Promoting sustainable development through outdoor education in Finnish schools and teacher education

Abstract The aim of this article is to describe purposes, aims, and teaching and learning methods of outdoor education based on such previous studies that have discussed outdoor education from the point of view of promoting sustainable development in schools and teacher education. The purpose is that the findings can be used for the development of curricula in schools and teacher education. Here, outdoor education is understood as a didactic method that utilises authentic learning environments and combines a subject of academic study with its real-world surroundings, actors, and activities for fostering sustainable development conceptions and actions of students and teachers. It involves regular activities outside the classroom, giving individuals the chance to use all their senses and to create personal experiences in the real world. Outdoor education is seen as a part of education for sustainable development when environmental issues and problems, environmental conservation, and issues of sustainability are included in it. In the previous years, research has shown that education for sustainable development including outdoor education has many positive effects on both individuals’ learning outcomes and their conceptions of environment

Teaching methods in science subjects promoting sustainability

In this book, conventional and new methods through which sustainability can be promoted in mathematics and science subjects are described and discussed. The aim of the book is to support teachers and teacher educators in their work, and to create a multi-sided view on sustainability, and on education for sustainable development. Curriculums and teaching approaches for the implementation of sustainability in schools and universities, especially in teacher education, are discussed. The pedagocical studies presented give useful examples of how sustainability can be included in mathematics, physics and biology education. The described teaching methods are discussed also in relation to students' competence and learning outcomes. In addition, valuable ideas are presented for the development of curriculums and teaching practices in higher education and schools. The book is suited for all teachers and researchers who are interested in sustainability and sustainable development, and want to develop their teaching in higher education and schools

Luokanopettajaopiskelijoiden ammatillisten käsitysten kehittyminen päättöharjoittelujakson biologian ja maantieteen opetuksessa

