities for teacher educators at the pre-service and inservice education levels by engaging them in a process of sharing and further developing innovative environmental education in their teaching materials.

The modules in this manual are "regional" versions that have been prepared after trials in many different countries. This means that they are probably more culturally-inclusive or relevant than some of the trial versions. However, they still need to be analysed for their cultural and educational relevance in all the different settings in which they may be used.

This process of analysis and subsequent adaptation is the beginning of the action research approach to professional development discussed in the previous section of this manual. The action research process invites you to:

• analyse the module and adapt it to your own cultural and education setting;
• trial the module with a group or groups of pre-service or inservice teachers, and evaluate the trial and the module; and
• report on your experiences and the evaluation.

In detail, these steps involve:

1. Analysis and Adaptation

• It is hoped that you will adapt the module to meet your own needs. The working principles for the development of modules states that the modules were to be written 'by authors for their own use'.
  
• Each original author considered his or her own professional context when preparing the module. Therefore, it is important that you make similar considerations and adapt the materials to meet the needs of your own students in your own country. This might include the translation of overhead transparencies and resources, or incorporating your own resources, activities and examples.

2. Trial and Evaluation

• Trialing your adapted module will enable you to collect data on how your group of participants responded to the workshop you presented and what changes may need to be made in the future.
  
• Questionnaires, interviews and focus group discussions are excellent ways to find out what participants thought of the workshop
  
• Trialing will also provide an opportunity for you to reflect upon your own professional practices. Keeping a professional journal is a good idea for this.

  

3. Reporting

• The review guidelines provides suggestions on ways of critically reflecting on the evaluation data you have collected and identifying what you have gained personally and professionally from the action research process.

Below is a list of considerations you may wish to refer to when adapting your materials and preparing your workshop. It is hoped that this list will assist you in your work.

ANALYSING AND ADAPTING THE MODULES

1. Consider the Participants

The nature of the group you will be working with should influence the structure, content and activities undertaken in the workshop. Key questions that you, as the facilitator might ask include:

• What are the size and the composition of the group?
• What is the age, ethnicity, gender and teaching experience of the participants?
• What is their level of interest in environmental education? What are their needs? How might I ascertain these?
• In what ways might the group contribute to the workshop?
• How might I cater for their individual differences?
• What knowledge, skills and values do my students already have? How might this workshop build on the knowledge, skills and values of the group?
• What expectations will the group have of me, the facilitator? Will I function in a way that is different to what is expected, for example, running activities rather than lecturing? What can I do to help the students cope with this difference? What skills do I need? How can I develop them?
• In what ways will the module need to be adapted to meet the needs of this group?

2. The Venue

The activities in each module are, by their nature, best conducted in a large space where participants can face each other for discussion, move into groups easily, and where facilities such as an overhead projector or display charts can be used. However, this may not always be possible. Questions you may consider include:

• Which is the best space available for the workshop, given the number of participants and the style of activities? What adaptations do I need to make given the venue available to me? Will the available venue and adaptations have an effect on the goals of the Project?
• What special facilities might be needed to encourage participation and improve the effectiveness of the workshop?
• At what time should the workshop be held?

  

3. Content

The content of the workshop requires considered review for local cultural and educational relevance. Some questions to reflect upon include:

• What are my aims for the workshop? To what extent do my aims match those stated in the module?
• Does the content of the module meet the needs of the participants?
• Is the material relevant to my country and culture? Does the content need to be changed to discuss the local environment? What assumptions am I making in changing this content?
• Will the amount of content allow time for discussion and the input of the participants?
• Have you considered ways in which participants could support each other to use the content of the program after the workshop?

4. Process

The way in which the workshop is conducted may greatly influence the outcomes of the workshop. This is perhaps best summarised by the old adage 'Practise what you preach'. Thus, facilitators should consider:

• Will the presentation of the workshop be suited to the messages of the workshop?
• Is the workshop, as practised, flexible enough to respond to needs as raised by the participants during the session?
• Does the process cater for the learning styles of the participants?
• Are all of the teaching methods in the module appropriate within my education context? What changes might need to be made?
• Is the workshop participatory and experiential? Are participants provided with choice and room for negotiation?
• In addition to the processes suggested in the modules, in what ways can you model environmental awareness through the way in which you conduct the workshop? For example, can you recycle the paper you may use throughout the workshop?
• In what ways can the program contribute to the empowerment of teachers to contribute to positive change?

