Using interview, focus group and questionnaire data, the Environmental Education Professional Development Needs and Priorities Study identified 89 professional development needs for environmental educators, the top priorities for the next 5 years (2010-2015), gaps in current offerings, and work needed to advance education for environmental literacy. Of immediate need is professional development that helps environmental educators:
- Conduct comprehensive EE programs with diverse audiences in local communities
- Share models of what works, work together, and network
- Address environmental sustainability, stewardship, and climate change
- Apply research knowledge to practice about how to:
- motivate for citizen participation, action, attitude and behavior change
- connect others with nature
- engage diverse audiences and partners
- help students learn
- instruct adults
- Comprehend and apply basic EE fundamentals, core concepts and instructional techniques, and the Guidelines for Excellence
- Teach and implement critical thinking skills, problem solving skills, and inquiry
- Integrate EE into K-12; Science, Technology, Engineering & Math projects; No Child Left Behind; and state standards
- Increase funding, leadership, administrative/executive skills, and communication skills
- Perform needs assessments, build evaluation into program design, develop objectives, and conduct outcomes evaluation
Click on links below to access the executive summary (PDF = 578 KB), the complete study (including the executive summary) (PDF = 2.53MB), and study appendices (PDF = 3.80).
In addition, two follow-up reports completed in 2010 describe the professional development needs of educators working in formal and nonformal settings (see related link below, Teachers' and Practitioners' PD Needs).
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