Environmental science education in a small island state: integrating theory and local experience

Abstract

The importance of education to address current sustainability challenges in small island states has been widely recognized. Environmental education may increase knowledge, while also increasing environmental awareness and motivating students to become agents of change. Student engagement in introductory environmental science courses may benefit from operationalizing abstract concepts by embedding course material and activities within this local context. Here, we describe an introductory course in environmental science that has been tailored to the local context of a small island state in the Caribbean. In addition to reaching academic course goals, pre- and post-course surveys showed that course participants’ environmental awareness increased on the dimensions ‘Personal Value System’ and ‘Willingness to Take Environmental Action’. The described course provides a template for the development of a low-cost introductory environmental science course that integrates general theory and application within the context of Caribbean island states.

Keywords:

• Environmental awareness
• introduction course
• participant survey
• sustainability
• willingness to take action

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Kevin Richardson (University of Aruba) and Carlos Rodriguez (University of Aruba) for their help in collecting the survey data used in this study. We are also grateful to the NGO Parke Arikok for allowing us to perform fieldwork on their grounds and for the support offered by their staff members, particularly Giancarlo Nunes and Sietske van der Wal. Marretje Adriaanse is thanked for taking photographs during the field excursion in the Spanish Lagoon. Finally, we would like to thank all students for their active participation and inspiring contributions to the course Introduction to Earth and Environment.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Maarten B. Eppinga is a senior scientist in Earth System Science, based at the Department of Geography of the University of Zurich. Maarten's research interests include the response of plant communities to environmental change, and understanding the dynamics of socio-ecological systems. He has developed several university courses in environmental science and systems analysis, with an emphasis on teaching environmental science for the liberal arts.

Tobia de Scisciolo is a lecturer in Earth and Environmental science at the University of Aruba. His research interests include the functioning of coastal and marine ecosystems, especially within the Caribbean region. Tobia is currently also a graduate student in Marine Biology at Wageningen University (The Netherlands). Besides teaching the Introduction to Earth and Environment course at the University of Aruba, Tobia has been involved in teaching various university courses in environmental science and research skills.

Eric N. Mijts is a lecturer and researcher at the University of Aruba. He coordinates the Academic Foundation Year and facilitates international undergraduate research exchange programs. Currently Eric's main project is the establishment of the SISSTEM project at the University of Aruba, Sustainable Island Solutions through Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.