The environmental education programme : a curriculum development project for the primary school

Abstract

The study describes the development of the Environmental Education Programme (EEP) whose aim was that of incorporating environmental education in primary teacher education. The EEP's incorporation strategy involved an analysis of the primary school curriculum and the identification of integrative threads that facilitated the symbiotic infusion of environmental education in the school curriculum causing minimal disturbances in normal classroom practice. Specific pedagogical guidelines were also prepared in a draft Teacher's Manual which was evaluated by Education Officials, headteachers and teachers during a two-day national seminar. Besides summarizing the feedback obtained during the seminar the dissertation also describes the implementation strategies adopted once the Teacher's Manual was refined and published. Due to its emphasis on the utilization of teachers' expertise throughout its development, the EEP adopted a curriculum development strategy which was different from the centre- periphery approach usually adopted by the Department of Education.