Characterizing environmental education practices in Ethiopian primary schools

Considering the profound roles of teachers in the formation of environmentally literate citizenry, the study analyzed how teachers view and convey environmental topics to young children. Guided by a phenomenological framework, data were collected using semi-structured interviews with 17 teachers in four primary schools of Ethiopia. The results suggest that the teachers were of the belief that the delivery of environmental content should be hands-on, place-based, and that students taking local actions. Despite the teachers favoring learner-centered and experience-based strategies, their self-reported teaching approach tended to be teacher-dominated and classroom-based. Large class size, training and capacity, and safety issues were identified as barriers to teaching environmental topics. Changes are needed if we genuinely wish to build civically engaged and capable youths who can confront the escalating environmental crises. Implications of the findings for teacher training, school practices, and further research are discussed.