  

TRIALLING THE MODULES

Before trialing the module, you should also consider the way in which it will be evaluated.

Evaluation is an important part of any workshop for two reasons:

• Evaluations provide concrete feedback to the facilitator about how the workshop was received. This information should be considered in the planning of future workshops.
  
• Evaluations require the participants to reflect upon the workshop, including the facilitation, content, processes, facilities, how they might use what they have learned, etc.

An evaluation process that allows you as the facilitator to participate would continue the process of sharing and group activity that should have been established through the workshop.

Ideally, your evaluation should be of benefit to both the participants and yourself. Evaluation not only provides an opportunity for participants to reflect upon their learnings, but involves them in democratic processes such as expressing their opinions, offering their advise and expertise, and allowing them to contribute to the planning of future workshops. You, as facilitator, should benefit from this expertise, and from the relationships you establish with your participants through the evaluation processes. Questions for consideration include:

• Which method of evaluation is most suitable for the workshop?
  There are three ways in which you might evaluate the workshop. First, you may wish to conduct a focus group interview, in which you ask the participants about the workshop, while an assistant makes notes of responses. Second, you may conduct a survey, in which you ask participants to rate or comment on their experiences in the workshop. Finally, you may decide to interview a number of the participants after the workshop, for in depth but individual information.
  
• Will my chosen evaluation method reflect the processes and attitudes I tried to establish in the workshop?
  The decision you make as to the form of evaluation you use should be based upon your needs, the size of the group and a process with which the participants will feel comfortable.

When you have prepared your adaptation, workshop plan and method of evaluation, you will be ready to trial the module.

Writing an Action Research Case Study

The following proforma "Reflection on a Module" helps you to gather data on the process of reflection you have just gone through as you analysed, adapted, trialed and evaluated a module. A sample completed proforma is provided in Chapter 3. This data can then become the basis upon which to write the case study on the trial and what you have gained personally and professionally from it. This is a key aspect of the professional development goal of the Learning for a Sustainable Environment: Innovation in Teacher Education Project. A set of possible headings for your case study include:

• Background
• Adaptations made to the module
• Responses from workshop participants
• Personal and professional benefits

A sample case study using these headings is provided in Chapter 4.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The questions about feedback and reflection that follow have been developed to help you to respond to three key questions:

• Did adapting and using the module help you as a teacher educator to develop and clarify your own ideas on environmental education and teacher education?
  
• Has the material encouraged or enabled you, as a teacher educator, to develop new ideas or activities in your own system? Has it stimulated innovation?
  
• Have the materials helped the teachers to develop their own thinking about environmental education?

Please complete the questions below, as this will make an easy transition from the evaluation to your final report. Please write your name and contact details in the space below:

Name:

BACKGROUND

1. How did you become aware of the project?
2. Why did you choose this module.
3. How is this learning experience or curriculum idea treated in courses in your education system?
4. What knowledge or skills do you hope to acquire by trialing this module?
5. What were the circumstances or situation of the trial?

REVIEW AND ADAPTATION

1. What changes did you make to the module?
2. What were the major factors that caused you to make these changes?
3. Did any aspect of your professional circumstances make adapting the materials challenging? For example, did materials require translation, or were they unsuitable for the institution in which you work? Please explain your answer.

EVALUATION

1. To what extent did you find the materials innovative? Are similar activities being undertaken in your own country or institution? Please give examples
2. What criteria did you use to evaluate the workshop?
3. What formal or informal methods of feedback and evaluation did your use in the trial of the module? (For example, did you use a survey, focus group or interview? Did you discuss the workshop informally with the participants?)
4. What data did you collect? Describe the data collection process.
5. What was the student response to the workshop content? For example, what improvements did they suggest, and what strengths did they identify?
6. What was the student response to the methods used in the workshop? For example, what improvements did they suggest, and what strengths did they identify?
7. Were the adaptation and trial an effective learning experience for participants? Why?
8. What do you see as being the strengths of the original module? For example, was it easily adapted? Were the instructions easy to follow?
9. How might the original module be improved, before being adapted by others?
10. Comment on whether the activities were manageable within the suggested time frame?
11. Comment on whether the resource materials were helpful in the delivery of the module?
12. Will you plan to use the materials again? How might you change them before using them on another occasion in light of your trial?

