A Study on the Systematizing Environmental Course for Sustainable Education in the Elementary School

지속가능성 교육으로서 초등학교 환경교육 체계화 연구

Environmental education as worldwide sustainable education is effective when it is carried out as early as possible. But we do not have any aims and textbooks for environmental education in the elementary school. The purpose of this study is systematizing environmental syllabus as sustainable education. To achieve this purpose, firstly, the meaning of environmental education as sustainable education was conceptualized, secondly, the aims of environmental education was set up, thirdly, domains of environmental education was revised, and lastly, the syllabus for environmental instruction were created for each grade. Literature review was practiced over 143 textbooks and teacher's guidebooks from the 4th to 7th curriculum period. The result of this study follows. First, environmental education as sustainable education in the elementary school was conceptualized as an integrative education to keep the lifelong education and welfare. Second, the synthetic aim of environmental education as sustainable education in the elementary school was set up as 'cultivating desirable environmental people that behave for the sustainable future with environment-friendly value and attitude. Third, our environmental domains were divided into 11-12 independent areas, and ESSD (Environmentally Sound and Sustainable Development) was located on the subcategory of environmental domain. These domains were revised into three environmental domains and five sub-domains. Fourth, according to the aims of environmental education as sustainable education and five environmental domains, 253 objectives were established. Fifth, objectives of environmental education of 10 subject matters and integrative objectives were presented. Sixth, based on the objectives of domains and subject matters, 255 contents for environmental education in the elementary school were abstracted and distributed to each grade in the consideration of balance among domains and appropriateness of grades. Seventh, analytic results of textbooks of 7th curriculum shows heavy stress on the 'knowledge perception' section and deficiency on the altitudes and behavior section. The environment-related level and contents overlapped and fragmented deeply. Furthermore, 33 parts of textbooks could bring to mis-concept on environment.