Abstract This study aims to interpret professional development of teachers, focusing specifically on the development of professional conceptions of a group of student-teachers in an Initial Teacher Education class during their final school practice period in Biology and Geography. During this practice period, the student-teachers became acquainted with new pedagogical approaches and made efforts to implement them in the practice classrooms in the training school at the University of Oulu. The study is a qualitative case study. A total of 50 student teachers participated in the research. The empirical material was collected between 1992 and 1994. The resultant data is based on reflective diaries and teaching practice reports written by the student-teachers, and on recordings and videotapes from supervision meetings and lessons. The data was analysed by using inductive and deductive content analysis methods. The interpretation is focused on the most typical and the most exceptional conceptions of the student-teachers. According to the student-teachers, their awareness of themselves as teachers and of teaching of Biology and Geography developed during the final practice period. At the beginning, they reflected their status, whereas at the end they considered the work of a teacher as a whole and what kind of teachers they want to be. The student-teachers expressed that they were no longer nervous to the same extent about their teaching and that their self-confidence had improved. However, they said that they were unsure about subject content knowledge and working methods, and wanted to develop themselves in these areas. They started to discuss more about their curriculum and subject content knowledge. The student-teachers expressed the opinion that to respect the pupils is important. They started to stress learning processes, instead of facts, as the basis of teaching situations. They reported having tried to move from traditional teaching methods to active learning methods. None of the student-teachers changed their social strategies. Most of the student-teachers followed the practices of the training classes they were teaching in. Only a fifth changed patterns or habitual ways of acting in classrooms. Coping strategies used by the student-teachers were varied in different situations. They wrote that their professional strategies developed during the practice period. The tutorial collaboration and reflective, theory-based discussions aided this professional development. The support of class teachers and other student-teachers was also an important factor. However, it is impossible to draw any long-term conclusions on the influences on the professional development of the student teachers, due to the results being based on the conceptions of the student-teachers in these specific contexts, and the short length of the study period researched, which was only eight credits per group (a credit being equivalent to 40 working hours). To confirm whether there were long-term changes in their conceptions on teaching actions, further research on the group is required, when they work as teachers in schools.Tiivistelmä Tutkimuksen aiheena on luokanopettajaopiskelijoiden ammatillisten käsitysten kehittyminen päättöharjoittelujakson biologian ja maantieteen opetuksessa. Kehittymistä tarkastellaan opetusharjoittelijoiden omien käsitysten pohjalta ammatillisen kasvun viitekehyksessä. Teoreettisilta lähtökohdiltaan aihe edustaa symbolisen interaktionismin ja opettajan ajattelun ja oman työn tutkimisen perinnettä. Se liittyy myös didaktisen tutkimuksen piiriin. Tutkimus on kvalitatiivinen tapaustutkimus. Tutkimukseen osallistui 50 päättöharjoittelujakson opetusharjoittelijaa Oulun yliopiston harjoittelukoulusta. Empiirinen aineisto kerättiin opintopäiväkirjoina ja raportteina sekä ohjausten ja opetustilanteiden nauhoituksina vuosina 1992-94. Aineisto analysoitiin induktiivis-deduktiivisesti aineistolähtöisellä sisällönanalyysillä. Tarkastelu kohdistuu yleisimpiin ja niistä selvästi poikkeaviin opetusharjoittelijoiden käsityksiin. Opetusharjoittelijoiden käsitysten mukaan tietoisuus itsestä opettajana ja biologian ja maantieteen opetuksesta kehittyi päättöharjoittelujaksossa. Päättöharjoittelujakson alussa opetusharjoittelijat sanoivat tarkastelleensa omaa asemaansa luokassa, ja lopussa he kuvasivat opettajan työtä kokonaisuutena ja itseään opettajana ja kasvattajana. Opiskelijoiden mielestä oppituntien jännittäminen väheni ja itseluottamus kasvoi. Epävarmuutta ja kehittymisen tarvetta opetusharjoittelijat kokivat ainetiedossa ja työtavoissa. Opetussuunnitelmaa ja oppiainetta koskevat käsitykset laajenivat tuntipohjaisesta, oppikirjakeskeisestä näkökulmasta jaksokohtaiseen ja monipuoliseen oppiaineiden tarkasteluun. Koko päättöharjoittelujakson ajan opetusharjoittelijat pitivät oppilaan tuntemusta ja kunnioittamista tärkeänä. Ajankäytön havaittiin kehittyneen asiamäärän perusteella tapahtuneesta oppilaiden oppimista huomioivaksi. Opetusharjoittelijat kertoivat pyrkineensä siirtymään perinteisestä aktivoivaan opetustapaan. Kukaan opetusharjoittelijoista ei muuttanut alun perin omaksumaansa sosiaalista strategiaa. Pääosa heistä sanoi noudattaneensa luokan käytänteitä: vain noin viidennes kertoi muuttaneensa luokan toimintatapoja. Opetusharjoittelijoiden selviytymisstrategiat vaihtelivat tilanteesta toiseen. Omaa ammatillista taitotietoa kehittävät strategiat näyttivät kehittyneen päättöharjoittelujakson aikana. Käsitysten kehittymistä biologian ja maantieteen opetuksessa tuki opetusharjoittelijoiden mukaan yksin ja yhdessä tapahtunut reflektio. Tässä selvitetyt tutkimustulokset ilmentävät opetusharjoittelijoiden ammatillisten käsitysten kehittymistä biologian ja maantieteen opetuksessa kahdeksan opintoviikon pituisessa päättöharjoittelujaksossa. Yksi opintoviikko muodostui 40 työtunnista. Koska tutkimustulokset perustuvat opetusharjoittelijoiden omiin käsityksiin ja koska tutkimusaika on lyhyt, ei voida tehdä johtopäätöstä, että opetusharjoittelijoiden ammatilliset käsitykset olisivat muuttuneet pysyvästi. Tämän toteamiseksi tarvittaisiin jatkotutkimusta opetusharjoittelijoiden opettajaksi valmistumisen jälkeen

Teaching methods in biology education and sustainability education including outdoor education for promoting sustainability:a literature review

Abstract There are very few studies concerning the importance of teaching methods in biology education and environmental education including outdoor education for promoting sustainability at the levels of primary and secondary schools and pre-service teacher education. The material was selected using special keywords from biology and sustainable education in several scientific databases. The article provides an overview of 24 selected articles published in peer-reviewed scientific journals from 2006–2016. The data was analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Altogether, 16 journals were selected and 24 articles were analyzed in detail. The foci of the analyses were teaching methods, learning environments, knowledge and thinking skills, psychomotor skills, emotions and attitudes, and evaluation methods. Additionally, features of good methods were investigated and their implications for teaching were emphasized. In total, 22 different teaching methods were found to improve sustainability education in different ways. The most emphasized teaching methods were those in which students worked in groups and participated actively in learning processes. Research points toward the value of teaching methods that provide a good introduction and supportive guidelines and include active participation and interactivity

