An assessment of the Integration of environmental education Into selected secondary school subjects towards sustainable development
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Date
2006-06
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Addis Ababa Universty
Abstract
The main obiective of this study was to assess the integration of EE into both grade nine and ten
biology and geography curriculum guides and students' textbooks, and in the actual teaching and
learning process at North hoa. On the one hand, to assess the integration of EE into curriculum
guide and students' textbooks of grade nine and ten biology and geography, both qualitative and
quantitative data were collected through content analysis. On the other hand, to assess the
integration of EE into the teaching and learning process, both qualitative and quantitative data
were collected form 373 students of which 225 (60.3 %) were grade nine and 148 (39.7%) were
grad ten. From these students, data were collected using criterion-referenced test, open-ended
questions and Likert type scale. Then, the data collected from these participants were analyzed
both qualitatively and quantitatively (using descriptive statistics, parametric and non-parametric
te ts). The result showed that EE objectives (knowledge, skills, attitudes and participation)
contents, teaching methods and evaluation techniques were not adequately integrated. The
result from th test also showed that the majority of the students performed below the standard
set (70%) by their teachers. However, when their achievement scores were analyzed in terms of
sex and grade level, statistically significant mean difference was obtained, t (371) = 2.26, p <
0.05, t (371) = 2.00, p < 0.05 respectively. On the other hand, the mean difference between
urban and n'-al students were found insignificant, t (371) = 0.05, P > 0.05. And the ANOVA
summary did not show significant mean difference in the schools as a whole, F (3,369) = 1.97,p
> 0.05. Moreover regarding their attitudes to utilizing and protecting their environment, students
were found having inappropriate view. The analysis made based on the independent variables
also showed insignificant mean attitude score difference between male and female students, 1
(371) = 1.04, p > 0.05, grade nine and ten students, t (371) = 0.11, p > 0.05, and urban and rural
ones t (371) = 0.39,p > 0.05. The ANOVA summary also did not show statistical significant
mean difference in the schools overall, F (3,369) = 1.96, P > 0.05. Finally the assessment made
on students' problem solving skills showed that students failed to identify serious environmental
problems including their causes, solutions and participants to implement the solutions in their
local area leave alone problems in Ethiopian and global contexts. Thus, based on the above
results it can be concluded that EE was not integrated into grade nine and ten biology and
geography curriculum guides revised in 2004, and students' textbooks written based on the
revision in 2005/2006 in line with its objectives, contents, teaching methods and evaluation
techniques that prepare students to contribute to sustainable development of Ethiopia. It was not
also integrated in the actual teaching and learning process although it was integrated in the new
education anu training policy developed in 1994. Based on the findings, it is recommended that
integrating EE into different subjects typically biology and geography is vital to develop
students' environmental knowledge, skills, attitudes and participation to make them contributors
for sustainable development of our country
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Keywords
Integration of environmental education