Ympäristö ylittää oppiainerajat : Arvolatautuneisuus ja monialaisuus koulun ympäristöopetuksen haasteina

This doctoral dissertation discusses environmental education integrated into social school subjects and the challenges of teaching a cross-curricular, value-laden topic, with a data-set consisting of school textbooks and teacher interviews. The study concentrates on environmental education in school subjects of Lutheran religion, secular ethics, history, social studies, and geography. This is a qualitative study, where the main analysis methods were abductive content analysis and phenomenological analysis. The findings reveal difficulties in constructing suitable environmental subject-matter for social school subjects, originating from the wicked nature of environmental problems, especially climate change. The analyzed textbooks gave little space for environmental issues, and they included inaccurate information. Both textbook authors and social subject teachers seemed to have difficulties in recognizing the specific environmental content of their own disciplines. However, some interviewees had found such perspectives to environmental issues that draw on their discipline, and were able to use it for promoting critical thinking. Enthusiasm towards the topic and professional agency seemed to promote success in interdisciplinary education. The interviewees presented different perspectives to teaching value-laden issues. Some preferred neutrality, some aimed for plurality in educational discussion, and some preferred educational advocacy. Self-confidence and an identity as a value educator seemed to support pluralist education and educational advocacy. In addition, the findings support the view that that environmental education often concentrates too much on promoting insignificant individual behaviors. Even though the interviewees were well aware of significant environmental behaviours, they viewed their pupils’ range of action possibilities as narrow. Current school practices and traditions do not support environmental action integrated in school work. Based on the results, I suggest that collective responsibility be promoted in environmental education, and practitioners should develop easy options for youth participation. Key words: environmental education, interdisciplinarity, crosscurricular education, environmental responsibility, critical thinking, environmental citizenship

Grantor dc:publisher

Helsingin yliopisto

Year dc:date.issued

2018

Author dc:creator

• Aarnio-Linnanvuori, Essi

Statement dc:rights

• Julkaisu on tekijänoikeussäännösten alainen. Teosta voi lukea ja tulostaa henkilökohtaista käyttöä varten. Käyttö kaupallisiin tarkoituksiin on kielletty.
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Language dc:language.iso

fin

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10138/229396

OAI record oai:identifier

https://helda.helsinki.fi/server/oai/request?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=dim&identifier=oai%3Ahelda.helsinki.fi%3A10138%2F229396