Environmental education

Course Purpose

The aim of the course is to cultivate a positive attitude and environmentally responsible behavior among learners, enabling them to promote a variety of innovative educational models that enhance skills, knowledge, and strategies for rational management, protection of the environment, and promotion of sustainable development. The course seeks to foster an environmental culture and an ethos oriented towards sustainability, so that all participants can learn, create, act, and make choices guided by the principles of environmental protection and the right of all people to live under conditions of economic, cultural, social, and environmental sustainability. Furthermore, environmental issues are examined not only as natural phenomena but also through an interdisciplinary, holistic, and interconnected approach, taking into account the social, economic, political, and ethical factors that influence and shape them.

 

Upon successful completion of the course, students will have acquired knowledge and skills in Environmental Education, enabling them to:

 

• Highlight an environmental issue both interdisciplinarily and holistically, through the simultaneous integration and interconnection of all relevant thematic areas and their broader implications.
• Construct knowledge and develop research-oriented activities as well as problem-solving skills through exposure to authentic and practical learning experiences, enhanced by the implementation of appropriate educational activities.
• Understand that environmental problems are primarily social issues, influenced by values and lifestyles, leading to both environmental and social awareness among students.
• Achieve better organization and active knowledge acquisition regarding environmental issues, fostering creative thinking, collaboration, organization, critical judgment, evaluation, and generalization of data.
• Cultivate the principles of environmental protection, take leadership roles in addressing challenges arising from social changes, and promote environmental consciousness within the public sphere.
• Define the environment as a system of interactions between natural and social processes.
• Understand and describe the structure and function of both natural and human-made environments, as well as the interdependence between natural phenomena and the relationship between society and nature.
• Comprehend the importance of managing natural and anthropogenic environments from the perspective of sustainability.
• Identify the conceptual framework and challenges of Education for the Environment and Sustainability.
• Examine and apply modern pedagogical approaches and active learning techniques within a holistic and critical framework for studying environmental issues.
• Understand the pedagogical framework of Education for the Environment and Sustainability, including practices, concepts, and perspectives such as interdisciplinarity, systems thinking, critical and creative thinking, collaborative learning, values education, action competence, participation, democracy, and active citizenship.
• Evaluate the role and significance of learners’ perceptions in shaping teaching and learning processes.
• Develop pedagogical practices, concepts, perspectives, and teaching strategies within Environmental and Sustainability Education and design relevant educational interventions for students, the wider public, and professional groups (e.g., farmers, industrial workers, etc.).

Students will also acquire knowledge with the ultimate goal of:

• To develop and cultivate the necessary knowledge and skills, which will be used as tools for understanding the complexity of contemporary and timeless environmental issues and their holistic approach.
• To understand the principles and processes of the structure and functioning of the environment.
• To deepen and consolidate modern pedagogical methods and scientifically documented positions and opinions that will be used in the implementation of environmental programs.
• Students will also acquire knowledge and skills with the ultimate aim to:
• Develop and cultivate the necessary knowledge and competencies to be used as tools for understanding the complexity of contemporary and long-standing environmental issues and for adopting a holistic approach to their study and resolution.
• Understand the principles and processes underlying the structure and functioning of the environment.
• Familiarize themselves with and consolidate modern pedagogical methods and scientifically substantiated perspectives and positions to be applied in the implementation of environmental education programs.

 

Skills

 

Upon completion of the course, students are expected to be able to:

 

• Evaluate threats and risks arising from both natural and anthropogenic pollution impacts on the environment, and respond rationally to their consequences, using sustainable development and viability as guiding criteria.
• Acquire the skills required for the development, implementation, and evaluation of integrated strategies and complex plans addressing environmental problems and issues.
• Undertake actions guided by the principles of sustainable development and strategic planning of innovative solutions, serving the goals of sustainable environmental growth in collaboration with relevant institutions and local communities.
• Organize activities aimed at environmental education and awareness-raising among different groups of citizens.
• Process and evaluate the results of management methods applied in various cases and deepen their understanding of experiential learning within environmental education programs.
• Understand the purpose, objectives, and key characteristics of Environmental Education.
• Recognize the methods and challenges associated with the implementation of Environmental Education in formal education settings.
• Become familiar with the main methods and techniques of Environmental Education and their practical applications.
• Be equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to become effective environmental educators.
• Be trained in designing a comprehensive Environmental Education program.
• Describe the principles and theoretical framework of Environmental Communication.
• Gain practical experience in the application of Environmental Communication strategies.
• Define and explain key concepts such as “environmentally responsible behavior,” “environmental awareness,” “citizen participation,” and describe their fundamental characteristics.

 

General Competences

More specifically, the content of the course promotes the following competences:

• Understanding the relationship between humans and the environment, recognizing the consequences of human impact on nature, and acknowledging the necessity of sustainability to address environmental problems and ensure the preservation of natural resources for future generations.
• Recognizing the importance of information and awareness among rural populations in promoting a more sustainable environment.
• Understanding the principles that govern Environmental Education and appreciating its significance and value.
• Searching for, analyzing, and synthesizing data and information, using appropriate technologies and tools.
• Working effectively in an international environment.
• Collaborating within interdisciplinary settings.
• Designing and managing projects.
• Respecting diversity and multiculturalism.
• Demonstrating social, professional, and ethical responsibility, as well as gender sensitivity.
• Practicing critical and self-critical thinking.
• Promoting free, creative, and inductive thinking.