A survey to assess teachers training college students' readiness to teach environmental education : A project report for the Diploma in Natural Resource Management (Joint Centre for Environmental Sciences)

Abstract

This report presents a study designed to contribute to the development of environmental education in New Zealand. A considerable number of government and nongovernment organizations in New Zealand are now expressing interest in environmental education. These interests in developing environmental education parallel, but follow, similar steps taken in many OECD countries. Thus, it seems likely that environmental education will emerge as a major new educational dimension during the teaching life of trainees now leaving teachers colleges. The study aimed at assessing the level of preparation for environmental education teaching of teachers leaving training college. Because environmental education is multidisciplinary (the nature of environmental education is discussed later), it seemed likely to the author that teacher trainees in New Zealand might not be receiving the breadth of training that is necessary to produce 'well-trained' environmental educators.