Synopsis
This study investigates environmental education (EE) in the contemporary Mexican primary school national curriculum. It identifies the key features of the EE theory, content and policy included in the curriculum, and how these are manifested in the EE teaching practice in the case of a primary school on the Yucatan Peninsula.
In addition to assessing the ongoing implementation of the curriculum, the study investigates an EE model that employs participatory action research (PAR) as a methodology to develop and conduct EE in primary schools, undertaken by five teachers at the school.
PAR was selected to understand how it may generate particular issue-related understandings in teachers that may also contribute to the resolution of the gap between EE theories and EE practices in primary schools. The corresponding research design featured an interpretive research methodology and a case study method. Key features were content analysis of the curriculum documents, semi-structured interviews with participants, observations of classes, and a focus group conducted with the PAR teachers.
The main findings show that the intent of the EE policy for the Mexican primary school national curriculum is that EE should be a transversal topic. Thus EE-related content was included in the study programs and textbooks of the four Grades analysed. Yet there is not enough substantial evidence of a theoretical base for EE to orientate this curriculum policy. Additionally, EE teaching practice is not as fully developed to the extent expected in the curriculum policy for EE.
The study also shows that PAR offers teachers a teaching–learning process to conduct EE based on an action-oriented approach. For example, after participating in the case study, the teachers changed from primarily providing environmental information to a focus on acting to address environmental issues. However, participating teachers did not develop a deep understanding of PAR, nor were teachers’ understandings generated through the use of PAR sufficient to fully address the perceived gap between EE theory and practice in this case. More research is needed to generate deeper understandings of how PAR can assist the development of implementation of EE in schools in Mexico, and elsewhere.
Conferring University: Deakin University
Year of award: 2015This work was supported by Conacyt and Cinvestav, Merida, Department of Human Ecology and Department of Apply Physic
Further information: https://proxy.qualtrics.com/proxy/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fhdl.handle.net%2F10536%2FDRO%2FDU%3A30073249&token=0yS0F1nzTeOLoFNZSYQ2uaIqRHo8LGbdPzvAxpPs2RI%3D
Email: [email protected]
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2016.1249460