Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Avdelning, Institution Division, Department
Institutionen för kultur och kommunikation
581 83 LINKÖPING
Datum Date
11 June 2014
Språk Language
Rapporttyp Report category
ISBN
Engelska/English
ISRN LIU-IKK-MOE-D--14/005--SE
Master’s Thesis
Serietitel och serienrummer Title of series, numbering
ISSN
URL för elektronisk version
Titel Title
Teachers’ Perceptions and Practices regarding the Implementation of the Course “Environmental Education-Education for Sustainable Development (E.E.-E.S.D.)” in Cypriot Primary Schools
Författare Author
Rafailia Katsioula
Sammanfattning Abstract
Educating children to become active and responsible citizens and live sustainably is one of the primary educational
goals for the 21st century, in many countries around the world. Cyprus decided to move towards a similar direction,
within a context of a wider effort to revitalize its educational system. Therefore, in 2011, a course called
Environmental Education–Education for Sustainable Development (E.E.-E.S.D.) was officially included in the
curriculum for Cypriot primary schools. The current qualitative research aimed to investigate issues related to the
implementation of E.E.-E.S.D. during those three years of existence. The focus was on teachers’ point of view and
therefore, the sample consisted of eight primary-school teachers from different schools and districts in Cyprus. Those
teachers were chosen after a combination of purposive and snowball sampling. Interviews, documents, photos and
informal conversations were used for the collection of the data. Data for analysis was analyzed using a thematic
approach and the four themes which arose as results were related to teachers’ practices regarding the implementation
of the course and their opinion on organizational aspects of it. More specifically, the findings demonstrated that the
first step of implementation, which is the choice of the topic for the course in each school, depends on the special
circumstances of each case and is mainly decided by teachers. Regarding the actual implementation, teachers pointed
out active participation of students, involvement of outsiders in the course and outdoor activities as the main ways to
preserve students’ interest for the course. Moreover, all of them appeared to be aware of the importance and benefits
of a cross-curriculum approach for the purposes of the course but depending on their experiences, some of them
spoke about barriers while others about auspicious factors and specific examples of such an approach. Finally, the
teachers mentioned the time dedicated for the course, the advisory support offered to the teachers and the criteria of
choosing the teacher in charge for the course as factors that need to be changed or improved. However, due to the
limitations of data and sample in the current research, its findings are expected to be perceived as an opportunity for
further investigations and not as general truths.
Nyckelord Keywords
Cyprus, Curriculum, primary school, environmental education, sustainable development, implementation, teachers’ opinion, teachers’ collaboration, barriers, procedures, practices, outdoor activities, experiential learning
INDEX
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 8
E.E.-E.S.D. AND THE CYPRIOT NATIONAL CURRICULUM 10
THE AIM OF THE RESEARCH 15
RESEARCH QUESTIONS 17
ΤHE NEED AND IMPORTANCE OF THE RESEARCH 20
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 28
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 31
ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS 31 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 36 THE ROLE OF EDUCATION 41
E.E.-E.S.D. IN CYPRUS 47
THE BEGINNING OF E.E. - E.S.D 48 THE GOALS OF THE COURSE 51 THE CONTENT OF THE COURSE 54 VITAL PRINCIPLE OF THE COURSE 59 METHODS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COURSE 61
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING 63
THE IMPORTANCE OF EXPERIENCE 65 THE QUALITY OF EXPERIENCE 67
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES 70
OUTDOOR EDUCATION AS A TEACHING METHOD 71 THE NEED FOR OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES 73 BENEFITS OF OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES 76
TEACHER AS A CRUCIAL FACTOR IN EDUCATIVE PROCEDURES 80
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TEACHER 80 THE ROLE OF THE TEACHER 84 BEING AN EFFECTIVE TEACHER 88 THE POWER OF COLLABORATION BETWEEN TEACHERS 94
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 103
THE PROCESS 106
THE SAMPLE 110
SELECTION OF PARTICIPANTS 115 PROFILE OF PARTICIPANTS 121
QUESTIONNAIRE 130 INTERVIEWS 131 ACTION PLAN 139 INFORMAL CONVERSATIONS AND PHOTOS 143
ANALYSIS OF DATA 145
THEMATIC ANALYSIS AS AN ANALYZING STRATEGY 148 THEMES 153 THE THEMES OF THIS STUDY 156
ETHICAL ISSUES 162
PREVENTION FOR ETHICAL ISSUES 164 ETHICAL PROBLEM 168
CHAPTER 4: RESULTS 171
THEME 1: E.E.-E.S.D. AS PART OF THE SCHOOL REALITY 175
THE CHOICE OF THE TEACHER IN CHARGE FOR THE COURSE 176 ADVISORY SUPPORT FOR THE TEACHERS 186 THE SUITABILITY OF THE TIME DEDICATED TO THE COURSE 202
THEME 2: THE ANNUAL TOPIC OF THE SCHOOL FOR E.E.-E.S.D. 210
THE INFLUENCE OF CIRCUMSTANCES 212 THE ROLE OF THE STUDENTS REGARDING THE TOPIC 219 THE ACTION PLAN 229
THEME 3: IMPLEMENTATION OF A CROSS-CURRICULUM APPROACH 244
BARRIERS IN IMPLEMENTATION 246 CROSS-CURRICULUM APPROACH IN PRACTICE 259 AUSPICIOUS FACTORS OF IMPLEMENTATION 272
THEME 4: PERSISTENCE OF STUDENTS’ INTEREST FOR THE COURSE 279
ACTIVE PARTICIPATION OF STUDENTS 282 INVITING VISITORS AT THE SCHOOL 288 OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES 294
CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION 303
THE ACTION PLAN AND ITS MULTI-DIMENSIONAL USE 310
THE SUCCESS OF ALTERNATIVE LEARNING 319
THE IMPORTANCE OF STUDENTS’ OPINION IN DECISIONS 331
THE DESIRABLE SUPPORT TO THE TEACHERS 339
THE EFFECT OF INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS ON THE PERCEPTIONS OF PROCEDURES 348
CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION 359
SUMMARY OF THE RESULTS 361
SUGGESTIONS FOR USING THE RESULTS 367
SUGGESTIONS FOR THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND CULTURE 369 SUGGESTIONS FOR THE PRINCIPALS OF THE SCHOOLS 373 SUGGESTIONS FOR THE TEACHERS 375
LIMITATIONS OF THE RESEARCH 378
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH 382
REFERENCES 386
APPENDIX 409
TABLE 1: TEACHERS’ INFORMATION COLLECTED WITH THE QUESTIONNAIRE 410
QUESTIONNAIRE 424
INTERVIEW PROTOCOL 431
CONSENT FORM 438
INFORMATION SHEET 445
MAP OF CYPRUS WITH THE MAIN DISTRICTS 452
PHOTO 1: CONVERSION OF BROKEN COMPUTERS INTO DECORATIVE OBJECTS 455
PHOTO 2: CONVERSION OF USED CASKS INTO DECORATIVE SCULPTURES 458
PHOTO 3: CONVERSION OF A SPACE IN THE PARKING OF THE SCHOOL INTO A GARDEN 462
PHOTO 4: PICNIC TABLES USED AS AN OUTDOOR CLASS 464
1
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to use this chance to give my acknowledgements to all those who contributed to
this effort in one or another way. I believe that the people I mention bellow had a vital role in
the accomplishment of the current thesis project, either individually or collectively.
I would like to begin with my supervisor, Katarina Johansson and thank her for the immediate
responses to my questions, for all the suggestions for improvements and for the time she
dedicated to read my work.
Secondly, I would like to thank the team of professors of the master program “Outdoor
Environmental Education and Outdoor Life”. Our interaction and collaboration this year
offered to me useful knowledge, practical and mental skills and the ability to create a well-
rounded opinion of their way of working.
Also, I want to acknowledge the help and support of my classmates during the whole
procedure. I enjoyed sharing opinions, deadlocks, fears, jokes, achievements and big smiles
during our talks about our thesis in every chance.
But this work would not exist without the participation of the eight teachers who constituted
the sample of the current research. I would like to sincerely thank them for their willingness
to contribute to my effort, for their responsible and flawless collaboration until the end and
for all the information they shared with me.
My last and biggest acknowledgment goes to my family and friends. This thesis came to an
end thanks to their selfless and full support, both psychologically and practically. I
appreciated every single action, word and thought that came from them. The encouragement
and motivation they offered me has been a precious and inexhaustible source of power.
2
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Summary
In this chapter, I describe the topic as well as the aim of this research which is to bring up
information regarding the implementation of the course of Environmental Education-
Education for Sustainable Development (E.E.-E.S.D.) in the Cypriot school reality. Also, the
research questions that lead the whole research procedure will be presented. An argument
regarding the need and the importance of the current research completes the chapter.
E.E.-E.S.D1. and the Cypriot national curriculum
The course of E.E.-E.S.D. was officially included in the Cypriot school schedule in 2011. It is
considered to be a revolutionary change due to its special organizational characteristics and
the philosophy it relies on. It is a novelty for the Cypriot educational circumstances. Its
inclusion could be characterized as a vital need if we take into account the skills and attitudes
required in the 21st century. As it is said, we are at a point in human history where we struggle
to maintain a balance in coexistence of human and natural world (Sandell, Öhman and
Östman, 2003).
The course has been framed by a very powerful curriculum with obvious elements from
theories which support the active participation of students in issues related to the society of
their school, the wider society of the country and finally, the world. Primary-school teachers
are expected to transform the ideas of the curriculum from theory into practice. Having in
mind that the course counts only three years of existence this task can be a quite challenging
one. During these three years, in order to track weaknesses and make improvements, there
have been several efforts to get feedback from the teachers as the main responsible for the
implementation of the course. I consider this research as a part of those efforts.
1 E.E.-E.S.D. is the abbreviation used for the course of Environmental Education–Education for Sustainable
Development.
3
The aim of the research The aim of the present research was to investigate the Cypriot teachers’ views and practices
regarding the course of E.E.-E.S.D.. More specifically, the participants were asked to describe
methods and practices they use in order to approach the course, both individually as teachers
and collectively as members of their school teaching staff. In addition, I aimed to find out
their opinion on different issues related to the course, since I consider the teachers to be the
most suitable to evaluate the plan for its implementation.
Research questions
In order to fulfil the aim described above, I chose to have the following four research
questions:
How do teachers teach the course of E.E.-E.S.D. in Cypriot public primary schools?
Which is the teachers’ opinion regarding the organizational issues of the course E.E.-
E.S.D.?
How can the teachers’ opinions be connected to the course aims and the implementation of
the course?
What improvements can be made in the implementation of the course?
The first two questions were my point of reference in every step of the research procedure in
order to remain focused in the desirable direction while the other two questions occurred
because of the results. Of course, the findings of this research give answers to those four
questions at the extent that this was feasible, due to the existent limitations.
