The Construction of Water Environment Education Curriculum Content

[[abstract]]In 1996 The Executive Yuan of the Republic of China promulgate “the Current Stage Water Resources Policy Initiatives” which specified “Promotion of Water Education”, through integrating school and community resources by using environmental education principle to drive care of water resources education. However constrained by the meaning of water resources for human use, and difficulty of behaviour and attitude change in water usage, efforts through the education channel in recent years was unable to achieve the desired results. By expanding the meaning of water resources, in goals to broaden water-oriented care based on Water Environment, will continue the influence of environmental education through the educational spirit approach to implementing the “Water Environment Education” in line with the substance of environmental education. The approach will not only achieve learning effectiveness, in addition it meets the objectives of environmental education, hence formulate environmental action to address environmental issues. Therefore, this research develop a Grade 1-9 Curriculum of water environment education curriculum content, to provide the basis of teacher guides, in goal to provide a complete and systematic learning experience for the students. This research adopt Content Analysis. Base on the paper by Chou (1997), in line with the national environmental education concept that covers 6 fundamental elements: (1) Ecology and Principles, (2) Interaction and Interdependence, (3) Resources Conservation, (4) Environmental Management, (5) Environmental Ethics, (6) Carrying Capacity and Quality of Life. In addition, adding 2 new elements from this research: (7) Environmental Problems, (8) Execution Skills. By using a total of 8 elements as the classification framework, the research attempts to analyse the popular water education curriculum contents or teaching objectives at home and from abroad, and the Grade 1-9 Curriculum in various Learning Stages and Environmental Education-related Competence Indicators or Benchmarks and sub-materials content. Applying contents analysis methodology, to codes, to classifies, and to increase courses based on care for water resources concept as a complement to the comprehensive curriculum contents, formed a complete water environment education courses and curriculum content. Finally, a nine-year environmental education curriculum that has been sub-indicators, as well as national water resources policy, “"Water Program of the new century” as a test tool for testing. The research results are 25 elements of water environment education curriculum, 84 course concepts, with 144 acts of goal-oriented curriculum content. Further analysis using environmental education indicators on 144 courses connotation, the research found the ability to target and curriculum content can be reciprocated, so the development of the Water environment education curriculum content can be integrated into the implementation of nine-year course. In addition, through “The Water Resources Policy Initiatives in the New Century” testing, water environment education curriculum and the concept of basic elements also corresponds to the vision of three, six and eight policy advocated strategy, it can meet the Government's policy for water resources Education goals. Through nine years of school education system, and a diversified courses of the water environment education, the research believe we will be able to “create a new water culture, the establishment of a water-saving society” of water resources education overall goal.