Teaching and learning methods in geography promoting sustainability

Abstract Understanding and learning geographic knowledge and applying it to sustainable development (SD) depends not only on the knowledge itself, but also on how it is taught and studied. The teaching and learning methods for promoting sustainability in geography have not been thoroughly studied. This qualitative study examined articles on geography teaching and SD. The material was selected using keywords related to geography education. The study describes 17 articles published in peer-reviewed scientific journals from 2008 to 2018. The focus group varied from primary to higher education. The proportion of teaching and learning methods were determined. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The foci of the analyses were the teaching and learning methods, topics, goals, and levels of thinking skills. Additionally, features of the teaching methods used in geography education, including outdoor education, to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs) were investigated. Different teaching methods used together and interactive learning were the most often preferred. Group work and teachers’ presentations were mentioned in 12 articles, and inquiry-based learning and argumentation in half of the articles. The most often written expressions promoting SD in geography education concerned environmental sustainability (42%), followed by social (25%), economic (19%), and cultural sustainability (14%). The most emphasized features of the current teaching methods were active participation, thinking skills, animation, evaluation, dialog, demonstrations, and information and communication technology skills. The whole school approach and forward-looking perspective in geography should be implemented in school education to reach the SDGs and to support SD

‘Nature is something we can’t replace’:Mexican students’ views of the landscape they want to conserve

Abstract The primary aim of this qualitative study was to identify the landscapes that 7−12-year old Mexican students (n = 440) would like to conserve by analysing their drawings. Another aim was to determine the environmental relationship and environmental values of 5th and 6th graders (n = 152) by studying their texts. The data were analysed using mixed methods. In this study, landscape is understood as a visual experience of the environment, comprising the visible features of an area. Based on the results, all of the three main landscapes—nature, social and built—were deemed worth conserving. Beyond students’ immediate environment, the polar regions, North America, Australia and Africa were mentioned; Europe and Asia were not. The landscape drawings were realistic and carefully made, and the descriptions attached to them were clearly written. The environmental approach was mainly humanistic, and aesthetic values were appreciated by both genders. Utilitarian values were mentioned more often by boys than girls. The students’ descriptions reflected their environmental relationship, e.g., concern about nature, showing causal relationships, appreciation and affection. Concern or worry was often accompanied by the mention of human’s responsibility in the students’ texts, but they seldom considered their own activities in relation to the environment. The students depicted threats to nature, but they externalized themselves from the mechanisms threatening nature. In addition, they did not show familiarity with natural processes and scientific terminology. The study reveals that it is not only theoretically important to have distinct values, but these also need to be recognized by individuals. If the humans’ pro-environmental actions are to be promoted through education, it is important to study students’ values, as they may be important barriers to behavioral change. As students showed concern about preserving nature, teachers can discuss environmental values and different ways to take action and make changes with them, in order to avoid anxiety

Argumentaatiotaitojen harjoittaminen ekosysteemiopetuksessa:aiheena yhteiskunnallis-luonnontieteelliset ilmiöt

Tiivistelmä Tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan lukiolaisten argumentointitaitojen harjoittamiseen tarkoitettuja biologian ja maantieteen opettajaopiskelijoiden (n=39) laatimia tehtäviä sekä heidän laatimiaan mallivastauksia näihin tehtäviin. Lisäksi pohditaan, mitä tehtävät ja vastaukset kertovat opettajaopiskelijoiden käsityksistä ekosysteemeistä, niiden ilmiöistä ja niihin liittyvistä yhteiskunnallis-luonnontieteellisistä (YLU)-aiheista. Tehtävät ja vastaukset analysoitiin sisällönanalyyttisesti. Tuloksista havaittiin, että opettajaopiskelijoiden laatimat tehtävät käsittelivät metsä- ja vesiekosysteemejä sekä Australian luontoa. Pääosin ne olivat pohdintatehtäviä ja sisälsivät vähän argumentaatiolle tyypillistä päätöksentekoa ja soveltamista. Vain neljässä vastauksessa 39:sta määriteltiin YLU-ongelma. Tutkimuksen tulokset osoittavat, että opettajaopiskelijoilla ei ole selkeää käsitystä ekosysteemien ilmiöiden YLU-aiheista ja -ongelmista. Opettamiseen tulisikin eksplisiittisesti sisällyttää luonnontieteellisiin todisteisiin perustuvaa päättelyä vaativia YLU-aiheita.Abstract Phenomena-based socio-scientific issues in practicing argumentation skills in teaching ecosystems This study examines tasks constructed by student teachers of biology and geography that aim to teach high school students argumentation skills. The participants (n=39) drafted and answered their own socio-scientific issues (SSI)-themed task. In addition, we consider what kinds of perceptions of ecosystems, of their phenomena and related SSI are transmitted through these tasks and answers. The tasks and answers were analyzed using content analysis. The tasks created by the student teachers focused on forest and aquatic ecosystems and Australian nature. The tasks supporting the practice of argumentation were mainly in the form of “discussion”. They contained little decision-making and implementation typical of argumentation. Only four of the 39 responses defined the SSI. The results of the study showed that the biology and geography student teachers did not have a clear understanding of SSI regarding ecosystems and their phenomena. Teaching should therefore explicitly include socio-scientific problems that require reasoning based on scientific evidence