Τhe need and importance of the research
As it was mentioned before, the course of E.E.-E.S.D. counts only three years of existence in
the national curriculum of Cyprus and still the effort is not fully completed. The people who
are involved, from those that are asked to organize the course to those who are called to
implement it in practice, are still trying to find what works and what does not. The realization
of such a research is necessary since the results can work as a feedback that will lead to
4
further improvements of the course and of the Cypriot education in general. Even if this is
considered to be a small study I believe that it will contribute to this effort as it can become
the reason for further related research.
5
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
Summary
This chapter presents a combination of information and ideas that were found after a review
of literature related to the findings of the research. It begins with an effort to define
environment and sustainable development and describe the role of education regarding them.
A trace back to the beginning of E.E.-E.S.D. in Cyprus is presented and then its curriculum is
briefly described with a reference to its most important aspects. Furthermore, theories and
arguments regarding experiential learning, and outdoor activities are mentioned. The chapter
draws to an end with a discussion on the role of the teacher.
Environmental education and education for sustainable development
Environment and environmental awareness
Firstly, I should try to explain the term “environment”. Dewey’s (1997, p.44) approach of
environment defines it as “(...) whatever conditions interact with personal needs, desires,
purposes, and capacities to create the experience which is had”. In a similar way, Sandell,
Öhman and Östman (2003) include in the term “environment” everything that is around us,
including both natural and human creations.
Being environmentally aware, means that you are able to realize and deeply understand the
elements that constitute the environment around you, as well as the interactive relationships
between them. Sobel (1996), and Dahlgren and Szczepanski (2005) argue that such
realizations can work as a transitional stage which will lead to a protective sense toward
environment. In the 21st century, the need for developing such a sense is very important, for
most of the countries around the world. That is due to the increase of environmental, social
and economic problems, the continual human tend to measure and adapt everything in human
terms and needs and our progressive disconnectedness from nature (Sandell, Öhman and
Östman, 2003). Louv (2008) expresses his fears, especially for the new generations. More
specifically, the author presents a varied collection of research results, most of them showing
the benefits of interaction with nature from the one hand and the serious nature-deficit
disorder that characterizes today’s children from the other (Louv, 2008).
6
Sustainable development
There are plenty of definitions given for sustainable development, as it has been a matter of
discussion and contradictions due to the complex of the term (Sandell, Öhman and Östman,
2003). However, the definition that explains sustainable development as “the ability to make
development sustainable, to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Kates, Parris and
Leiserowitz, 2005, p.10) despite its brief meaning, seems to cover the needs of this research.
From the very beginning of our existence, our relationship with the natural resources of the
earth has been a crucial matter of discussion and examination, even if the reasons and our
actions have changed a lot (Sandell, Öhman and Östman, 2003). According to Sobel (2005,
p.17), by making efforts towards sustainability, “(…) means that we accept a concept of
limited resources and start to look for ways to simultaneously enhance economic vitality,
environmental quality, and school improvement at local level.”
Orr (2004) claimed that a sustainable living requires a shift regarding the products we
consume and he underlines the importance of choosing products that are durable, recyclable,
useful, efficient and sufficient. Also, Orr (2004, p.62) pointed out the importance of making
this shift promptly by arguing that “if we are not to turn the earth into a toxic dump or
bankrupt ourselves by expensively undoing what should not have been done in the first place,
moderation must eventually replace self-indulgence”.
The role of education
Seymor (2004), claims that there is a high need in starting educating our children differently.
“It is not education, but education of a certain kind that will save us”, agrees Orr (2004, p.8).
More specifically, Orr (2004) borrows the Greek word Paideia to speak about the necessity of
an education oriented towards a mastery of one's person, instead of a master of subject matter.
Sandell, Öhman, and Östman (2003), point out three kinds of knowledge that a teacher who
undertakes environmental issues and issues of sustainable development should have and those
are: a) actual knowledge of those issues, b) experience of different ways of teaching and
learning and c) related skills that have been developed in previous experiences.
United Nations have dedicated a whole decade in order to orient Education towards a
sustainable development and 2014 is the final year (UNESCO, n.d.). As Scott (2013, p.182)
described “the UN decade encourages schools to take sustainability seriously in what they do
7
across buildings and grounds, in what they teach, and in how they link with local
stakeholders”. Scott (2013) explained that this decade has given schools the chance and the
obligation to contribute to the global effort towards a sustainable way of life, or a less
unsustainable one. Orr (2004, p.32) came to the conclusion that the difficult situation we are
in “(…) can be resolved only if enough people come to hold a bigger idea of what means to be
a citizen. This will have to be carefully taught at all levels of education”.
During the last years there has been a critical discussion about the relation, the differences and
the similarities of environmental education and education for sustainable development
(Sandell, Öhman and Östman, 2003). However, the focus of the current study is on the case of
Cyprus. In the context of Cyprus, it has been decided to officially refer to the course with both
terms in one title and that is Environmental Education–Education for Sustainable
Development. Therefore, in this study, there is no need to discuss the different opinions
regarding the general controversy on their comparison.
E.E.-E.S.D. in Cyprus
The beginning of E.E. - E.S.D
In 2008 the Cyprus Ministry of Education and Culture (MOEC) decided that it is time for
dramatic changes in education. Since the previous Curriculum, there have been a lot of social,
economic, political and environmental changes on the island. These changes, and in
combination with several suggestion by European programs, exposed a vital need for retrofit
of education in order to conform to the other aspects of life. After realizing the importance
and need of educational changes, several discussions and actions were done. Finally, in 2010,
the new curriculums were composed and ready for use. The change in Cypriot education has
become a reality since 2011 when the implementation of the new curriculums for the school
subjects has gradually started and still continues (MOEC, n.d.).
The course of E.E.-E.S.D. was introduced in the primary school reality occasioned by those
changes. More specifically, the course is given 80 minutes per week for the grades one to
four, during the same day and consecutively, and 40 minutes per week for the grades five and
six. For grades one to four, the curriculum has decided to share alternately those 80 minutes
between E.E.-E.S.D. and another course with the name Treatment of Life (MOEC, 2012).
8
The goals of the course
The main aim of the course of E.E.-E.S.D. is the development of a sustainable school, which
will be able to create autonomous and active citizens (MOEC, 2010). All the effort is
navigated towards the goal of a holistic perception of environmental issues and issues of
sustainability. Vital requirement for the achievement of that goal is the combination of
knowledge, action and participation (MOEC, 2010). The curriculum analyses the aim
mentioned above with the suggestion of a number of general goals to be achieved. Those
goals go beyond the students since some of them are uniquely designed for the teachers,
others for the school and others for the community (MOEC, 2010).
The content of the course
Regarding the content, or the things that are supposed to be taught, the Curriculum is very
flexible. In fact, each school is encouraged to create its own planning each year, by choosing a
topic or topics to work with for the whole year. The topic should emerge as a need by the
special circumstances of each school (MOEC, 2010). The organization of the course is
suggested to be done with the composition of an action plan. The action plan is a document
composed by the teachers of each school and includes information such as the purpose and
the goals of the topic. Neither the structure nor the action plan itself is officially compulsory
but its composition is highly recommended and additionally, with the collaboration of all the
teachers of the school (MOEC, 2012).
As a result, the course does not have a book. However, there is a guide book for the course
which is addressed to the teachers and is organized in twelve indicative thematic units i.e. the
forest, the biodiversity, the litter, the poverty, etc. (MOEC, 2010). Each one of them includes
basic concepts and vocabulary, the expected learning outcomes in local, national and
international level and also, interconnections with the other thematic units (MOEC,
2012).Those topics aim to work as the base for further planning. The Ministry of Education
and Culture encourages each school and moreover, the teachers to select issues appropriate to
a) the age, the knowledge, the interests, the experiences and the needs of their students, b) the
special social and political circumstances, c) the particular environment of the area and d) the
environmental and sustainable issues that concern the local community or are in general in the
limelight (MOEC, 2012). It is though underlined that the main target is not the quantity of the
topics approached but the promotion of a political thinking in the framework of a social,
democratic, based on values education and the conjunction of the natural sciences along with
9
the humanitarian sciences and the art (MOEC, 2010).
Vital principle of the Course
The revolutionary principle of the curriculum for E.E.-E.S.D. is the utilization of the local
environment of each school or of other places that can contribute to learning (MOEC, 2010).
Any place that can be used as a tool for the course can work as a class. The emphasis is
transferred from the book to the place and students are asked to investigate environmental
issues or issues of sustainability within their close environment (MOEC, 2010).
Methods of implementation of the course
The two main methodological guidelines that are suggested by the Ministry of Education and
Culture of Cyprus are a) the project and b) the cross-curriculum approach of the course
(MOEC, 2010). The importance of approaching the topic in a holistic way within the entire
school with collaboration is pointed out as a new element of great value for the needs of the
course (MOEC, 2012). With that directive, didactical practices, based on the active and
interactive learning, on the exploration and on the group work, are proposed. Some of them
are the problem solving, the debate and the role play (MOEC, 2010). Finally, Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) is recommended as well to be combined with the strategies
mentioned above.
Experiential Learning
Literature offers a wide range of theories connected to learning procedure. One of them with
many supporters is experiential learning. Beard and Wilson (2006, p.19), in an effort to define
experiential learning, argue that it is “the sense-making process of active engagement between
the inner world of the person and the outer world of the environment”.
The importance of experience
Dewey (1997), points out the need for a philosophy of education based on a philosophy of
experience. Dahlgren and Szczepanski (2005) discuss the deep difference between knowing
about something and knowing something, presenting the second one as more effective, due to
the involvement of emotions and actions. They believe that “when we meet the world around
10
us, we learn how it works, how it tastes, smells, and feels” (Dahlgren and Szczepanski, 2005,
p.25).
The quality of experience
For Dewey (1997), the nodal point is the quality of the experience. He developed a whole
theory, trying to give the “correct” idea of experience. He discriminates experiences in good
and bad. Good experiences are characterized by continuity and interaction, providing students
with a positive feeling for further learning. Bad experiences, as the author says, fail to provide
a connection of the skills with future experiences- if there are any, since students are usually
dissatisfied and repelled Dewey (1997). In any case, as Beard and Wilson (2006, p.7) argue,
“the more senses we use in an activity, the more memorable the learning experience will
become because it increases the neural connections in our brains and therefore will be more
accessible”.
Outdoor activities
Outdoor education as a teaching method
By accepting experiential learning as an efficient way to learn, it turns out that, actually, the
environment is the most proper place to learn about the environment. So that is how a need
for outdoor education emerges. Again, the literature offers a wide range of suggested
definitions regarding Outdoor education. However, I consider the literal definition of Outdoor
Education as sufficient. So, literally, outdoor education is described as the teaching procedure
that occurs in an environment outside the classroom (Hammerman, Hammerman and
Hammerman, 2000).