    

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT REFLECTIONS

1. What has (a) reviewing and adapting and (b) trialing and evaluating this module done for your professional development? For example, did you develop new ideas on the nature of environmental education?
2. Have you developed new additional activities as a result of using this module? Please describe them. How will you use these activities?
3. Have the materials helped the teachers/student-teachers to develop their own thinking about environmental education? Please provide details.

NOTE

This Review Guide was completed during and after the trial of the draft version of the module on Using the Environment as a Resource for Learning which was originally written for use in New Zealand. The trial in The Philippines led to several adaptations. These adaptations and those form other countries that trialed this module means that the module on this topic in this manual is quite different from the original draft version.

Name: Jose Romeo B. Camagun

Institution: Miriam College, Philippines

BACKGROUND

1. Indicate how you become aware of the project?

I helped write the module on environmental values education.

2. Indicate your reasons for offering to deliver this module.

I am part of a team that gives training workshops on environmental education mostly to teachers. This module will enrich the sessions we have been giving. Secondly, as a teacher, I strongly believe that education for a sustainable development is urgently important and ought to be learned by educators.

3. What knowledge or skills did you hope to acquire by participating in the project?

I wanted to learn new activities which I can use in our workshops in environment education. I also hoped to learn other pedagogical principles in environmental education and curriculum integration.

4. What is the name of the module you decided to trial?

Using the Environment as a Resource for Learning

5. Why did you select this module to trial? For example, was it relevant to the curriculum you were teaching? Was it different from other professional development materials available to you?

• I chose this module because I believe experiential learning in the outdoors is an innovative approach in teaching, and practice it in my classroom teaching and in-service teacher training.
  
• The module was relevant to the course the participants were taking, Teaching Science (a Graduate Course in an Early Childhood Education programme).

6. Please describe the circumstances or situation of the trial.

I trialed the module as part of an in-service programme for teachers. The module was presented in one extended session of 3 hours.

7. Indicate any special conditions that affected or strengthened your delivery of the module. Then, say why these conditions were so helpful.

• The number of participants was manageable. They have been working together as classmates in the course for almost a semester; hence, they know each other well already. Their instructor scheduled a special session for this module trailing and the programme chairperson, Ms. Edith de la Cruz, herself a member of the team of module writers, gave an overview of the project and how they will be contributing to its success.
  
• The participants were graduate students of Miriam College, a leading proponent of environmental education in the country. Additionally, the module trialing was partly held in the beautiful mini-forest within the campus grounds, perfect for an "experience outside of the classroom activity" specified in the module.

  

REVIEW AND ADAPTATION

1. What were the changes you made to the module?

• Sequence of the three themes The adapted sequence:
  - Introduction
  - Theme II (Outdoor Experiences)
  - Theme III (Using the Environment as a Resource for Learning Across the Curriculum)
  - Theme I (Planning, Organisation, Risk Management)
  
• Possum Picnic Activity The adapted version: "Golden Snail Swirl"
  - The "taggers" are designated as golden snails.
  - The rest of the group are rice stalks.
  - 2 controls introduced to reduce the golden snails of the "farmer" who throws a foam ball at a snail and the "duck" who tags a snail.
  
• Procedure for the EOTC Matrix
  - Instead of doing the matrix, a discussion or sharing session was undertaken to elicit answers. There was no need to go around the local grounds as specified in the module.
  
• Procedure for the Risk Management Matrix.
  - No small group discussion using Resource No. 2. Instead, the whole group shared their views about Risk Management and Planning Your EOTC.
  
• Material for the ice-breaker activity
  - Instead of using small cards pegged on the back of the participants, I made paper headbands crowned on their heads. Hence, they can easily interact with each other without having to turn around to read the cards on each other's backs.

