Gaps between Teachers Beliefs and Actual Programs in Environmental Education in Korea

환경교육에 대한 교사의 신념과 실제 프로그램의 차이

Secondary school environmental education is offered mostly in extra-curricular activities, not included in the school curriculum. Therefore, drawing out its curriculum has been left to teachers' discretion. Teachers' beliefs in EE have much more influence on the selection of content of EE than any other psychological factors. It follows that the reality of school EE depends on what teachers believes about EE and which content of EE they select according to their beliefs. This study is to research the realities of the secondary school EE: examine teachers' beliefs about EE and analyse environmental views in their environment-related programs; examine whether teachers' programs reflect their beliefs and environmental views; identify the factors which teachers inhibit teachers from their expression of these beliefs. To identify what perspective was reflected to these programs, this study employs environmentalism. Environmentalism can be classified into 3 categories: environmental management; deep ecology; social ecology. Data were gathered by means of in-depth interviews with five teachers. To show teachers' beliefs clearly, the analysis of the data was conducted on the basis of 5 categories: 'ecological sensitivity', 'value education', 'behaviors', 'issues', 'perception of a cause of environmental problems, related to social structures'. These belifs reflect deep ecological perspective and social ecology. But these perspectives did not accord with those in programs. Most EE programs included only the deep ecological perspective. They didn't reflect their beliefs that students should perceive the cause of environmental problems in the social structure. The factors which teachers find as inhibiting or supporting their expression of these beliefs were analysed as following: (1) EE requests the change of curriculum and methods of instruction; (2) teachers should acquire 'environmental consciousness' and environmentrelated knowledge; (3) programs requests an administrative and financial support.