The need for outdoor activities
Beard and Wilson (2006, p.6) claim that “learning is literally and metaphorically breaking out
of the traditional classroom”. At the same time, Dahlgren and Szczepanski (2005) argue that
the indoor environments of a classroom can often be perceived as too strict and not enough
exciting for some students. Orr (2004, p.14) expresses a similar opinion by arguing that
“courses taught as lecture courses tend to induce passivity. Indoor classes create the illusion
that learning only occurs inside four walls, isolated from what students call, without apparent
11
irony, the ¨real world¨”. For Sobel (2005), the interaction between school, community and
environment, any type of environment, is very important as he believes that students should
get to know their close environment first in order to be able to offer later in a wider extend.
Of course, as Dahlgren and Szczepanski (2005) underline, outdoor activities do not intent to
cancel indoor learning but, instead, to complete it, having the child always in a central
position.
Benefits of outdoor activities
“Going outdoors is immediate and real; it sparks questions; it offers avenues of exploration
and investigation; and it is available, at little or no expense, to everyone” claims Bourne
(2000, p.5). The author continues by explaining that students who are used to work outdoors
in regular base are able to point out characteristics of each environment such as cycles of
procedures and patterns (Bourne, 2000). Furthermore, Beard and Wilson (2006) believe that
outdoor activities can offer several learning opportunities, due to the integration of the learner
with nature, other learners and facilitators at the same time. Dahlgren and Szczepanski (2005,
p.24) come to add that “the natural environment offers a wide range of visual impressions,
scents, movements, sounds, and shapes, appealing to all of the child's senses in a way which
no other environment is capable”. Finally, Dahlgren and Szczepanski (2005) argue that if
outdoor activities are applied in a proper way, not only knowledge can be achieved but also
close relations between the learner and the culture, the society and the nature. Regarding the
latter, the authors argue that through outdoor education the current detached relationship
between man and eco-system can be restored, a fact which should be our main objective as
human beings (Dahlgren and Szczepanski, 2005).
Teacher as a crucial factor in educative procedures
The importance of the teacher
According to Day, et al. (2007, p.1) “no educational reform has achieved success without
teachers committing themselves to it”. As Hattie (2012, p.25) said, “(...) teachers’ beliefs and
commitments are the greatest influence on student achievement over which we can have some
control (…)”. Richmond, et al. (2008, p.259) recognize the vital role of a teacher as well,
due to her/his “(...) control over children who have not yet formed their attitudes and ideas”.
12
As the authors explain, a teacher can work either as an auspicious factor or as a barrier in
students' learning, depending on the motivation that she/he offer through communication,
control, supervision, help and entertainment (Richmond, et al., 2008). Teachers are able to
influence the learning of the students and therefore, it is their responsibility to determine “(…)
that environment which will interact with the existing capacities and needs of those taught to
create a worth-while experience” (Dewey, 1997, p.45). In relation to the importance of
teachers in educational procedures, Day, et al. (2007, p.233) claim the following: “Teachers in
all countries need support for their commitment, energy and skill over their careers if they are
to grapple with the immense emotional, intellectual and social demands, as they work toward
building the internal and external relationships demanded by ongoing government reforms
and social movements”.
The role of the teacher
For Hattie (2012), teachers should be experts. According to the five dimensions that Hattie
gives to the term “expert”, a teacher should be able to a) form and introduce new knowledge
by taking in account students´ previous knowledge and needs, b) create an atmosphere that
allows active involvement and interaction of students, c) adapt the teaching plan and goals to
students current understanding while providing them with meaningful feedback which
promotes growth, d) respect the students and interact with them and e) have a positive
influence on students. Dewey (1997) is also a supporter of the crucial role of teacher in the
learning procedure. He believes that the teacher ought to use her/his own experiences very
carefully, in order to help students with their own from the position of leader (Dewey, 1997).
However, at the same time the author recognizes the difficulty of teachers’ role in finding the
required balances between freedom and control of students (Dewey, 1997). Regarding this,
Kahn (2002) considers children as active human beings that have the ability to take advantage
of their interaction with the environment in order to construct knowledge and values. Also,
Muijs and Reynolds (2001) support the importance of involving students in decisions for their
learning. More specifically they argue that “Giving students responsibilities helps build up a
sense of personal power, which will enhance self-esteem. Students should be given the
opportunity to make choices and should be allowed to make an active contribution to lessons”
(Muijs and Reynolds, 2001, p.108).
13
Being an effective teacher
To begin with, as Killen (2003) argues, there is not a teaching strategy that will always work
successfully no matter the learners. Hattie (2012, p.44) explains that “as well as bringing their
prior achievements, students bring many other dispositions to the classroom. These include
motivation to learn, strategies to learn, and confidence to learn.”, issues that a teacher should
consider.
According to Killen (2003, p.2), “(…) students will learn more when they are motivated than
when they are not motivated. This means that learning will be more effective when you make
it interesting, enjoyable and challenging for learners”. More specifically, the author argues
that an effective teaching includes activities that awake curiosity, emphasize in understanding
of concepts and relations than memorization of information, are adapted in the skills, the
attitudes and the knowledge of the students and have a relation with students’ everyday life
experiences (Killen, 2003).
In addition, as Richmond, et al. (2008, p.259) point out, “teachers must know how to present
material in an interesting and entertaining fashion. Students will then attend to it and retain it
longer”. Killen (2003, p.20) adds that “(...) learning is enhanced when the learners can see
how the things they are learning are relevant to them. This can be achieved by linking to their
background knowledge, connecting learning to the real world beyond the classroom; and
integrating knowledge across subject boundaries”. For Beard and Wilson (2006), the more a
student is involved in an activity the more he learns while in the meantime the effect on his
way of thinking as well as on his behavior will be bigger.
The power of collaboration between teachers
As Sobel (2005, p.67) argued “Teachers listen to other teachers. (…) When a teacher sees that
another teacher can do something, she is more willing to try it herself”. Teachers in a school,
have the chance to collaborate in order to achieve their educational goals. Burton and
Dimbleby (2006, p.247) explain that “we often join and form groups because we believe that
“two (or more) heads are better than one or because ¨many hands make light work¨”.
According to the authors, when the members of a groups are also an effective team then they
increase their productivity, improve the communication between them, achieve goals that
ordinary groups might not be able to achieve, use the available resources in a better way,
14
become more creative and affective when it comes to problem solving situations, provide
services of a higher quality and increase the level of processes (Burton and Dimbleby, 2006).
15
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY
Summary
This chapter aims to describe the actions and explain the choices that were made, regarding
the methodological decisions of the research. It starts with a brief description of the process.
Then, some vital information about the sample of the research is presented, including
description of the contact procedure, demographic characteristics and relevant explanations.
After that, the focus is transferred on the data of this research. Therefore, information and
reasoning about the stages of collection and analysis are given. The chapter draws to a close
with a reference to the ethical concerns regarding the research and my actions in order to deal
with them.
The process
Because of the nature of my research questions and my intention to focus on teachers'
personal experiences and opinions regarding the teaching of the course of E.E.-E.S.D, I
decided to substantiate a qualitative research and more specifically, a case study. A qualitative
study offers access to a wider range of empirical data, comparing to a quantitative (Punch,
1998). A case study constitutes a qualitative method in which the researcher uses several data
sources in order to describe and understand a case with case-based themes (Creswell, 2007).
A case can vary a lot, from a single child to a whole classroom as Silverman (2010) explains.
In the current case study, I consider the implementation of the course E.E.-E.S.D. as the case I
am willing to explore. Of course, the implementation of a school subject has multiple
dimensions and several aspects which I do not wish to investigate at this point. Therefore, I
have limited the case of implementation to teachers’ perception of it.
Firstly, I started searching for participants corresponding to the needs of my case study and as
soon as I had my sample, I informed them about the research. Then, I composed an interview
protocol and after a pilot interview, I started collecting the data. The next stage was the
analysis of the data in order to get the results. Finally, through a combination of the findings
with related literature, I came up with some conclusions.
16
The sample
My thoughts regarding the sample came after I had decided my topic and specified my
research questions. Having them as a reference point, and in order to pick my participants, I
used a generic purposive sampling in combination with convenience sampling and in one case
snowball sampling. In generic purposive sampling, “the researcher establishes criteria
concerning the kinds of cases needed to address the research questions, identifies appropriate
cases, and then samples from those cases that have been identified” (Bryman, 2012, p.422).
Creswell (2007, p.125) adds that “the inquirer selects individuals and sites for study because
they can purposefully inform an understanding of the research problem and central
phenomenon in the study”. From the hand, the kind of sampling that is “simply available to
the researcher by virtue of its accessibility” (Bryman, 2012, p.201), is called convenience
sampling. In this case, the researcher chooses the participants that are promptly available and
is used when there are many limitations in a research (Patton, 2002). However, this type of
sampling can cause expense of information, as well as credibility (Creswell, 2007).
Regarding my other method, snowball sampling is the technique where “the researcher makes
initial contact with a small group that is relevant to the research topic and then uses these to
establish contacts with others” (Bryman, 2012, p.202).
Finally, my sample was small in size with only 8 participants. Silverman (2010) argues that
small samples tend to be a characteristic choice of qualitative researchers since “generally
speaking, qualitative researchers are prepared to sacrifice scope for detail” (Silverman, 2010,
p.104). In my case, with the circumstances under which this research was substantiated, the
number of 8 participants seemed to be satisfactory.
Selection of participants
For the needs of the research and having in mind my research questions, I thought about
concrete characteristics that the sample should have and characteristics that it would be better
to have. I decided that the participants of my sample must be primary school teachers that are
working in a school this year. Also, they should be teaching the course E.E.-E.S.D. this year
or have taught it during the last three years, when the course E.E.-E.S.D. was officially
included in Cypriot school curriculum. Other than these, I wanted to find teachers from
different schools and different environments, representing urban, semi-urban and rural
schools to see what kind of differences there might be in teachers’ approach since “each
school aspires to uncover and cultivate the unique genius of the local environment and
17
community through the school’s curriculum” (Sobel, 2005, p.22). That differentiation is
highly underlined in the curriculum as well (MOEC, 2012). My choices regarding schools
were not completely random. I had a practical issue in my mind and that was the distance
between teachers' working or living place. Due to the limited time of the four working days I
had for collecting my data, I contacted schools that were close to each other, at least each two
or three of them, so that I could visit those in one day. Also, I just chose the teachers that were
available for an interview when I needed them. The investigation of differences and
similarities between male and female teachers or between different teaching grades was not in
my intentions and therefore I did not have those factors as criteria.
My contact with the sample group in most of the cases was via the headmaster of the schools.
I was sending an e-mail or I was making a phone call to the headmasters, asking them to share
the information with the teachers of the school. Teachers who were willing to participate,
answered me back. To those teachers, I sent at a later stage, an official information sheet with
the latest details that I thought they should know regarding the research (Appendix, p. 63). In
the case where a teacher suggested me another teacher, the information sheet was sent after an
informative phone call between the teachers.