School culture promoting sustainability in student teachers’ views

Abstract School culture includes values, principles, and criteria. It is an integral part of sustainability education, of which climate change education (CCE) is seen as a way to improve students’ ability to take action to mitigate climate change. This survey aimed to investigate Finnish student teachers’ views of factors important in implementing CCE in school culture and their abilities as teachers to promote CCE. Thirty-six student teachers wrote essays regarding the implementation of school culture and responded to a questionnaire concerning their ability to act as climate change (CC) educators and the challenges they identified in teaching and learning about it. Inductive content analysis was used to study the essays. In student teachers’ answers, six themes to implement in school culture were identified: elements, work community, teacher’s impact, students in the centre, actors outside the school, and challenges. The student teachers highlighted challenges, such as views that deny CC and challenge the transformation of school culture to support sustainable development. The suggested ways to support CCE in daily school life that were very concrete, such as recycling and food education. Student teachers found their own ability to act as climate educators to be relatively good. They identified challenges, especially in motivating students to learn about CC and to participate and take action towards a climate-friendly lifestyle. Students’ conflicting attitudes, values, and beliefs related to CC, reinforced by their inner circle, were seen as challenges in teaching and learning about CC. Despite these challenges, transforming a school culture to support CCE should be the goal of every school

Toward environmental sustainability, health, and equity:how the psychological characteristics of college students are reflected in understanding sustainable development goals

Abstract This study aimed to identify how the psychological characteristics of college students are reflected in understanding sustainable development goals (SDGs) by examining college students’ psychological characteristics, including attitude, interests, motivations, and self-efficacy, through the Sustainable Development Goals Psychological Inventory (SDGPI). The relationships among SDGs attitude, SDGs interest, SDGs motivation, and SDGs self-efficacy were analyzed by Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients. In addition, the Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance were used to explore the differences among the college student groups in terms of gender, grade, and major in relation to attitude and personal characteristics. Attitude scores based on regression analysis were used to predict college students’ interest, motivation, and self-efficacy in relation to the SDGs. According to the results, (a) the college students considered the three most important SDGs to be good health and well-being (SDG 3) (49.72%), quality education (SDG 4) (41.39%), and no poverty (SDG 1) (32.22%), while the three least important SDGs were decent work and economic growth (SDG 8) (41.11%), partnerships for the goals (SDG 17) (38.06%), and response consumption and institutions (SDG 12) (30.83%); (b) the SDGPI had a high reliability, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.942; (c) there was a significant positive correlation between attitude and the variables of interest, motivation, and self-efficacy; (d) differences in attitudes, interest, and motivation between men and women were distinct and women scored much higher in these three subscales than men; (e) attitude could explain significant variance in interest, motivation and self-efficacy. In addition, attitude, interest, and motivation could account for self-efficacy. This study supports the development of sustainability education (SE) at the college level by providing new insights into college students’ psychological characteristics in relation to the SDGs

What lies behind teaching and learning green chemistry to promote sustainability education?:a literature review

Abstract In this qualitative study, we aim to identify suitable pedagogical approaches to teaching and learning green chemistry among college students and preservice teachers by examining the teaching methods that have been used to promote green chemistry education (GCE) and how these methods have supported green chemistry learning (GCL). We found 45 articles published in peer-reviewed scientific journals since 2000 that specifically described teaching methods for GCE. The content of the articles was analyzed based on the categories of the teaching methods used and the revised version of Bloom’s taxonomy. Among the selected articles, collaborative and interdisciplinary learning, and problem-based learning were utilized in 38 and 35 articles, respectively. These were the most frequently used teaching methods, alongside a general combination of multiple teaching methods and teacher presentations. Developing collaborative and interdisciplinary learning skills, techniques for increasing environmental awareness, problem-centered learning skills, and systems thinking skills featuring the teaching methods were seen to promote GCL in 44, 40, 34, and 29 articles, respectively. The results showed that the integration of green chemistry teaching (GCT), e.g., with sustainable education, promoted GCL by fostering environmental consciousness and behavioral change and cognitive processes in a sustainable direction