Eco-literacy's Effectiveness
As we've found out, E.L. can be integrated into any subject. It is not a separate subject that needs to be added on to your curriculum or limited to special events like field trips, or outside experts, clubs, and after school programs.
The question that remains to be answered is 'how effective is E.L.?'
There are multiple ways of looking at effectiveness- all of which are valid and valuable. These are the questions I have when thinking about effectiveness:
- Can the students integrate ecological concepts into non-ecology topics?
- Does learning E.L. orient students' toward more sustainable attitudes and behaviors?
- Do students retain E.L. concepts long-term?
These too have been questions for researchers and there are numerous studies available on the topic. The research points toward E.L. being moderately effective, with the manner of it's implementation being a large factor. Some of the main points of the research include:
- E.L. incorporation does improve students' environmental knowledge and attitudes
- E.L. needs to be integrated for the entirety of a child's education; starting in kindergarten and going all the way through college
- Even limited E.L. exposure in middle and high school can increase environmental understanding
- E.L. can be an effective means for working with at-risk youth but requires special attention to cultural barriers
- We need to develop a framework for assessing E.L.
- Improved environmental knowledge and attitudes does not always translate into more sustainable behaviors
- I could not find research about students' ability to retain E.L. concepts long term
- More research is needed
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