2. What were the major factors that caused you to make these changes?

• I noticed that the sequence of the activities of each theme would necessitate going back and forth from the classroom and the venue outside. The module also places a main theme which requires sit-in discussion and listening to a lecturette ahead of the theme on Outside Experience and the theme on Using The Environment which calls for outdoor activities. I rearranged the order of the activities such that all lecturettes which needed the use of the overhead projector be put together and all the activities outside of the classroom together. Debriefing of all the activities were made immediately after each activity, inside or outside the classroom. I also placed the outdoor activities ahead of the lecturette sessions because I surmised the participants, knowing the title of the module, were expecting more EOTC activities than lectures inside the classroom. Considering the 3 hour session scheduled for this workshop, I thought it was better to meet the central objective and apply the main strategy of this module, namely, to use the environment for learning, at the beginning.
  
• The possum is not a familiar species in our local environment. However, a similar situation in the Philippines is the introduction of the Golden Snail in the rice farmlands. It was initially introduced as a cheap food source and its propagation as an income-generating enterprise for farmers. Soon enough it had become a pest thriving on the rice stalks of the farmers.
  
• Since there were only 9 participants, there was no need to break into smaller groups. We were not able to fill up the EOTC matrix due to time constraints. Instead, we went through the examples given in OHT 1 and in Resource 1.
  
• Outdoor activities such as tramping or abseiling are hardly ever done as part of the academic curriculum in the Philippines. Our outdoor activities consists more of activities within the campus grounds and trips around the local or neighbouring community, which we call field trips. I have very little experience about nature treks or camping, much less preparing for such an activity. The participants who were early childhood educators hardly ever plan for such, too. Nonetheless, we still discussed the Principles of Risk Management and Resource 2 (Planning Your EOTC) and we cited parallel examples applicable in our field trips.
  
• I think it is easier to interact with the cards seen up front than at the back. Putting it on the head still hides the cardholder's "identity" and allowing face-to-face interaction.

3. Did any aspect of your professional circumstances make adapting the materials challenging? For example, did materials require translation, or were they unsuitable for the institution in which you work? Please explain your answer.

None.

EVALUATION

1. To what extent did you find the materials innovative? Are similar activities being undertaken in your own country or institution? Please give examples.

• The material on the Principles of Risk Management is relatively new. Although our group has always planned outdoor activities in our workshops, we do not go through a step-by-step risk analysis.
  
• A similar matrix for using the environment as a resource for learning has been mapped out in our institution. Although not as extensive as Resource 1, our matrix lists pedagogical themes and appropriate places and activities for its field trips through the different educational levels, e.g. nature appreciation for the elementary levels - a trip to the local zoo or a nearby national park.
  
• Our school curriculum and a matrix for integration of environmental education in different subjects done by our group, Miriam-P.E.A.C.E. (Public Education and Awareness Campaign for the Environment) promote the use of the environment as a resource for learning. Recently, our group launched a series of modules for teachers, which contains activities following the experimental process.
  
• In our teacher-training workshops, our group always plan interactive and experiential activities. A popular one, which our group designed is called "A Trade Fair in Asia". It simulates trading activities in Asia and leads to an analysis of its effect on the environment and the economy of the region and its countries.

2. What criteria did you use to evaluate the workshop?

The objectives of the module.

3. What formal or informal methods of feedback and evaluation did your use in the trial of the module? (For example, did you use a survey, focus group or interview? Did you discuss the workshop informally with the participants?)

I used a pre- and post evaluation form with a rating scale indicating their degree of knowledge and skill of the key concepts of the module (based on the objectives specified in the module). The participants were also asked to write down any new learnings, the best and least liked activity, the usefulness of the module in their teaching, and any recommendations.

4. What data did you collect?

• Based on the pre- and post-evaluation rating scale, the participants increased their knowledge and skill of the key concepts of the module after the workshop. (Refer to the eight (8) learning outcomes listed down at the beginning of the module.).
  
• Based on their written responses, they enjoyed the activities of the workshop. They liked best the "Golden Snail Swirl", the ice-breaker activity, and had mixed reaction on the activity of Resource No. 5. Some included it as one of their best, some mentioned it as least liked.

