EDITION 4 |  5:30 read time

Environmental Education

Environmental Education is broadly defined to mean “placing the focus on using best practice in education to address the social and environmental issues facing society.” 

Environmental education increases public awareness and knowledge about environmental issues or problems. In doing so, it provides the public with the necessary skills to make informed decisions and take responsible action. 

The complexity of climate science combined with the complicated political and cultural contexts in which people live makes climate change a particularly challenging topic to approach no matter the educational setting. 

The components of environmental education are: 

• Awareness and sensitivity to the environment and environmental challenges 
• Knowledge and understanding of the environment and environmental challenges 
• Attitudes of concern for the environment and motivation to improve or maintain environmental quality 
• Skills to identify and help resolve environmental challenges 
• Participation in activities that lead to the resolution of environmental challenges 

Environmental education does not advocate a particular viewpoint or course of action. Rather, environmental education teaches individuals how to weigh various sides of an issue through critical thinking and it enhances their own problem-solving and decision-making skills.

Environmental Education is more than Information about the Environment:

Environmental Attitudes and Behaviors

Environmental attitudes are important because they often, but not always, determine behavior that either increases or decreases environmental quality. Pro-environmental attitudes rise and fall with current events and vary with age, gender, socioeconomic status, nation, urban-rural residence, religion, politics, values, personality, experience, education, and environmental knowledge. Environmental Education aims to improve environmental attitudes but has mixed results. The mass media have been both helpful and harmful. 

The relationship between attitudes and behavior is not always straightforward. One might think positive environmental attitudes would engender pro-environmental behavior that minimizes environmental impacts and has positive environmental outcomes. But in reality, attitudes are often a weaker predictor of behavior than we might expect. In the case of climate change, although people who hold more positive attitudes toward renewable energy may be more likely to install solar panels on their home. But there are many reasons why people who feel positive about renewable energy may not do so—for example, lack of knowledge, structural barriers such as cost, or how they feel others may view them. Attitudes are a better predictor of behaviors when the attitudes are more specific. For instance, if we want to predict who will install solar panels, attitudes toward renewable energy, specifically, are likely to be a better predictor than general environmental attitudes.

Understanding audiences’ environmental attitudes and knowledge can guide educators in developing program outcomes and content. Defining outcomes early on in your program development process will assist educators in choosing appropriate activities to meet their goals and their audiences’ needs. 

Trust between the educator and the audience plays a key role in audience receptivity to climate change messages. Educators can establish trust by working with local trusted partners and opinion leaders and by thinking carefully about the messenger. Luckily for environmental educators, their audiences may already consider them as trusted information sources. 

Trust between the educator and the audience plays a key role in audience receptivity to climate change messages. Educators can establish trust by working with local trusted partners and opinion leaders and by thinking carefully about the messenger. Luckily for environmental educators, their audiences may already consider them as trusted information sources.