Profile of participants
The eight teachers, six women and two men, come from eight different schools in different
districts (Appendix, p. 64), two2 urban, three rural and three semi-urban schools. Also, five of
them are the E.E.-E.S.D. teachers of the classes they referred to while three of them are the
principal teachers3. Regarding the annual topic of those schools for the course E.E.-E.S.D.,
five of the schools have chosen topics related to abatement of litter and recycling, one has
chosen as topic the “litter and energy”, one has chosen “the forest” and one has chosen “the
formulation of the school”. The working experience of the sample varies from seven to
twenty-four years. Specifically for the course of E.E.-E.S.D., which is officially included in
the curriculum since three years, one teacher has experience of three years, three of the
teachers have experience of two years and for four of the teachers, this is the first year of
teaching the course. Furthermore, five of the participants claimed that it was their personal
2 There was an effort to have a balance in the sample regarding the representatives from urban, rural and semi-
urban schools. However one of the participants from an urban school made a last minute cancelation of his participation due to personal reasons.
3 Explanations for this differentiation can be found in the Appendix, page 59 (*).
18
choice to teach the course this year and six of them have participated to educative seminars
related to the course (Appendix, p. 58).
Collection of data
I collected my data using a questionnaire, interviews, official documents, photos and informal
conversations with the teachers. The use of multiple sources for data collection is a common
strategy in case studies, in order to achieve detailed and in-depth data collection (Creswell,
2007). Data was collected in four days. To do that, I travelled to Cyprus and met each
participant at a time and place of her/his choice. I met four of the participants at their school
during morning hours and four of them at their house during afternoon hours. In most of the
cases, the whole procedure lasted approximately 40 minutes.
Observations would have been a very strong tool of data collection for this research. As
Cohen, et al. (2011, p. 289) explain about case studies, “(…)one of their strengths is that they
observe effects in real contexts, recognizing that context is a powerful determinant of both
causes and effects and that in-depth understanding is required to do justice to the case”.
However, the limited time I had to collect my data and complete this research, in combination
with the fact that the course is taught only once per week, did not allow the use of
observations.
Questionnaire
Questionnaire was used in order to collect some demographic information about each
participant (Appendix, p.60). This information was intending to create a profile of reference
for each participant. The questionnaire was given to the participants immediately before the
interview so that the questions could be adjusted to their personal characteristics.
Interviews
The use of interviews is quite common in qualitative research as “it is a very good way of
accessing people's perceptions, meanings, and definitions of situations and constructions of
reality.” (Punch, 1998, p.175). There are many kinds of interviews and one way of
19
discrimination is their level of structure. Related to this, Cohen, et al. (2011, p.412) claim
that “the more one wishes to gain comparable data - across people, across sites - the more
standardized and quantitative one's interview tends to become; the more one wishes to acquire
unique, non-standardized, personalized information about how individuals view the world,
the more one veers towards qualitative, open-ended, unstructured interviewing”.
I chose to use semi-structured interviewing within a guided interview, with four main
questions and ten sub-questions regarding the following categories: the content and the
procedural characteristics of the school’s topic, the teacher’s teaching approach and practices,
the teacher’s reflection regarding her/his teaching and the teacher’s critique regarding the
curriculum (Appendix, p. 61). Guided interviews combine a freedom for the interviewee to
speak about what is important to her/him, rather than to the interviewer, and an assurance to
the interviewer that all the topics that she/he consider as crucial for the study will be covered
(Bell, 2006). Also, during a semi-structured interview “the interviewer is prepared to be
flexible in terms of the order in which the topics are considered, and, perhaps more
significantly, to let the interviewee develop ideas and speak more widely on the issues raised
by the researcher” (Denscombe, 2010, p.175). I had informed the participants that we would
need 30-40 minutes so I made an effort to create questions that were possible to be answered
during that time. The basic thought behind this was the option of doing the interviews during
school time in a spare hour. Each school period in Cyprus lasts 40 minutes, except the last
one that lasts 35 minutes (MOEC, n.d.).
For the needs of my research, firstly I did a pilot interview which later I decided to include in
my data because of the importance of the information I got from it. The pilot interview helped
me to realize some weak aspects of my questions and therefore make all the possible
improvements. The order of the questions was defined by the participant, depending on
her/his answers. Bell (2006) agrees that a capable interviewer can take advantage of the
adaptability that interviews offer to access resposes, feelings and motives that he couldn't
access with a questionaire. However, Bell (2006) considers interviews as a highly demanding
tool, considering time and effort in construction, while at the same time he points out the high
possibility of prejudices of the reseracher due to the subjective character of their nature.
Furthermore, as Punch (1998, p.61) claims, “It is inevitable that the words we use to record
data from the field will reflect, to some extent, our own concepts” since the text describing
the transformation of data into word is a creation of the researcher (Punch, 1998).
20
Action plan
The action plan is a document which is expected to be composed by the teachers of each
school at the beginning of every school year. It is the result of a teachers’ meeting regarding
the course of E.E.-E.S.D. (MOEC, 2010). After they have decided about the topic, they are
supposed to compose a plan with goals and guidelines which refers to all the teachers of the
school. The extent and the details included in the plan depend on the teachers. In addition to
the interviews, Ι asked the participants to provide the action plan of their school for the
current school year. My purpose was to have an extra source of information for each case. In
that way, I could also examine the relevance of the plan with each teacher’s sayings, find
some similarities as well as differences between the plans of the different schools and see to
what degree each school follows the guidelines of the curriculum regarding the action plan.
Such documents can be useful when they are used in combination with interviews or
observations but at the same time, it is important to keep in mind their ontological distinctive
status and therefore not take everything as an underling reality (Atkinson and Goffey, 2011
cited in Bryman, 2012).
Informal conversations and photos
Having in mind the need for deep understanding of my case, I tried to collect as much
information as I could. Therefore, I took advantage of my conversation with the participants
before and after the interview and noted some of their comments that I considered as
important and useful for my later analysis and results. Also, in cases where the interviews
took place at the school of the participants, after the interview we made a walk around the
school and the teachers showed me samples of the work they mentioned in their interviews. I
asked and took photos of those samples and some of them have been included to this report as
Appendix.
Analysis of data
For the purposes of my research, and after a first study of my data to be analyzed, I decided
that the most proper strategy for me to follow was the thematic analysis. As Crabtree and
Miller (1992) mention, the strategies of data analysis consist of a continuum that goes from
21
standardized strategies that have pre-determined concepts, categories and issues to strategies
that emerge during the analysis among the emerging concepts, categories and issues. In
research, the design and plan for a particular analysis depends on the analytic purpose (Guest,
MacQueen and Namey, 2011). Bryman (2012, p.565) argues that “there are few well-
established and widely accepted rules for the analysis of qualitative data”, but this can also be
considered as a benefit too.
Thematic analysis as an analyzing strategy
Thematic analysis belongs to the research analyzing strategies and is broadly considered as
one of those being emerged from the data of each case. More specifically, as Guest,
MacQueen and Namey (2011) explain, thematic analysis describes implicit, as well as explicit
ideas within the data, themes, while it can also include comparison of code frequencies,
identification of code co-occurrence, and graphically display of relationships between codes
within the data set. Ezzy (2002, p.88), characterizes a kind of thematic analysis as inductive
and explains that “while the general issues that are of interest are determined prior to the
analysis, the specific nature of the categories and themes to be explored are not
predetermined” and therefore they come up after the coding of data.
Bryman (2012) mentions that thematic analysis is one of the most used approaches in
qualitative research, although, as he claims, most of the times is not identifiable, due to its
lack of identifiable heritage and distinctive cluster of techniques. Guest, MacQueen and
Namey (2011, p.11) come to add that in thematic analysis, reliability is a risky affair because
of the interpretation of the researcher in “defining the data items (i.e. codes) as well as
applying the codes to bigger parts of text”. However, the authors argue that thematic analysis
is still the most useful approach in showing the complexities of meaning within a data text
set.
Themes
Bryman (2012), in an effort to explain the meaning and the use of a theme, defines it as a
category that among other things, is identified in the collected data by the researcher, relates
to the research questions and contributes to the related literature that already exists.
Researchers who are willing to use thematic analysis are encouraged to search across their
data for noticeable patterns such as repetitions of topics, transitions of topics, and similarities
and differences in the way of speaking about a topic, in order to create their themes. (Ryan
22
and Bernard, 2003 cited in Bryman, 2012). Braun and Klarke (2006) argue that there is no
correct or wrong way of determining themes as it can be done in many different ways but they
underline the need of explaining the way of thinking and the decisions being made in order to
end up to those themes.
The themes of this study
The thematic analysis I followed was inductive and therefore is based on themes emerging
from the data. To do so, I followed approximately the steps that Braun and Klarke (2006)
suggest to researchers who are interested in doing a thematic analysis.
Firstly, I became familiar with my data via consecutively and active readings of the
interviews’ transcriptions, once all of it together and then each interview separately. During
this step I also made a list with information from each interview that I considered as
interesting or/and popular. Then, mainly based on my list, I tried to generate initial codes and
while reading each interview again, this time more carefully, I tried to find as many extracts
that would fit in the codes as I could. During this step I used a table for each code where I was
writing the name of the participant, the line of the transcription where I could find the extract
and key words describing her/his saying. After that, I tried to group my codes with the
extracts under potential themes, a procedure which was occurred several times until I ended
up to my final themes. Of course, not all the codes or the themes that could be created were
used. I had to make a selection among quite a lot of information. The criteria I used for that
decision were the relation of the information with my research questions, the coherence of the
information in each theme regarding the content and the frequency of the information in the
data as I used codes and themes that were discussed from at least five out of the eight
participants. The final step was the production of my chapter with results and the presentation
of the themes. Before I compose the text for each theme I made sure that I would use in my
text at least one extract from each interview in each theme in order to represent all of the
interviewees.
After this process, four themes and several subthemes were found. Those are a) E.E.-E.S.D.
as part of the school reality, b) The annual topic of the school for E.E.-E.S.D, c)
Implementation of a cross-curriculum approach, and d) Persistence of students’ interest for
the course. Those themes will be presented and discussed in following chapters.
23
Ethical issues
I took ethical issues into consideration during the whole research procedure. Bryman (2012)
explains that a researcher should respect the participants, insure them about confidentiality of
records and identities, share with them all the information that they should know about
content and procedure and respect their desire not to answer some questions. Also, he
underlines the importance of preventing deception, which means presenting the research as
something different to what it is (Bryman, 2012).
