Ethiopian environmental education from a utopian perspective: A comparative study of two children's outlooks

ABSTRACT

This article focuses on the topic of nature/environment in elementary environmental science textbooks, and the comparison between two third graders at a private Ethiopian school with an antiutopian and a utopian perspective on the environment. The antiutopian perspective is marked by a disconnect in one's cognitive representation of natural surroundings; whereas, the utopian perspective denotes a more intimate understanding of the value of natural resources. The difference in the children's social and environmental outlook showed that their natural disposition to interact with nature in a holistic manner should be given consideration in the development of an effective environmental education curriculum.