International Perspectives in Environmental Education

The Editors: Walter Leal Filho teaches at Hamburg Technical University and runs various international environmental education projects, also being editor of the European Environmental Education Newsletter.
Michael Littledyke researches in the area of science and environmental education in the Faculty of Education and Social Sciences at the University of Gloucestershire where he is also involved in postgraduate research student supervision, initial teacher education and management of research degrees programmes and staff research.

This book aims at introducing readers to the different ways in which environmental education is viewed and perceived on an international basis. It is one of the outcomes of the First World Environmental Education Congress (FWEEC) held in Espinho, Portugal, on 20^th-24^th May, 2003. FWEEC gathered 282 participants from 38 countries, offering an international platform for educators, scientists, researchers, scholars, politicians, technicians, activists, the media and teachers to present and debate key issues in environmental education world wide. It includes many of the papers delivered in the Congress and a few additional ones, in an attempt to both document international experiences and promote them to a wide audience. This publication is meant to pave the ground for the UN International Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014) by addressing one of the oldest and yet one of the most pressing needs in environmental education today: the need to document experiences and promote good practice. This book will be useful to those undertaking research, practical projects and doing works «on the ground» in both formal and non-formal teaching. The extensive body of information and knowledge gathered by the authors will be helpful to both researchers and practitioners, contributing towards developing their capacity so that they may become even better at what they do.

Contents: Carlos Henke-Oliveira/José Eduardo Dos Santos/Andréia De Fiori: Environmental Education through Interactive Means - Lilian Levin Medeiros Ferreira Da Gama/Paulo Cesar Rodrigues Cassino: The Ecological Trail and its Influence in Environmental Education - E. Mavrikaki/A. Kyridis/E. Tsakiridou/P. Golia: Greek Educators' Attitudes and Beliefs about The Application of Environmental Education in Elementary School - Michael Littledyke: Converging Paradigms: Bridging Science and Environmental Education through Drama - E. Mavrikaki/E. Zygouri/I. Athanassiadou/N. Fachantidis: Greek Teachers describe the 'Ideal' Educational Software for Environmental Education - M. Grodzinska-Jurczak/A. Szczesniak/G. Bryda: Children's Understanding of Waste Management Concepts and Issues - Mike Weber/Jaime Prata: Environmental Education at the Littoral Station of Aguda in North Portugal - Melanie Herget/ Petra Heuer: Education for Sustainability: Learning Partnerships between Schools and Companies - A. Luís/A. Martins/C. Martins/S. Vieira: Where does our Food come From? - A. Luís/A. Almeida/S. Guilherme: What do Our Schoolchildren Know About the Animal Species in Their Region? - Douglas de Souza Pimentel/Ana Angélica Monteiro de Barros/Ellen Serri da Motta/Leandro Matos Pereira da Silva/Luciana da Silva Ormond/Luciana Ribeiro Leda: Society and Conservation Units: The Challenge of Serra Da Tiririca State Park, Niterói/Maricá, RJ, Brazil - Paula Brügger: 25 Years Past Tbilisi: Environmental Teaching or Cheating? - P.M. Lynch/R.L. Leonard/ I. MacDonald: Identifying Environmental Education Content in Higher Education: A New Zealand Perspective - Gilberto Leonardo Oviedo: Students' Spatial Orientation in the Physical Space of the Universidad de los Andes - Kadji-Beltran Chrysanthi/Zachariou Aravella: Experiential and Active Learning as a Means of Environmental Cognition Enhancement: The Contribution of the Environmental Education Centres in the Development of Environmentally Responsible Citizens - F. Morgado/R. Pinho/F. Leão/J. Pestana/L. Lopes/C. Antunes: Virtual Ecological Circuits: A new Form of Access to Environmental Education - F.M. Morgado/N. Leal/ R. Lopes: Social and Educational Context in Students' Perception of the Forest Environment - Conceição Courela/Margarida César: Adult education and development of environmental literacy: contributions of a project of pedagogic innovation - L.S. Santos/S. Caeiro/U.M. Azeiteiro: Evaluation of an Environmental Education Action about Water Resources Conservation - Milada Secová/Danuse Kvanicková: Environmental Education at Schools and in Teachers' Preparation in Czech and Slovak Republic - Experience and Research - João Luiz Hoeffel/Almerinda A.B. Fadini/Fabio Bueno de Lima/Micheli K. Machado: Moinho D'Água: Rural Communities and Environment - Environmental Education Activities in an Environmentally Protected Area - Liz Lakin: Growing Schools: Enhancing Teaching and Learning through Farming and Growing - Joana Luísa Pereira/Nelson Abrantes/Ulisses Azeiteiro/Fernando Gonçalves: Promoting Environmental Education: An Activity with Primary School Students in Portugal - Marina Prieto Afonso de Lencastre: Epistemological and Conceptual Framing of Environmental Education: Levels of Constitution of Complex Practices - Graeme Buchan/Ian Spellerberg/Cora Baillie: Lincoln University's Youth Enviroschool ('YES'): A positive Example of Environmental Education in the Asia Pacific Region - R. Mendes/A. Vaz: Environmental Education in Formal Education: Revealing Teachers' Experiences and Perspectives using the Focus