Prevention for ethical issues
Having in mind the ethics above, I composed two documents, an information sheet and a
consent form, based on the examples that were presented by Bryman (2012). The information
sheet (Appendix, p. 63) was sent by e-mail to the participants that showed interest after
reading the e-mail I sent to their Headmaster/Headmistress. It included details regarding the
content and the procedure of the research and participants’ role in it. I tried to give enough
information so that a teacher could decide if she/he wanted to participate but not too much in
order not to affect their future answers during the interviews. In that sheet I also ensured the
participants that their identities and records were confidential and that I would make all the
actions needed so that no one could identify them in the final result of the research. Finally, I
mentioned their rights to skip any question they would like to, leave the research at any stage
for any reason without any explanation and take back any information they would have shared
with me until then, as well as their right to get informed about the findings of the research.
The consent form (Appendix, p. 62) was given at a later stage, when I met each participant for
the needs of the interview. Each participant was asked to read and sign it before the
realization of the interview. I kept the signed forms and I provided the participants with a
copy. By signing it, the participants were confirming that they were informed on crucial issues
of the procedure such as the recording of interviews and anonymous publication of extracts as
quotes, as well as on their rights mentioned above.
24
Ethical problem
Despite the actions to prevent ethical issues, an ethical problem came up. During the process
of collecting the data, I had to deal with an ethical dilemma, as a result of my inexperience.
During a telephone conversation in order to arrange the place for meeting with a participant, I
revealed the name of the school of another participant. After realizing my mistake, I started
thinking about the ethical and practical issues of informing the other participant about that
incident. Finally, I decided to admit my mistake to the participant. When we had our meeting
and before the beginning of the interview, I explained to the participant what had happened, I
apologized and I asked if she still wanted to participate in the research. Her answer was
positive.
25
CHAPTER 4: RESULTS
Summary
This chapter presents the results of the thematic analysis conducted on the data. I tracked
down four main themes in the answers of the interviewees and those are a) E.E.-E.S.D. as part
of the school reality, b) The annual topic of the school for E.E.-E.S.D, c) Implementation of a
cross-curriculum approach and d) Persistence of students’ interest for the course. Each of
those themes consists of subthemes which will be described below. Quotes4 of the interviews
are used in order to support and complete the presentation of the findings. The action plans of
the schools have been studied too and here are presented basic comments regarding the
content, the similarities and differences between them.
Theme 1: E.E.-E.S.D. as part of the school reality
The data exposed a common tendency across the participants to express their opinion on
nodal issues regarding the structure of the course of E.E.-E.S.D.. Basically, they argued on
who should be the responsible teacher for the course, what support is essential for the teacher
in charge and how much time in needed for the course.
The choice of the teacher in charge for the course
Interviews exposed a matter of discussion that assailed the majority of participants and that is
the choice of teacher in charge for the course E.E.-E.S.D.. A number of interviewees described
a general avoidance to undertake the teaching of the course. Interviewee 7 undertook the
course to complete her working hours, even if for her, the course should be taught by the
principal teachers:
E.E.-E.S.D. occurred due to the need of covering the last 40 minutes of my working time, so
which course is 40 minutes? (...) It is the second year I teach the course and last year happened
the same, the teachers of sixth grade, the principal teachers, did not want the course. We were
discussing who would take it but nobody volunteered to engage with the course, and I got
upset and I said ‘I will be responsible for it’. (…) The course should be entrusted to someone
4 The interviews were in Greek and therefore the quotes had to be translated to English. During this procedure
there was a high attention to the translation and presentation of the actual meaning of the original sayings.
26
that really wants it or otherwise, we should try to give it to the principal teachers, no matter if
he wants or not. (I.7)5
The teacher described a tense by the principal teachers to avoid undertaking the course of
E.E.-E.S.D.. In addition, her own motivation was the completion of her working hours, and
E.E.-E.S.D was the only option in terms of time. As she stated in the questionnaire, the
teaching of the course was not a personal choice. Also, she believes that in cases where
nobody volunteers for the course, it must be entrusted to the principal teacher.
Another interesting statement came from Interviewee 6. Even if she belongs to the teachers
that undertook the course to complete her working obligations rather than from a personal
interest, she supported that the principal teacher has an advantage regarding the teaching of
E.E.-E.S.D:
(...) I consider the teaching of this course by the principal teacher as a significantly helpful fact.
It is rather a course of attitudes than a course of knowledge. Therefore, the most suitable one to
achieve cultivation of attitudes best is the teacher of the class. (…) you spend much more time
with them; it is you that they consider as responsible for them, the acceptance to whatever you
tell them, is bigger than to any other teacher who is visitor. (I.6)
According to this participant, a principal teacher has the advantage of affecting the attitudes of
students. This fact can help the teaching of E.E.-E.S.D, since, as she said, it is a course of
attitudes.
Finally, Interviewee 1 enhanced the need of changing the criteria of choosing the teacher in
charge for the course:
There must be an organization regarding who will teach the course because it is a course of
only 40 minutes per week and mostly, the course is entrusted to teachers with only criterion the
maintenance of the school schedule. Therefore, we end up entrusting E.E.-E.S.D to teachers
who do not have any idea of environmental issues, teachers who do not like E.E.-E.S.D., and
teachers who have practical difficulties to teach this course, like me this year, that I go only
one day to the school and is very difficult to organize it. (I.1)
Based on personal experience, this teacher claimed that in order to complete the time
schedule, incompetent teachers can end up teaching the course. He places himself in those
teachers as well, since the practical difficulties do not allow him to work as he would like to.
Advisory support for the teachers
The interviewees mentioned two main resources of support for a teacher who deals with the
5 . For purposes of better understanding, each quote is followed by a code. For example the code I.7, clarifies
that the specific quote belongs to Interviewee 7.
27
course and those are: the guide book6 of the course and the seminars organized by the
Ministry of Education and Culture (MOEC). The participants were critical about the existent
resources and expressed their suggestions.
In relation to the guide book, almost all the participants argued that there is a need for a more
concrete book with the possibility of diversification and enrichment. Interviewee 2 expressed
this opinion via a reference to her circumstances:
(...) to have a guide book, to follow a series and maybe to add our own activities of
enrichment. Something like this. Because it is very difficult. This year I teach this topic. The
next year I will be doing another topic so this means that you have to start again from the
beginning. (...) all this work is for 40 minutes of teaching. Here, we do 12 lessons; it is
difficult to find material. (I.2)
A guide book with the possibility to add things would make the annual preparation easier,
argued the Interviewee 2. In addition, in her case, the need for more guidelines seems bigger,
since her obligations are multiplied due to the multi-grade7 nature of the classes in her school.
Interviewee 5 supported the creation of a more concrete book but at the same time she
appeared to be sceptical regarding the degree of particularity of such a book:
It would not be bad to have something more concrete, even for the students (…). (...) it is just
that the philosophy does not help you to end up in something like this. The philosophy says
that you should consider the needs of your school and then decide which your topic will be.
That means that you cannot limit yourself to a book. (I.5)
That teacher argued that the current philosophy of E.E.-E.S.D. does not leave much space for
a concrete guide book since the whole topic of the school should be based on the needs of
each school.
Also, there was one participant, Interviewee 4, who believes that the current book is helpful
enough, even for beginners:
They have a book which gives directions (...) it helps. You can give it to someone that will
teach it for the first time, that will have this topic for the first time and he will understand more
or less towards which direction he should work. (I.4)
For this teacher, the guide book, with the twelve suggested topics and the general goals can
cover the needs and answer the questions of a teacher regarding the course, even if she/he
teaches it for first time. However, this was the only interviewee to support that the current
book is fully effective.
6The current guidebook of E.E.-E.S.D. consists of some general guidelines regarding the procedures related to
the course and a list of intended results for each of the twelve topics that are presented as suggestions. 7 The term “Multi-grade” class refers to situations where students of different grades are mixed in one class. That
happens in situations where the number of students, usually in small villages, does not support the employment of many teachers.
28
Regarding the seminars about the course of E.E.-E.S.D. organized by the Ministry of
Education and Culture, data brought up different opinions, depending on the personal
experience of each participant.
A number of participants pointed out organizing problems. More specifically, and as
Interviewee 1 explained, not all the teachers who teach E.E.-E.S.D. have attended seminars:
There are seminars organized, but many times the teachers who participate in them, do not
teach the course. They go because otherwise, the schedule of that day (the day of the seminar)
should change. (...) when there will be a seminar organized, it is compulsory to send someone
from each school. But (he laughs), for example if the seminar is on Wednesday, I will not go
because I am at the school only on Thursdays. (…) I have not been to any seminar yet, I have
not been asked to go to any seminar yet. (I.1)
The Interviewee argued that the criterion for a school to send a teacher to a seminar is
practical and not educational. His case is such an example, as he has not been to any seminar
yet, even if he is expected to teach the course.
However, the interviewees who did not face any organizational problems appeared to be
satisfied with the seminars they have participated in. Interviewee 8 was one of them and as he
commented, the seminars give the chance to the teachers to exchange ideas and discuss with
their colleagues:
I have been to a lot of lessons the last two years. Across these seminars, the two of them were
sample lessons. So there, you can see the ideas as well, you can discuss with your colleagues
who are there, because all of them are teachers of the Environmental Education, I mean they
teach the course of Environmental (Education) too, so you can get ideas. (I.8)
This teacher referred to the practical seminars he has participated in and claimed that there he
can meet with other teachers that also teach the course, discuss all together and share their
experiences and practices related to the course.
There was only one critical comment regarding the content of the seminars, and that came
from the Interviewee 2. As she said, even if she got some advice, she could not apply all of
them in her school:
(…) it was a sample lesson, it was quite helpful and also regarding the end, the evaluation,
about what we do at the end. (…) It was more about giving us some ideas on how we should
work with the course… But that does not change the fact that it was an 80 minute sample
lesson, because it was in a school that they have 80 minutes, we, we just have 40 minutes, that
was 80 minutes so there is a significant difference, even more with 25 students in a bigger
school. (I.2)
This interviewee pointed out that the content of the seminars referred to schools with 25
students in each class and an 80 minute lesson. In contrast, her school has 27 students in total
and 40 minutes for the course. Therefore, she cannot use all the ideas in her class, as she said,
29
due to the differences.
The suitability of the time dedicated to the course
The presence of the course in the curriculum, in terms of time, appeared to assail the teachers,
as all of them mentioned that they would like to have more time for it. Interviewees who
teach in grades fifth and sixth, and that means a 40 minutes period per week, give more
emphasis on it as a problem.
Interviewee 3 claimed that the time dedicated to the E.E.-E.S.D. is too little and is something
that should and could change:
I think those 40 minutes, since we are speaking about the future because the environment is the
future; I think that is too little time. I believe that this course should be taught at least in 80
minutes per week, the minimum. (I.3)
For this interviewee, the course appears to be crucial enough for the future, to deserve more
time than 40 minutes in the school time schedule. In fact, she suggested using one of the
hours being offered for consolidation8, for the needs of the course of E.E.-E.S.D.
