Environmental education for sustainable communities by adult practitioners in a black urban community

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Within the broad theoretical context provided by debates and policies oncurriculum development and current approaches in adult and environmentaleducation, this study attempted to improve my own practice by making ameaningful contribution towards the professional development and conceptualunderstanding of student teachers who have registered for a three-year NationalDiploma in Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) at the PeninsulaTechnikon in Cape Town. Although these students have no teachingqualifications, they are involved in community literacy education fordisadvantaged people in various communities and in non-governmentaleducation centres. The professional development and conceptual understandingof the students with regard to sustainability as a key environmental concept waseffected by focusing on the concepts, and applying the processes ofenvironmental education for sustainability (EEFS) in the teaching and learningprocess.In an attempt to integrate theory and practice the student teachers took action incommunity-based environmental projects organised by the Tsoga EnvironmentalResource Centre in Langa, Cape Town. The idea was that they should applytheir acquired skills and understanding of sustained environments and teachadult learners to transform their local environments through their literacy classes.This means integration of adult literacy with environmental or ecological literacyThe interviews and observations of the students at work in the community werenot only aimed at providing feedback for the purposes of future programmedesign but also at monitoring what the students did with their learningexperiences regarding EEFS as a theme, in a different teaching situation (adultliteracy classes). In the final analysis, the present study attempted to clear up conceptualmisunderstandings and to show that education processes are as important as itscontent and outcomes. It has attempted to operationalise curriculum approaches,recommended for environmental sustainability, in a practical way. The study as awhole is set within the general literature of both adult and environmentaleducation, and particularly that of curriculum and student development for socialtransformation.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University