5. What was the student response to the workshop content? For example, what improvements did they suggest, and what strengths did they identify?

• The workshop strengthened their belief in the process of experiential learning. Through this process, learning becomes enjoyable and effective. They also became more aware of the advantages of using the environment as a resource for learning a concept in a particular discipline and at the same time, learning about the environment. A participant said that the environment is largely an untapped learning resource and that many teachers still use the more traditional approach.
  
• Somebody mentioned about becoming more aware of the need to plan carefully any outdoor activity, which is often taken for granted. She cited experiences of a young student getting lost during a trip and getting hurt in the process.
  
• Another one mentioned about the importance of integrating environmental education into different subject areas. She gave some examples which she uses in teaching Reading to Grade 6 students.

  

6. What was the student response to the methods used in the workshop? For example, what improvements did they suggest, and what strengths did they identify?

The participants enjoyed doing the activities. They said that their students will also enjoy them and at the same time learn about the environment. They also mentioned that they have been doing similar activities in different subject areas and that the activities presented in this module will be added to their list of teaching strategies. One participant was inspired to modify her curriculum that makes use of teaching for, in, and about the environment.

They suggest that more teachers be trained on the strategy of using the environment as a resource for learning.

7. Were the adaptation and trial an effective learning experience for participants? Why?

Yes. They learned new things and could make use of the activities in their teaching.

8. What do you see as being the strengths of the original module? For example, was it easily adapted? Were the instructions easy to follow?

Yes. Adapting was not difficult at all, and instructions were easy to follow. The reading and resource materials were useful.

9. How might the original module be improved, before being adapted by others?

• I suggested that more examples and situations be given to illustrate the Principle of Risk Management. Also there are some terms in OHT 3 that are unfamiliar and not explained in the Background Information, like "risk shift" and "get-home-itis". These should be defined and illustrated by examples.
  
• I suggested that Activities 1 and 2 of Theme I be put at the end (like the order in my adapted version). This allows the facilitator to focus on themes 2 and 3 which I think are the major concepts of the module. Theme 1 activities, being lecture-discussion sessions can serve as a summative activity.

10. Comment on whether the activities were manageable within the suggested time frame?

There is no specified time frame for the entire module. But I think the original module would need more time specially if done with a bigger group. From my experience, some of the activities which asked the participants to move around were tiring. A short time to allow the participants to rest should be considered in timing the sessions. For example, after the adapted version of the "Possum Picnic", the participants were too exhausted to participate in the debriefing.

11. Comment on whether the resource materials were helpful in the delivery of the module?

Yes, the resource materials were helpful; but I suggest more background information on Risk Management. As I mentioned in No. 9, all terms should be defined and illustrated with example situations.

12. Will you plan to use the materials again? How might you change them before using them on another occasion in light of your trial?

Yes. I would schedule a longer time-frame. I would make the topic on Risk Management as an optional activity or a further reading material for the participants. I would focus more on the process of experiential learning and EOTC activities.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT REFLECTIONS

1. What has (a) reviewing and adapting and (b) trialing and evaluating this module done for your professional development? For example, did you develop new ideas on the nature of environmental education?

• As a teacher and trainer, it inspired me to think of new experiential activities to add to my lesson plans and workshops. Specially in our teacher-training workshops on environmental education, in-service teachers always look for new teaching strategies. It gave me new ideas to enhance my activities in integrating environmental activities in the subject that I teach, High School Social Studies, to allow more EOTC activities. Resource 1 on the matrix of EOTC activities gave me a lot of new ideas.
  
• Trialing and evaluating the module has increased my skill in conducting workshops, specially in facilitating interactive activities. The resource materials gave me new ideas about processing and evaluating experiential activities.

2. Have you developed new additional activities as a result of using this module? Please describe them. How will you use these activities?

None. Maybe after more trialing.

3. Have the materials helped the teachers/student-teachers to develop their own thinking about environmental education? Please provide details.

Yes. Here are some of their responses.

• I discovered that there a lot of possibilities in using the environment as a resource for learning. The environment can be used to teach many subjects and at the same time, make them more aware of environmental issues.
  