Something similar was mentioned by Interviewee 7 who believes that the distribution of time
should change for the higher grades:
For me, the distribution of time is not correct. For example in small grades it is 80 minutes.
You will tell me that for them the time is shared between the courses E.E.-E.S.D. and the
course Treatment of Life, ok I can understand it. But with the older, that we have more things
to discuss with them and they can be productive, we should have more time, not only 40
minutes per week. For me the time is too little. (I.7)
This teacher believes that especially with the older students the teachers should get more time
for this course as there are many things to discuss and do with them.
However, despite the full agreement of lack of time regarding the course, there were some
teachers that mentioned that now environmental education at least exists as a lesson.
Interviewee 5 was one of them:
There is a lack of time. But the fact that now, at least, there are those 40 minutes per week and
some things are emphasized during this time every week, is important, because before, it didn’t
exist at all. It was a matter of personal interest if someone would do something similar. (I.5)
The teacher characterized the official inclusion of the course in the curriculum as a significant
progress even if this means a 40 minutes period per week. However, she would like to have
8The term “Hour of Consolidation” refers to the last period of each school day which is used at the will of each
teacher. The purpose of its existence is to work as spare hour where teachers have the chance to explain again parts of the daily lessons that perhaps where not fully understood by the students.
30
more time as well.
In conclusion, data showed that a more detailed book that would still offer the freedom to the
teacher to make choices would be welcomed from the majority of participants. They also
asked for better organization regarding the seminars since they mentioned that they can be
very helpful. Finally, the time given for the course is appreciated by the teachers but it was
clear that they all need more.
Theme 2: The annual topic of the school for E.E.-E.S.D.
When the participants were asked to speak about the annual topic of their school for the
course of E.E.-E.S.D., their answers brought up some common lines regarding the decision of
the topic, the role of the students in it and the planning of their actions.
The influence of circumstances
All of the interviewees mentioned the circumstances of the school as the main determinant
factor in the decision of the topic. The school of Interviewee 5 for example, chose as topic
the litter management and recycle due to the amount of rubbish they noticed in the school:
It is very important that the topic will occur from the existent problems of the school. That
means that we do not decide suddenly a topic and then ask the students to work on it. (…) it
was decided that we had a problem with the management of trash. We are a big school with
400 students, so there is a lot of rubbish and there was a need to start recycling. Therefore, we
chose that topic. (I.5)
The teacher mentioned that the topic they chose at school is directly related to an actual
problem that was noticed in the school. In her opinion, the large number of students is the
main cause of that problem.
Also, Interviewee 7 mentioned the independence of actions in addition to the circumstances
of the school as a determinant factor:
If there are problems which we can solve inside the area of the school, we chose those ones, in
order not to implicate other services such as the municipality. If there were broken pavements
for example, (…) we could not fix it by ourselves, so our topic would not have any progress.
(...) We choose something that we can solve easily. We could buy a trash compactor, we did it
(…) we could do recycling of paper in the class; we could reduce the use of paper. It is
something that depends on us. (I.7)
31
In the case of that teacher, after they point out problems of the school, they try to see which of
those problems they could solve by themselves as a school community.
Interviewee 3 was the only interviewee that even if she mentioned dependence of the topic on
the circumstances of the school, the focus was on its spatial characteristic and not on an
existing problem:
Since our school belongs to a community in a woodland area, and the surrounding environment
is full of pine forests etc., we decided that it is something that could be optimized both by us in
the course and by students. They could come closer to the forest, explore it deeper and in a
greater extend. So the location of our school was determinant. (I.3)
The interviewee explained that they tried to utilize the surrounding environment of the school
for the purposes of the school, in order to achieve a connection between the students and the
forest next to their school.
In addition, another interesting finding was that while the teachers from the urban and semi-
urban school focused on the solution of a problem in the area of the school, the 3 teachers of
the rural schools added the broader area of the village in the targets for improvement. “The
topic was decided considering the needs of the school as well as the needs of the village.”
explained Interviewee 2.
The role of the students regarding the topic
Interviewees' descriptions regarding the procedure of choosing a topic, showed a variation in
students' participation in it. The majority of the teachers argued that the students contribute
with ideas on the content, after the topic has been decided by the teachers. More specifically,
those interviewees mentioned that all the teachers of the school discuss to end up in a topic
and then, another meeting is organized between the E.E.-E.S.D. teachers and the
Environmental Council of Students9. The teachers announce the topic and give guidelines to
students and the students make suggestions. Interviewee 1 explained:
There is a teacher as a responsible and there are a number of students that are chosen to
constitute the Environmental Council of the school, together they decide the annual topic. (...)
there is a discussion between the teachers, then the teachers decide and then there is another
meeting with those students and two-three teachers that are responsible for the course, so that
the students can participate in the procedure. (…) After that the topic is decided, they suggest
several ideas. (I.1)
9The Environmental Council of Students is a group of students with one or two representatives from each class of
the school. The council is created with the occasion of the course E.E.-E.S.D. Their aim is to represent their classmates during the meetings with the teachers of E.E.-E.S.D.. According to the interviewees of this research, the Environmental Council of Students runs several actions in the schools such as check of the correct use of the
32
According to the interviewee, after the specification of the topic by the teachers, students'
opinion is taken into account as they express their ideas via the Environmental Council of
students.
There was also one participant, Interviewee 7, who mentioned students' participation in the
decision of the topic as well, by pointing out problems in the school:
Every teacher goes with his students outside and makes a field research 10
in the area of the
school or around the school if it is possible. The students are asked to observe and write down
a list of problems that they notice. After we make an evaluation of the issues of each problem
(…). And at the end I go to the meeting with the teachers and say for example ‘my students
suggested this topic for these reasons’ and the other teacher says ‘my students suggested this
topic for those reasons’ (…) (I.7)
The case of this interviewee differs because as she claimed, the topic is basically suggested by
the students, even if the final decision is taken by the teachers. Also, in this case, it appeared
that at least at the stage of indication of problems, all the students participate directly and not
indirectly via the Environmental Council of students.
The method of field research by the students was mentioned by other participants as well, but
it was taking place after that the topic was decided. Interviewee 6 made a description:
We made observations outside, in the area of the school. Students worked in teams, we
separated the yard in four parts and as a team they went around in their square and wrote down
whatever was disturbing for them, related to our topic. (I.6)
This interviewee belonged to the cases, where the topic was decided clearly by teachers.
Afterwards, students could specify the topic in the aspects they thought as more important, via
the activity of the field research.
The action plan
Participants were asked to provide a copy of the action plan of their school. The action plans
had several features in common but there were some differences as well. Almost all action
plans included themes regarding a) the issues and problems in the school in relation to its
location, b) the issue/problem that will be emphasized the current year c) the reasons why that
specific issue was chosen, d) the general purpose of the topic, e) the goals for the students f)
the subtopics being involved in the chosen topic. In some of them, the theme “Goals for the
students” was described with the subthemes of knowledge, skills, attitudes, participation-
recycling bins of the school. 10
Field research is an activity where the students go outside the class, usually in the school yard, with a specific purpose: to observe, to collect material or information, etc.
33
action and awareness. Also, some of the action plans had references to expected results
regarding the school and the community. In all the cases, the action plan was mentioned as
point of reference for a teacher who deals with the course of E.E.-E.S.D. in each school. As
Interviewee 5 argued referring to her school:
(…) each teacher has a copy of the action plan for purposes of guidance. But other than this,
each one has the personal freedom to create his own activities, or change the order of the goals,
or choose the way and the methods in use in order to achieve those goals. The point is to cover
the goals (…). (...) other than this, the way in which a teacher will reach at that point differs,
the student of 1st grade differs from the student of sixth grade. (I.5)
Interviewee 5 explained that the action plan has a guiding role. It provides guidelines to each
teacher of the school while at the same time it allows diversification in methods and practices.
A similar situation was described by all the interviewees.
Despite these structural patterns, there were some significant differences that are worth to be
commented. To begin with, there were several action plans that consisted of some unique
themes in addition to the above. There were a couple of action plans that included concrete
activities to be done. Interviewee’s 8 action plan was a notable example as it included 54 brief
activities related to the topic “Abatement of waste”. An example of such an activity is the
following: “collection of used paper and other material or unused objects, in order to use them
in the construction of artistic sculptures, music instruments, theatrical sceneries, curtains,
etc.” (Photos 1 and 2). However, Interviewee 8 pointed out that he will not do all of those 54
activities. As he explained, those 54 activities have been included in their action plan in order
to be used by other teachers too:
From those 54, maybe you can substantiate ten of them; (...) you cannot do all of them. But
they are ideas, for someone who will get this action plan; he could do some of them. (...) All of
them are related to the topic, your choice depends on which of them both the teacher and the
students can substantiate. (…) We send this action plan to the Advisor of Environmental
Education11
, it is not compulsory to send it but we do. It will be multiplied and given to other
teachers too. If other teachers do the same, in one-two teachers will have in their hands ideas.
(I.8)
The teacher appeared to be aware that it is not possible to make all the 54 ideas happen in a
year. In his school, they use their action plan as a reference point for their actions but it is
something more, as he claimed. According to him, it is also a chance to share ideas and help
11
The Ministry of Education of Cyprus has placed an Advisor of Environmental Education in each province. The Advisor is responsible for the schools of his province. Her/his job is to offer support to the teachers in her/his province and supervise them regarding the teaching of the course E.E.-E.S.D. Her/his role is basically advisory.
34
other teachers who deal with the same topic.
Another case of partly unrealistic action plan came with Interviewee 4. A noticeable part of
her action plan, was underlying the need of changes such as the construction of a new school
even if in her interview she said that:
Students cannot change the actions of the Municipality. I mean, the Municipality will not listen
to students and make a new school, even if we are in a difficult situation. (…) They cannot
affect or change the factors of the Municipality (…) or of the Government to achieve what they
want. (I.4)
This teacher is convinced that the influence of students is limited when it comes to decisions
related to the Municipality or the Government, in their case to the construction of a new
school. However, the action plan points out problems that occur from the current situation of
the building by referring to them in several of its themes.
I also considered as interesting the significant brevity of some action plans. The action plan of
Interviewee 6 for example was only one page long, while the rest were six to seven pages and
one was three pages. Its content consisted of two themes, the general purpose of the topic and
few general goals. Also, this interviewee mentioned a delay in the creation of the action plan:
Our discussion about the topic started in the beginning of November. (…) there was a delay
because we have to do and plan too many things at the beginning of the year. (…) at the same
time there are also the difficulties of the inception of the new school year, (…) after two weeks
we had a change in the stuff. All this disruption in the school in combination with other things
that came up, didn’t give us the time to take care of Environmental Education. (I.6)
As the teacher claimed, there were several technical problems which discouraged the teachers
in her school to focus on the course of E.E.-E.S.D. and organize it properly.
