Editorial: Tracing Actors, Actants and Relational Dynamics in Environmental Education Research

This edition of the EEASA Journal provides insight into a range of relationships in the field of environmental education, and the complexities that exist around them, as reflected in the combination of papers. This Editorial picks up on the methodological ‘note’ (or is it a challenge?) provided by Godwell Nhamo in his paper in this edition of the journal. He provides a description of the possibilities that actor network theory provides for describing and explaining environmental policy processes, and recommends that environmental educators consider this methodology in their analyses. In particular, he refers environmental educators to applications of actor network theory for tracing relational dynamics between actors (i.e., environmental education practitioners) and actants which are non-human referents (e.g., the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development and UNESCO’s (2005) International Implementation Scheme). In response to his paper, I have chosen to ‘pick up’ on this methodological discussion in this Editorial, by considering aspects of this theoretical perspective in describing the ‘happenings’ that occur across the pages of this edition of the EEASA Journal. In doing so, I highlight (in part) the diversity of actors and actants that are influencing the field of environmental education, their subject matter and contexts, and I highlight the relational dynamics that become evidentwhen one accepts a methodology that aims to trace such dynamics. In particular, this Editorial considers how ‘The language of actors, actants and actor/actant-networks brings to the fore the relationships and complexities that exist around them’ (Nhamo, this edition)

Editorial: Situated Culture, Ethics and New Learning Theory: Emerging Perspectives in Environmental Education Research

Celebrating the 8th International Invitational Research and Development Seminar This edition of the EEASA Journal celebrates the hosting of the 8th International Invitational Research and Development Seminar on Environmental and Health Education in South Africa in March 2005. The International Invitational Research and Development Seminars are ‘special events’ in the field of environmental and health education research. They are characterised by their democratic, deliberative nature, and by their intent to scope innovation and methodological issues. First established some years ago in Copenhagen, Denmark, these seminars have provided an evolving international forum for researchers interested in research methodology to meet and frame new themes, trends and issues arising in the field of environmental education and healtheducation research. More specifically, this edition of the EEASA Journal profiles some of the insights and perspectives introduced and deliberated at this Invitational Seminar, notably situated culture, ethics and new learning theory. It opens a conversation on the significance of these themes for environmental education research at the start of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainability. Of the 11 feature articles, five were presented and discussed at the 8th International Invitational Seminar in March 2005, with an additional paper making its way into the journal from earlier deliberations at the 7th International Invitational Seminar, hosted in Alaska in 2004. Of interest, however, is the way in which the other papers in the journal (not presented at the Invitational Seminars) also reflect encounters with situated culture, ethics and new learning theory in different ways.&nbsp

Environmental education centres

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Editorial: Environmental Education and Educational Quality and Relevance- Opening the debate

This edition of the Southern African Journal of Environmental Education (SAJEE) tackles a critical issue being debated across the world today, namely the question of educational quality and relevance. In 2005 the UNESCO Education for All Global Monitoring Report entitled Education for All: The Quality Imperative (UNESCO, 2004) was published. This global monitoring report drew attention to issues of educational quality, and raised the problem that physical access to education does not necessarily lead to epistemological access to knowledge or to relevant education being offered to learners. In the foreword to the 430-page assessment of educational quality issues, Koïchiro Matsuura, Director General of UNESCO, stated that ‘although much debate surrounds attempts to define educational quality, solid common ground exists … Quality must be seen in light of how societies define the purpose of education’ (UNESCO, 2004: Foreword). He went on to explain that there seem to be two mutually agreed upon purposes for education in the world today: cognitive development of learners, and creative and emotional growth of learners to help them acquire values and attitudes for responsible  citizenship. He also pointed out that ‘quality must pass the test of equity’ (UNESCO, 2004: Foreword), emphasising the importance of equity of opportunity to access and participate in education and learning. Relevant to the field of environmental education, is the inclusion of educational quality as a major thrust of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (UNDESD) (UNESCO, 2004)

Conference Reflection: Reflections on the ‘3rd World Environmental Education Congress: Educational pathways towards sustainability’, Italy, 2005

