Abstract
M.Ed.
Environmental Education fieldwork is any educational activity that takes place outside the classroom. It may take place on the school grounds or in a local park, or in fact anywhere where practical outdoor classroom activities are possible. As such Environmental Education fieldwork is regarded by most Environmental Education teachers as central to teaching and learning activities, because of its nature in engaging learners through direct experiences in the environment. Therefore, this cannot happen in rigidly planned classroom activities where the teacher and the text book are the only source of information. Teaching and learning methods employed in Environmental Education fieldwork involves learners in diverse encounter, dialogue and foster greater awareness and meaningful change in learner’s insight and attitudes towards the environment.
This study investigates the implementation of active learning within Environmental Education fieldwork in primary schools. Literature review on active learning, fieldwork and Environmental Education and the curriculum was undertaken to establish the extent to which active learning within fieldwork in Environmental Education is implemented in primary schools. One hundred questionnaires were distributed to primary school teachers to complete. Interviews were conducted with held with teachers and focus group interviews were also conducted with learners from primary school in the Nongoma district.
The main findings of the study were the following:
• The major finding of this study was that teachers were not knowledgeable about the implementation of active learning within fieldwork in Environmental Education. Problems identified as hindrances to the undertaking of Environmental Education fieldwork clearly shows that very few if any of the teachers undertook Environmental Education fieldwork in their learning programmes.
• The need to state clear objectives for the undertaking of Environmental Education fieldwork became evident in this study. Clear objectives determine meaningful learning tasks for the learners to engage in during the undertaking of Environmental Education fieldwork. Teachers failed to develop meaningful learning activities that are pertinent to Environmental Education fieldwork.
• The study further revealed that teachers had very little knowledge of the procedures for the undertaking of Environmental Education fieldwork.
From this study it is evident that active participatory learning within Environmental Education fieldwork was not implemented effectively in primary schools.