Interviewee 3 was the only one who did not present an action plan because, as she explained,
in her school they did not make one. It should be remembered that this teacher was
interviewed about her teaching experience from the course during the previous school year.
However through her interview, there are clear references in most of the themes included in
the action plans.
In conclusion, firstly, all the teachers teaching the course this year had an action plan to
present even if there were several differentiations between them, not only in content but in
structure and in use of it as well. Also all of them took into account the special characteristics
and problems of their school in order to end up with a topic. The decision on the topic
however was mainly taken by the teachers in most of the cases.
35
Theme 3: Implementation of a cross-curriculum approach
Connecting E.E.-E.S.D. with other courses was one of the topics brought up by the
interviewees, either as a reality or as a desire. Data showed that this can be determined by
several reasons. Some teachers mentioned the barriers they have, while some others spoke
about auspicious factors in their school which promote a cross-curriculum approach.
Barriers in implementation
A number of participants claimed that even if they would like to follow a cross-curriculum
approach, they face several barriers that stop them. For Interviewee 1, cross-curriculum
approach is an actual need in the case of E.E.-E.S.D.. Despite that belief, his working
conditions do not allow him to contribute to a cross-curriculum approach:
It is important in the course of E.E.-E.S.D., since its only 40 minutes and since it can be taught
with a cross-curriculum approach, we must work cooperatively. But how possible that is
depends from the E.E.-E.S.D. teacher and the principal teachers. In my case, since I am going
to the school for just one day, we do not. (...) The existence of cooperation is a matter of
circumstances. (I.1)
Interviewee 1 supported that the nature of the course, as well as its limited time in the
schedule, demand a cross-curriculum approach of it, which requires cooperation. However, as
an E.E.-E.S.D. teacher that goes to the school once per week, he does not have the time to
cooperate and therefore to support a cross-curriculum approach for the course.
Interviewee 5 pointed out the barrier of mentality. She claimed that in her school, there is a
preference in keeping the courses separated:
For example, when it was asked from each class to create an ecological code 12
(…) there was a
colleague that told me ‘you are going to do it in E.E.-E.S.D., aren’t you?’ (…) Our topic as a
school was Litter management – recycling, so those who teach E.E.-E.S.D., we undertake it.
The philosophy was like that. (…) To work towards a cross-curriculum approach there must be
cooperation and will for collaboration. (I.5)
According to the teacher, the philosophy of her colleagues does not promote a cross-
curriculum approach due to the belief that everything connected with E.E.-E.S.D., should be
done during the hour of that course, by the teacher responsible for it. As a result, the teacher
argued that the only way to achieve a cross-curriculum approach in her case would be if she
was the principal teacher.
12
The ecological code is a list of advices related to behaviour and attitudes towards the environment, basically the environment of the school. The list is created by the students and teachers and it addresses to all of them.
36
The same hypothesis was mentioned by Interviewee 7 as well. She claimed that if she was the
principal teacher she could make connections between her courses as the one described in the
example bellow:
Now we are making a small research regarding how many students bring a lunch box and a
bottle. But if I was the principal teacher, I could do something in mathematics, create a graph
about it, every day do something fast, I could dedicate just five minutes every day (…). Now in
40, not even 40, in 35 minutes I have to finish what I have planned. But it never finishes. (I.7)
The interviewee explained that as a principal teacher, she would have the freedom to
“borrow” some time from the other courses under her responsibility, in order to accomplish
her goals for E.E.-E.S.D.. The time that she has as an E.E.-E.S.D. teacher is never enough.
She also explained the reason that she does not collaborate with other teachers in order to
achieve a cross-curriculum approach. In her opinion, collaboration for the purposes of E.E.-
E.S.D. does not seem to be something feasible:
It is difficult because the colleague has another program in his mind. And it is difficult because
the colleague was not present while me and students were discussing and ended up in some
things. So how could I burden him to do something that he did not hear? (I.7)
Interviewee 7 would not ask a colleague to do a part of her work in another course. As she
explained, each teacher has her/his own plans to accomplish and also if a teacher is not
present during the planning of an idea, she/he would not be able or keen to help with it.
Interviewee 2 cannot follow a cross-curriculum approach either but her reason has to do with
the special character of her school. As teachers of multi-grade classes and speaking in terms
of time, covering the syllabi of courses for two or three grades at the same time, does not give
them the option of following a cross-curriculum approach, as she claimed:
Something that normally should happen, but we don’t have the time to do it, theoretically, the
course of E.E.-E.S.D. was constructed in addition to all the other courses.(...) We, since we do
not have the same time as other schools, due to multi-grade classes, we hardly manage to do
the compulsory syllabus. So whatever we do, it is done during the hour of the course. (I.2)
This interviewee explained that even if E.E.-E.S.D. is organized in a way to coexist with the
other courses, her working conditions do not allow her to entangle the goals of E.E.-E.S.D.
with other courses.
Cross-curriculum approach in practice
As was mentioned before, there were a number of participants in the sample, both principal
and E.E.-E.S.D. teachers, who claimed that they have managed to follow a cross-curriculum
approach.
37
Interviewee 3, as a principal teacher, described the connection of E.E.-E.S.D. with two kinds
of courses, those that she teaches in her class and those that are taught by others in her class.
Regarding the first kind of courses, she mentioned the example of mathematics and argued
that she was able to adapt it in the needs of the annual environmental topic, the forest:
You can do the simplest thing, you can use vocabulary related to the forest in mathematical
problems or exercises. So if a problem had to do with Euros for example you can replace
Euros with pinecones (…) or you can show a picture of the forest and then the students can
create problems based on the picture. (…) I was using this kind of techniques. (I.3)
The teacher explained that she chose to combine the content of mathematics with the context
of the forest, which was the topic of the course E.E.-E.S.D. by using relative vocabulary or
pictures for the exercises. Similar practices were mentioned by all the interviewees that have
the role of a principal teacher. Regarding the courses that are taught by other teachers in her
class, the interviewee referred to a situation when she used the course “Design and
Technology” for the purposes of E.E.-E.S.D.. After a visit in the forest sited behind the
school, it was decided to create signposts with environmental messages which would be later
placed in the forest. For that purpose, Interviewee 3 asked the help of the teacher responsible
for the course of Technology and the signposts were created at its time. As she explained:
I had to communicate with the teacher of technology and organize ourselves in order to have
enough time to make all the preparations needed (…) we were finding common spare hours, or
if I had a free hour when my colleague was teaching in my class, I would visit him for example
to see how they work or he would come to my class to see if we have any problem and if he
could help with any way. (I.3)
The teacher said that they started organizing their action in advance, in order to have enough
time and also they were both visiting each other’s classrooms whenever that was possible, in
order to stay informed.
Another teacher, Interviewee 8, also described the way of working in his school, in terms of
cross-curriculum approach. In his case, as the E.E.-E.S.D. teacher, he gives advices and
guidelines to the principal teachers:
The teacher of the class, come to me and tells me ‘I have this text in the course of Greek. How
can I optimize it in order to cover some aspects of Environmental Education too?’ We discuss
together some things, he underlines them during his teaching and this is how the lesson is done.
Usually, the teachers come and ask me, it’s not me the one to go and tell them do this because I
cannot force them. (I.8)
Interviewee 8 said that he has a good collaboration with the other teachers, as most of them
try to connect their courses with the annual topic. However, he pointed out that he has the role
of an advisor, without pressing the teachers to do more than they want.
38
Finally, Interviewee 4 mentioned a different way of trying to connect E.E.-E.S.D. with other
courses which are not under her responsibility. In her school they try to make an annual
planning from the beginning of the year:
There is collaboration between teachers. Teachers that do for example the course of geography
or the course of history, they inform us which parts of their syllabus could be connected with
E.E.-E.S.D.. (I.4)
According to that teacher, all the teachers in her school discuss together in a meeting at the
beginning of the year. During this meeting, each teacher is supposed to announce which
aspects of the annual topic he could cover via the syllabus of the course or the courses of
her/his responsibility. However she also pointed out a weak aspect of this kind of organization
towards a cross-curriculum approach. She claimed that in case of a teacher that deals with a
course for the first year or in case of a new curriculum, as it happens lately in Cyprus, it is
possible that the teacher will not be prepared to present the annual actions required:
If a teacher undertakes a course for the first time, he cannot know, especially now that there are
changes being made, changes in the curriculums, he cannot know what he will do. He has to
read the whole curriculum from the start and teachers usually don’t have the time or maybe
they do not have the books from the start of the school year. (…) therefore we might exclude
some chapters that normally would have been included or try to catch them up later. (I.4)
Interviewee 4 argued that in cases where a teacher is not fully familiar from the beginning
with the syllabus of the course or the courses that she/he teaches, the agreement over a
concrete cross-curriculum approach can be difficult and deficient.
Auspicious factors of Implementation
The interviewees above gave their personal perspective regarding the auspicious factors that
fostered a cross-curriculum approach of the annual topic.
Interviewee’s 3 explanation had two dimensions, a practical and a mental one. Regarding the
practical part, the interviewee claimed that the small numbers, both of students and teachers,
made a cross-curriculum organization possible:
Since it is a small school and there aren’t many teachers, I mean there are seven teachers now
or eight, it is not difficult. If it was a big school with many teachers then maybe there would be
a problem in coordination and programming. (...) also we speak about small numbers in
classes, about 10-12 students so it is easier to coordinate them. (I.3)
According to the interviewee, it was easy to communicate and cooperate with her colleagues
because there were few comparing with bigger schools. Furthermore, the small number of
students per class was enabling the organization and management. Regarding now the mental
factors, the interviewee focused on two, the factor of personality and the factor of voluntary
39
contribution to a cross-curriculum approach:
It is a matter of persons sometimes. (…) But there should be a good will. If someone wants to
take responsibility for something he will accomplish it, if he does not want and he is pressed to
do it then it is difficult. In our case the planning was commonly decided. (I.3)
The interviewee believed that the personality of the teachers and their willing to devote part
of their free time for the work, as well as the fact that all the actions were decided after a
common agreement, promoted the cross-curriculum approach.
Interviewee 8 had a similar opinion as he claimed that the auspicious factor in his school was
the relationship between teachers:
In this school, friendship has a very important role. I have been working here for seven years
now and we have developed very strong relationships between us. So during a break or while
we are drinking our coffee, someone might bring up an idea and we discuss it, that is how we
work. (I.8)
Interviewee 8 justified the ability to follow a cross-curriculum approach with the friendship
that connects him with the other teachers after working together for a long time.
In conclusion, there were some teachers in the sample, E.E.-E.S.D. teachers that do not
manage to apply a cross-curriculum approach even if they want to. At the same time, there
were teachers, both E.E.-E.S.D. and principal teachers that manage to follow a cross
curriculum approach to some extent. That difference seems to exist due to the human factor
and the interpersonal relationships.
