Unit II. Concept of Environmental Education

Course

Course-XI (1.4.11) (Optional) — Environmental & Population Education

Objectives and Importance of Environmental Education

Environmental education is a learning process that increases people's knowledge about the environment and its associated challenges. Its core objective is to develop the necessary skills and expertise to address these challenges, fostering attitudes and commitments to make informed decisions.

The global objectives of environmental education were formally outlined at the UNESCO Tbilisi Conference in 1977. These objectives are broken down into five categories: building awareness of the environment, sharing knowledge about ecological problems, shaping positive attitudes, developing problem-solving skills, and encouraging active participation in environmental protection.

The importance of environmental education lies in its ability to connect classroom learning to real-world survival. It is not just about studying nature; it is about understanding how human actions impact the earth's limited resources. It empowers students to think critically about issues like climate change, waste management, and pollution, transforming them from passive observers into active problem-solvers.

Example

Instead of just reading a textbook chapter on "Waste Management," a teacher takes students to the school's dumping ground. The teacher asks students to identify which waste materials will decompose naturally (like fruit peels) and which will remain for hundreds of years (like plastic wrappers). This connects the abstract concept of "biodegradability" to the physical reality of the school's own garbage.

Why this matters for a teacher: Understanding these objectives ensures the teacher focuses on practical skill-building and real-world participation, rather than just forcing students to memorize definitions of ecological terms.

Developing Environmental Awareness

Environmental awareness is the "knowing" phase. It is the first critical step in environmental education. A person cannot fix a problem if they do not know it exists. Developing awareness means helping students recognize that their immediate surroundings are part of a larger, interconnected ecological system.

Building awareness requires moving beyond basic facts. It involves training students to observe their environment closely and ask questions about everyday things they usually ignore. In a school setting, awareness is best built through direct observation and guided discovery, allowing students to see the environmental impact of their own daily routines.

Example

Classroom Activity: A teacher conducts a "Water Waste Audit." For one week, students are assigned to monitor all the taps in the school. They place a measuring jug under a dripping tap for one hour, measure the collected water, and then calculate how much water is wasted over a month. By seeing the physical volume of wasted water, students develop a powerful, data-driven awareness of water scarcity.

Why this matters for a teacher: Teachers must know how to spark this initial curiosity and awareness, because students cannot develop a protective attitude toward an environment they do not notice or understand.

Environmental Attitude, Values and Pro-Environmental Behaviour

Environmental education is most effective when it follows a clear psychological progression: Knowing → Caring → Acting.

1. Knowing (Awareness & Knowledge): As discussed, this is the foundational understanding of environmental facts.
2. Caring (Attitudes & Values): Once a student knows the facts, they must form a personal connection. Values are deep-rooted beliefs about what is right or wrong, such as believing that "all living creatures deserve clean air." An attitude is how a person feels about a specific situation based on those values, such as feeling angry when seeing someone throw garbage in a river.
3. Acting (Pro-Environmental Behaviour): This is the final and most important stage. Pro-environmental behaviour means taking deliberate, conscious actions to minimize a negative impact on the earth. It is the physical manifestation of a person's awareness and values.

If education stops at "knowing," it has failed. The goal is to move the student from merely recognizing a problem to caring enough to change their daily habits.

Example

A student learns in science class that plastic harms marine life (Awareness/Knowing). Because the student values animal life, they feel upset that sea turtles are choking on plastic bags (Attitude/Caring). Consequently, the student decides to bring a cloth bag from home when visiting the local market instead of accepting single-use plastic bags (Pro-Environmental Behaviour/Acting).

Why this matters for a teacher: A successful teacher measures the impact of their lessons not by how well students perform on a written test, but by observing positive changes in their everyday behaviour.

Key Terms

• Environmental Education — A process that allows individuals to explore environmental issues, engage in problem-solving, and take action to improve the environment.
• Environmental Awareness — Having a clear understanding and consciousness of the natural environment and the problems it faces.
• Environmental Attitude — A person's emotional evaluation (positive or negative) toward environmental issues or protective practices.
• Pro-Environmental Behaviour — Deliberate actions taken by an individual to minimize their negative impact on the natural world, such as recycling or saving electricity.

Quick Recap

• The objectives of environmental education range from basic awareness to active, hands-on participation in solving ecological issues.
• Awareness is the first step, best developed by helping students critically observe their immediate surroundings through activities like resource audits.
• True environmental education follows a clear progression: Knowing (awareness), Caring (values and attitudes), and Acting (pro-environmental behaviour).
• The ultimate goal of teaching this subject is to inspire concrete behavioural changes that protect the environment.

Further Reading

• Tbilisi Declaration (1977) — UNESCO / UNEP
• National Curriculum Framework (NCF) — NCERT
• Environmental Education in India — Centre for Environment Education (CEE)