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Infusing Environmental Themes into Existing In-Service Teacher Education Program in Science

Dr. Shahid Hussain Mughal
Assistant Professor, Iqra University
Karachi, Pakistan
E-mail: smughal38[at]hotmail.com

Environmental education has become an important and growing area of educational research. An environmental perspective allows students to understand the importance of science for the society and the environment, to develop a sense of inquiry, and to think creatively about the solutions to environmental problems. Teachers have a vital role in ensuring that environmental education is implemented effectively. One of the purposes of my research study was to explore the opportunities for environmental infusion in the existing Science teacher education program, and to understand the perceptions of a science teacher educator, of how he experienced the possibilities and challenges of environmental infusion in his teaching of science topics.

My research was designed in a qualitative paradigm; within this paradigm, I employed action research. My primary sources of data were interviews, and classroom observations, together with secondary sources such as document analysis and unstructured conversations.

Major findings from the study revealed that the science curriculum of in-service teachers’ training program contains a fair amount of environmental content in it. This include information on the relationship between living and non-living things (Simple Food Chains), Factors determining weather, rate of evaporation,  Exploring ways in which living things adapt themselves to their natural environment( migration, hibernation, camouflage), Erosion, and forms of energy as a sources of electricity.  These concepts are loaded with the basic information rather than the skills needed by the learners to enable them to have a positive approach towards the environment, for the purpose of resolving, or helping to resolve, environmental issues. The study further indicated that infusing environmental content in science was very challenging because environmental issues are complex.  Building a sufficient knowledge base of science teacher educators is very essential while discussing and handling environmental issues.

In the light of the findings, the study recommended the infusion of environmental concepts in all subjects of teacher education. The study also recommended the training of teacher educators in environmental education, on a massive scale.  Science-based environmental education is required at every level of education to take informed, effective, and on the spot decisions. The study recommended the incorporation of skills in science textbooks that would help learners to take initiatives about the solution of environmental problems.

 

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