• Using the environment as a resource for learning is very helpful in teaching a lot of concepts. For example, in teaching "Adjectives" I will let my class go to the mini-forest and let them describe what they see around them.
  
• Teaching environmental concepts through experiential learning is very effective. Specially for the developmental level of the students (early childhood) that we teach. Learning is enjoyable and easy to understand.
  
• Activities which have environmental themes are applicable also in other subjects, not only in Science.
  
• A new learning based from the activity, the "Golden Snail Swirl" is the effect of introducing a new species to an ecosystem. I was able to understand it very easily through the activity.
  
• The environment can be used to teach certain Mathematical skills, like visual discrimination and measurement. Math is best understood if related to experiences in real life. Using the environment is an effective tool and experiential learning allows them to do the learning for themselves. These methods at the same time inculcate awareness of the environment.
  
• Through the different activities presented, I became more aware of the wonderful experiences and benefits that can be derived from an education in outdoor settings. Learning will be more meaningful and it will even foster love for the environment.
  
• Using the environment as a "natural classroom" is an opportunity to learn about, in, and for the environment.

NOTE

This Review Guide was completed during and after the trial of the draft version of the module on Using Indigenous Knowledge and Storytelling in Environmental Education which was originally written for use in Australia. The trial in The Philippines led to several adaptations. These adaptations and those from other countries that trialed this module mean that the module on this topic in this manual is quite different from the original draft version.

Name: Premila Kumar

Institution: Fiji College of Advanced Education (formerly)

BACKGROUND

The draft module, Using Indigenous Knowledge, and Storytelling in Environmental Education, was trialed at Fiji College of Advanced Education (FCAE) in April 1996 in a pre-service teacher education programme. The participants were the first year trainees from the School of Science. The module was presented as a part of a formal course during normal teaching time.

This module was selected because it was relevant to the multi-cultural society of Fiji that is known for its rich culture and traditions. This module was also relevant to the course already being conducted at FCAE. The Science student teachers with whom the module was trialed were not familiar with the "storytelling" approach, which is more subjective than the "scientific" methods they were used to. They deal mostly with cognitive and manipulative skills which do not allow for development of attitudes and values. The module provided an innovative approach to introducing "storytelling" as a teaching and learning method.

ANALYSIS AND ADAPTATIONS

Cultural Factors

There are two major ethnic groups living in Fiji. They are Indo-Fijians and native-Fijians. The module was adapted to give both the cultural groups an experience of finding out certain environmental-friendly practices still common in their societies. This adaptation also provides an opportunity for the two ethic groups to share views and understandings from their culture and traditions.

The following changes were made:

• Prior the workshop students were asked to find out about an existing traditional practice or legend which focuses on environment.
  
• As an introduction to the module two guest speakers were invited from both the ethic groups, i.e. Indian and Fijian to tell stories relating to the environment.
  
• After the introduction the trainees were divided into groups to share their findings. Each member of the group told stories about the way our ancestors or the existing culture cared for the environment.
  
• Had discussion on two stories of the Pacific i.e. "Legends of Fish" and "Mwem: First Fruits in Trunk". After the discussion, trainees highlighted certain practices in the rural areas which still cares for the environment till today.

The changes helped to localise the content which students were able to identify with. The local stories created a better impact and the trainees were able to understand certain practices.

Educational Factors

The topics of "bioprospecting" and "biopiracy" should be known to the people of the Pacific. After all, indigenous knowledge is often stolen from the local people by pharmaceutical companies without any compensation, similar to the stealing of indigenous knowledge for creating seed banks. They learnt for the first time about intellectual property rights.

An article from the local newspaper based on stealing of indigenous knowledge was discussed. In Fiji, our traditional drink called "yaqona" or "kava" is now used in Europe to make a tranquillisers called "kavain". A lengthy discussion on bioprospecting and biopiracy was thoroughly enjoyed by the student teachers.

RESPONSES FROM WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS

The following criteria was used to evaluate the workshop:

• level of difficulty in comprehending the language
• duration of the workshop
• appropriateness of the content
• the methodology used in the delivery
• non-verbal cues from the participants

The comments received from the focus group interview and informal discussion included:

• The student teachers felt that the language was d