Environmental education in pre-service teacher training programs in Canadian tertiary institutions

grantor: University of TorontoContinually identified as one of the key agents of change, teachers play an important part in promoting and improving the capacity of individuals to address environmental and development issues and problems. The preparation of pre-service teachers is especially critical in achieving environmental and ethical awareness, as well as in developing the values, attitudes, skills and behaviours conducive to a sustainable future. However, despite being recognized as a major priority for research and action in many major international conferences on environmental education, environmental education research in pre-service programs has been given little attention in Canada. The only systematic national evaluation of environmental education at the teacher preparation level in Canada was conducted by John Towler (1980-81), nearly 20 years ago. Since Towler's (1980-81) survey, there have been few investigations examining the status of environmental education in Canadian pre-service teacher preparation programs. Towler surveyed pre-service teacher education programs across Canada and reported that many of the respondents at that time did not indicate a high level of commitment to implementing environmental education in teacher programs, despite the call for increased environmental education at all levels of education. This present study was an attempt to assess the status of environmental education at the teacher preparation level since Towler's study. A national survey using a modified version of Towler's questionnaire was distributed to all pre-service teacher training institutions across the Canadian provinces to determine the present level of environmental education which pre-service teachers receive in teacher preparation programs. In addition, two case studies examining the design, content, and methods of two pre-service teacher education courses with specialization in environmental education were conducted to understand and describe the nature of environmental education currently found in pre-service teaching programs. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)Ph.D