Reflection Analysis (Tagaro, Jallor Nale T.)

REFLECTION PAPER
By: JALLOR NALE T. TAGARO
Article Title: Influence of a Non-Formal Environmental Education Programme on

Junior High-School Students’ Environmental Literacy
Authors/Researchers: Daphne Goldman, Orit Ben Zvi Assaraf, Dina Shaharabani
Published by: International Journal of Science Education (Routledge)

December 20, 2012
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2012.749545
Summary
This paper addresses the non-formal Environmental Education programme
called the Green Council Programme (GCP) which was developed and implemented
by the Israeli Society in schools for nature’s protection. The aim of this paper is to
examine the impact of the involvement of junior high-school students in the GCP,
which is a supplement to science education, on the components of environmental
literacy of students using a pre-test/post-test design. The study is based on the
mixed method approach— a combination of both qualitative and quantitative tools.
During the investigation, the researchers use Draw-an-Environment Test (DAET) and
the Word Association (WA) procedure to evaluate if students develop
conceptualizations of the environment and their sense of ability to act on
environmental issues. Meanwhile, the researchers utilize the combination of three
tools— Likert-type questionnaire, written explanations regarding the questionnaire
items, and the repertory grid (RG) technique to measure students’ environmental
attitudes.
The authors believe that the way people may act or their conception with
respect to the environment relates to the the way how they believe, understand,
and value their environment. In which they argue that in order for the students to
better understand the environment, there must be a need to develop an
Environmental Education pedagogy or curriculum that is contextually and
individually appropriate, and enhances the quality of students’ learning and
broadens their understanding effectively.
Contribution of the programme to the development of the affective domain
components is supported by the result of the study. Meanwhile, there is a limited
development on the students’ complete understanding of the environment or the
cognitive domain components. It also heightens students’ ecological worldview and
sensitivity development to human–environment interrelationships. After the
implementation of the GCP, students’ sensitivity to human impact on the
environment increases and they demonstrates greater perception of humans as part
of the environment. Their value for non-human nature also changes from an
anthropocentric orientation, which only values nature because of material or
physical benefits it can provide for humans, to a more ecocentric orientation, which
really values nature for its own sake. The paper supports the argument that
educational programs limited to the study of natural science principles are
inadequate to enable learners to examine and fully understand the world and
everyday life's complex environmental-social-moral problems, a capacity that would
then be reflected in a more ecocentric orientation and behaviors that represent
greater environmental commitment.
Reflection Analysis
The study is commendable in employing both qualitative and quantitative tools.
Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative data can improve an evaluation
by ensuring that the limitations of one type of data are balanced by the strengths of
another. In this manner, it serves as a mutual validation of data and results as well as
for the development of a more coherent and full image of the investigated domain
than what a monomethod research can yield. In addition, the use of a variety of
methods allows for data triangulation and increases the validity of the findings.
But it is observed that it is not clear if the researchers used the same scoring
directions and rubric for the Draw-an-Environment Test (DAET). And if all coding was
reviewed in a group process by the reviewers to determine what consensus and
discrepancies occurred across the ratings of students’ outputs. Since the drawings
must be classified by MM (mental models), what are their bases in classifying it? Is it
counted if the students just write the word “plants” instead of drawing it? How they
analysed the drawings? Do they consider the factors? For instance, if a student
draws a wilted flower without other factors drawn, does it imply an influence of
other factors such as sun and smog? Or do they consider the labels, arrows and
written short explanations of the students on their drawings? If yes, how do they
rate it?
With regards to the researchers’ contention that it is more difficult to realize
the program's ability to have deeper meaning and significance to the scientific
concepts, values and processes examined in science by putting them in the social
and environmental sense of the students, is it necessary for a meticulous
communication between the science curriculum and the enrichment programme? I
believe that it is important that the coordination can extend not only to the content,
but also to the pacing of both frameworks, so that exposure within formal science
classes to scientific concepts is correlated with situational (social-environmental)
context-based learning that takes place in the enrichment program's non-formal
learning settings. Meticulous program integration would allow a two-way exceeded
capacity and provide a more productive model that can both deepen the content of
the science curriculum and complement those aspects of relationships between
people and the environment that are not addressed within it.
The article’s drawback is that it only assessed the students’ attitudes towards
resource management, and not their behaviour towards the management of the
environmental resources, whether they are willing to make personal sacrifices
necessary to conserve these resources or not. Because a support for personal
sacrifice indicates conceptual awareness of how human behaviour affects the
environment, i.e. the person understands that resources are limited, comprehends
the personal implications of conserving limited resources. But, I agree to how the
researchers concluded, that in order to appreciate the implications of a pro-
environmental approach at a personal or societal level, it is necessary for the
students to comprehend the underlying environmental and ecological concepts
related to the issues on environment.

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REFLECTION PAPER

By: JALLOR NALE T. TAGARO

Article Title: Influence of a Non-Formal Environmental Education Programme on

Authors/Researchers: Daphne Goldman, Orit Ben Zvi Assaraf, Dina Shaharabani

Published by: International Journal of Science Education (Routledge)

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