Experiential strategies and learning in environmental education: lessons from a teacher training college in Tanzania

ABSTRACT

The teaching of environmental topics is still the main challenge. In this paper we discuss how student teachers learning of experiential teaching strategies influenced their teaching of EE in primary schools in Tanzania. Student teachers learning to use tree-planting as example of outdoor learning for the teaching of environmental topics were the main sources of data. The first author collected data by interview and participant observation and then transcribed and organized the data as part of the analysis process. The results revealed that the student teachers teaching of environmental topics were active and particptory. We discuss the results in line with the quality of facilitation process. The study demonstrates the potential of experiential learning strategies in promoting actions related to environmental sustainability among student teachers and hopefully, their future students and the wider community.

KEYWORDS:

• Environmental education
• teacher education
• facilitation
• outdoor learning and experiential learning

Acknowledgement

Many thanks go to tutors, teachers, villagers and local leaders in the study area, whose active participation made the accomplishment of this action research project possible.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

V. J. Kalungwizi

V. J. Kalungwizi is a lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Extension and Community Development, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro Tanzania, and a PhD candidate in the section of Learning and Teacher Education, Institute of Mathematics and Technologies (IMT), in Norway. He holds Master’s degree in Social Psychology from University of Dar e s salaam, Tanzania. He has researched and published in the areas of environmental education, communication and rural innovation. This article was part of his PhD project.

E. Krogh

E. Krogh (PhD) has been a teacher educator for 19 years at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), especially related to environmental and agricultural education. His research is founded on social science and action research. Themes of research are development of experiential learning theories, school/farm cooperation, environmental management and experience of nature and landscape. Together with Sigrid Gjøtterud, he has worked with educational and cooperative action research projects in Nepal and Tanzania.

S. M. Gjøtterud

S. M. Gjøtterud (PhD) has been a teacher educator for nearly twenty years and is currently teaching at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU). Her research centers on school improvement, improvement of teacher education and supervising pedagogy in Norway, Africa, and Asia. Action research is her main approach to research, both as a way of researching and enhancing personal competence and as co-operative research to understand and improve teaching and learning, and for community development.

A. Mattee

A. Mattee (PhD) is an Associate Professor of Agricultural Extension and former Director of the Development Studies Institute, and the SUA Centre for Sustainable Rural Development (SCSRD) at Sokoine University of Agriculture. Dr. Mattee received his BSc in Agriculture (Hons) from University of Dar es Salaam in 1975, and his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Continuing Education from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1978 and 1983, respectively. His teaching areas include Agricultural Extension, and Adult Education Methods. His research interests include adoption studies, farmers’ organizations, participatory approaches for extension, formulation and evaluation of rural development projects, development of sectoral policies, strategies and programmes, and development of training materials and facilitation of capacity-building of change agents. Dr. Mattee has authored and co-authored more than 30 publications on Agricultural Extension and Rural Development in Tanzania.