The 3rd World Environmental Education Congress follows two previous World Congress Meetings, one in Portugal in 2003 and one in Rio de Janeiro in 2004. The 1st World Environmental Education Congress was held following the World Summit on Education for Sustainable Development where, at this meeting, environmental education associations from around the world gathered to discuss networking across different associations and environmental education groups. A southern African group has been present at all the earlier World Congress meetings, and this year was no exception. Africa was invited to be a ‘special guest’ at the 3rd World Environmental Education Congress in Torino. Historic Torino, situated on the fringe of the beautiful Italian Alps, provided an inviting venue for a congress which attracted over 2 500 participants

Teacher Professional Development with an Education for Sustainable Development Focus in South Africa: Development of a Network, Curriculum Framework and Resources for Teacher Education

This national case study reports on the development of a national network, curriculum framework and resources for teacher education, with specific focus on the inclusion of environment and sustainability, also known as education for sustainable development (ESD) in the South African teacher education system. It reviews and reports on the history of environment and sustainability education in teacher education, and from this, the national case study begins to conceptualise a new approach to environment and sustainability teacher education within a new curriculum policy environment, and a new teacher education and development policy environment.Action research case study methodology is used to document the first phase of the emergence of this network, and this report covers Phase 1 of the initiative, which covers formation of the network, review of previous practices, three conceptual development pilot studies undertaken in both in-service and pre-service teacher education environments and a piloting of a ‘Train the Trainers’ or ‘Educate the Teacher Educators’ programme, which complements and extends the actual teacher education and development (TED) programme under development.The study highlights critical insights of relevance to the shift to a content referenced curriculum in South Africa, and shows how the ‘knowledge mix’ which forms the foundation of the new Teacher Education Qualifications Framework can be engaged. It also highlights some features of the changing knowledge environment, and what dominant knowledge practices are in environment and sustainability-related teaching and teacher education practices, opening these up for further scrutiny. It raises concerns that dominant knowledge work, while integrating a range of forms of knowledge (as is expected of the teacher education system under the new policy), tends to be limited by content on problems and issues for raising awareness, and fails to develop deeper conceptual depth and understanding of environment and sustainability, as issues based knowledge dominates. Similarly, it fails to support social innovation as a response to environment and sustainability concerns, as awareness raising dominates in dominant knowledge work. The study provides a revised conceptual framework for the Teacher Development Network (TEDN) programme, with guidance on key elements necessary to take the programme forward in Phase 2

Participating in the UN Decade of Education for Sustainability: Voices in a southern African consultation process

This paper documents the outcomes of the consultation process on participating in the UNDESD which was led by the SADC Regional Environmental Education Programme in 2005/2006, assisted by the Rhodes University Environmental Education and Sustainability Unit and Environment Africa. The goals of the consultation process were to explore interpretations and meaning-making around the global discourse of ESD in a southern African context. Findings from the consultation process provide useful baseline information on the status of debate on sustainable development in educational circles; participation and partnerships; insights into environmental and sustainability education (ESD) practice and mechanisms needed for supporting this practice. The paper ends by outlining a research agenda for ESD in southern Africa, as discussed during the consultation process

Editorial: The Policy-in-Practice Nexus

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Education for Sustainable Development and retention: unravelling a research agenda

This paper considers the question of what education for sustainable development (ESD) research might signify when linked to the concept of “retention”, and how this relation (ESD and retention) might be researched. It considers two different perspectives on retention, as revealed through educational research trajectories, drawing on existing research and case studies. Firstly, it discusses an ESD research agenda that documents retention by focusing on the issue of keeping children in schools. This research agenda is typical of the existing discourses surrounding Education for All (EFA). It then discusses a related ESD research agenda that focuses more on the pedagogical and curricular aspects of retention, as this provides for a deeper understanding of how ESD can contribute to improving the quality of teaching and learning within a wider EFA retention agenda

Crossing conceptual thresholds in doctoral communities

Pre-printThe traditional apprenticeship model of supervision in which the single scholar charts her individual research path is giving way to more collaborative learning environments. Doctoral programmes, in which communities of scholars work together, have become increasingly common. This study interrogated how being part of such a community enables the conceptual depth we expect at doctoral level. It draws on the notion of conceptual threshold crossing to make sense of the learning experiences of 28 education PhD scholars. Working in a community of doctoral scholars was found to have conceptual impact (i) when the community is supportive, (ii) encourages risk-taking and facilitates conversations across different issues and disciplines, (iii) when the scholars have to regularly articulate their position and (iv) because the programme structure enhances the likelihood of fortuitous encounters with theories and concepts