Theme 4: Persistence of students’ interest for the course
During the interviews, all the participants referred to practices they use in the teaching of the
course E.E.-E.S.D.. There was a variety of practices mentioned but here I chose to present the
following three: active participation of students, invitations of visitors in the school and
outdoor activities. All of the participants mentioned those three practices with the additional
assertion that they are effective13
.
13
For the purposes of this research, the word “effective” is used to refer to practices that manage to attract the students and militate their enthusiasm.
40
Active participation of students
To begin with, all the interviewees of this study argued that students show interest for
activities which require their active participation. As Interviewee 1 explained:
Something that works, always, not only with my current students, is the use of activities that
require an active involvement of the students. For example when they will be involved in a
procedure where they will recycle, or separate the material that can be recycled. (...) Whatever
activity demands their active participation attracts their attention and they show interest. (I.1)
The interviewee said that he noticed a higher interest from students when they participate in
activities that require their active contribution.
Interviewee 4 described an action that took place in her school and was basically run by the
students to point out their positive attitude:
This year we have a vegetable garden at school. Students were the basic responsible for it.
They planted the seeds, they decided the spatial position of each seed in the garden, they took
care of them, they took out the previous plants and rocks, later they cut the vegetables, and
they sold the vegetables. They were deeply involved in it. They are very positive in doing
things, in being involved. (I.4)
In the school of this interviewee they utilize an area of the school parking to make a garden
(Photo 3). The garden was under the responsibility of students. They actively participated in
every activity related to the garden with a positive attitude, as the teacher said.
In addition, Interviewee 6, argued that active involvement while working in teams can arise
great enthusiasm from the students:
They show more interest when they are activated, mostly in teams, to do something. So you
should always try to have activities where they are actively involved. (…) They prefer much
more to be active, to do things. In the research that they made in teams outside in the yard they
showed very much enthusiasm and they found many things. (I.6)
With a reference in a field research that the students substantiated in the school yard, the
teacher summarized a general impression. She characterized students as very enthusiastic
during that activity and that was because they were doing an active team work, as she said.
Inviting visitors at the school
Another interesting assertion by all the interviewees was the excitement and motivation of
students when they have visitors at the school for the purposes of the course. Interviewee 2
claimed that her students like to present their work in front of their parents or other people not
connected with the school:
Everything related to the involvement of parents or others outside the school, even as a
thought, they like it very much. The fact that they will present something to their parents now
41
with the debate, excites them a lot, both because of this competition of who will be the winner
and because they will present it to the parents. Mostly because someone else will be involved
and will see their work, I believe. (I.2)
According to the teacher, students are very positive to present activities such as a debate in
this case, to visitors at the schools. More specifically, they like to have their parents as
audience in their presentations.
Interviewee 8 added that the involvement of other people in the activities helps the students to
realize the importance of the problem they are dealing with for the purposes of the course:
Basically, we try to involve as many parents or other unions as possible. Not only because they
help us practically but because it is a kind of tactic as well. In that way, children can
understand the size and the importance of the problem we are dealing with via our topic. Also
parents can come closer to the school and see the way we work. (I.8)
As the teacher explained, when students see their parents or other people being involved in
their school projects regarding the course, they realize the importance of their topic.
Another participant, Interviewee 7 supported that sometimes it is good for the students to
listen to someone else than their teacher talking to them:
(…) it is good not to be the teacher sometimes, to be someone else, for example someone that
they know from the TV, so that he will give them a good example. Like an athlete for example
that goes to a school and speaks about fair play in sports. It is a motivation for the students, it
is good to see someone else than the teacher as well. (I.7)
This interviewee referred to people who are known to the students and to the public. She
claimed that these people can motivate students and affect their attitudes because of their
reputation.
Outdoor activities
Finally, data showed that teachers attach importance in outdoor activities as a practice for the
course of E.E.-E.S.D.. All of them brought up examples of activities outside the classroom
and outside the school to underline their importance. Interviewee 8 referred to a case in which
he uses the school yard in his teaching:
In the course of E.E.-E.S.D., sometimes the students go out in the school yard and make
observations; they check the rubbish bins for example. After the observation we have to
discuss and write some things. It is nice to go and do it under the trees. We have the advantage
to have a big and woody yard. You feel closer to the nature. (...) we all work better when we
are in the nature than inside the four walls of a classroom. (…) If I judge from myself, because
of the environment I feel happier so this has an impact on students as well. (I.8)
The teacher said that when an activity requires being outside in the yard, then, after the
42
activity he chooses to continue the lesson under the trees. As he mentioned in another part of
the interview, the picnic tables they have there (Photo 4), are enough for a whole class. The
interviewee claimed that the outdoor environment help both him and the students to work
better.
Regarding the activities outside the school, Interviewee 3 argued that students need them in
order to get some new experiences:
Students should have a lot of experiences outside the classroom. They must go out. There are
several Environmental Centres for example with very nice programs organized by the Ministry
of Education, in several locations. Students should make visits, see, obtain experiences, and go
outside the classroom. Learning things just in theory or with the use of computer in a virtual
way is not enough. Students should get in touch with the environment I believe. (I.3)
The participant considers experiences outside the school as a matter of high importance.
Environmental Centres are a good example of places that can offer such experiences,
according to her.
However, the majority of the participants mentioned the economical factor as a barrier of
frequent implementation of activities outside the school. Interviewee 5 explained that even if
students are excited with such visits and activities, it is not possible to do them so often:
The students participated in one of the Ministry's programs about recycling. (…) They went to
the Environmental Centre and they came back very excited with things that they had
constructed themselves with recycling material. (…) we cannot make more than a number of
visits due to the economical factor. A buss needs money to transfer us there, and it is difficult.
Many things have been limited because of the money. (I.5)
In a period of economic crisis, schools have to reduce the activities outside the school due to
the economic cost, as the teacher said. However, whenever students have the chance to
participate in such activities they like it a lot.
In conclusion, according to the interviewees, students are very enthusiastic to whatever
activity requires their active participation. Also they are happy to see their parents of other
people participating in the course, both energetically with a speech and passively as an
audience. Finally, outdoor activities seem to attract students’ attention and keep them excited.
43
CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION
Summary
This chapter consists of a discussion related to the findings which answer the research
questions of the current research. The main ideas that emerged from the data analysis and the
results are presented. In addition, those ideas are accompanied by my own opinion with a
subjective argumentation based on my personal postures. Finally, quotes from relevant
literature that supports or opposes those ideas consummate the discussion and the chapter.
The analysis of the data brought up several ideas of the participants that give answers to the
research questions and are worth to be discussed. More specifically, the answer to my research
question “How do teachers teach the course of E.E.-E.S.D. in Cypriot public primary
schools?” comes from the discussion about a) the different uses of the action plan, b) the
common acceptance of alternative 14
learning as an effective method and c) the role of the
students in crucial decisions regarding the course. Regarding my research question “Which is
the teachers’ opinion regarding the organizational issues of the course E.E.-E.S.D.?” the
answer comes from the discussion about d) the need for additional support to the teachers.
Finally, there is an issue that I believe constitutes an answer to both of the research questions
and that is e) the importance of interpersonal relationships on the perceptions of procedures.
Those ideas are being discussed below.
Answers to the other two research questions which occurred because of the findings and those
are “How can the teachers’ opinions be connected to the course aims and the implementation
of the course?” and “What improvements can be made in the implementation of the course?”
can be found in all of the parts of the discussion.
14
For the purposes of this research I use the term “alternative” to describe every teaching practice that differs from teacher-center approaches where the teaching is based on closed questions from teachers to students.
44
The action plan and its multi-dimensional use
The composition of an action plan is suggested to every school, but it is not officially
compulsory at the moment, since there is not any official inception. However, almost all the
participants of this research had an action plan to present. The only one who did not have an
action plan to represent the topic of her school was the participant that taught the course the
previous school year. As she mentioned, in her school they did not have an action plan since
they were not familiar yet with the idea of it, even though they had in mind many of the
aspects of its contents and they applied them in practice. I believe that this is an optimistic
finding, since it can be perceived as progress regarding the organization of the course within
schools. Action plans were mentioned as a useful map which is supposed to guide the teachers
of each school and navigate them to contribution for the achievement of its goals.
Regarding the essence of the action plans, there was an obvious variation from school to
school. Of course, variation in terms of content, was predictable and an accepted fact if we
consider that the topic of each school, and therefore, its planning, depends on the actual
special circumstances. The interesting differentiation for me in the action plans was the
differentiation in terms of constitution. Some action plans were more detailed while others
were briefer and also some of them had extra parts such as suggested activities. Even if I do
not consider this as a proof of effective or ineffective implementation of their content, I
believe that it would help if the general guidelines were stricter. For example, if all the
schools followed the example of the school of the Interviewee 8, whose action plan included a
list of suggested activities, it could be a good way for the teachers to exchange their ideas.
Interviewee 8 made a list of activities which they definitely could not do within a school year.
However, he included those ideas in the action plan with the thought to send it to the Advisor
of Environmental Education, a choice that every teacher has. Then, from the responsible, it
could be spread to other teachers with similar topic. So, the action plan can be used as a file of
assemblage of ideas for common use. Sobel (2006) argues that when a suggested idea comes
from another teacher the teacher who receives the idea is more motivated to try it.
Finally, I would like to comment the use of the action plan as a mean of transmission of
technical problems to the superior agencies. My deliberation of action plans exposed this
phenomenon in at least two cases. In my understanding, the teachers of those schools, took
advantage of the option to send the action plan to the Advisor of Environmental Education in
45
order to express the structural problems they face at their school, with the hope to achieve a
change for their school. For me, this is an acceptable way of using the action plan as I
consider it as another form of action towards the improvement of the school. Also, it is good
that teachers take the course so seriously. Day, et al. (2007) clearly claim that without
teachers’ commitment the educational reforms cannot be successful. However, I would like to
see the inclusion of students in this effort as well. At the moment, most of the participants
seemed to believe that students are not capable for such big changes, and this is something
that should and could be changed. As Hattie (2012, p.25) said, “(...) teachers’ beliefs and
commitments are the greatest influence on student achievement over which we can have some
control (…)”.
The success of alternative learning
Participants appeared to be very satisfied with the results of implementation of alternative
teaching practices. As they argued, activities that require active participation from the students
have a great effect as they manage to attract students' interest and keep it until the end. I
believe that this is the exact need of students; activities that keep them active. This is a way to
help them learn better. As Beard and Wilson (2006) claim, the more the students are involved
in an activity, the more they learn and that knowledge maintains in their mind and attitude for
a long time. Also, if they are active from a young age, especially in issues like those that
E.E.-E.S.D. deals with, then it is more possible that they will remain active as grownups as
well and they will keep contributing to the improvement of their community, as well as of
their country and why not, of the world. We should not forget that one of the goals of the
course E.E.-E.S.D. is to create active and responsible citizens (MOEC, 2010).
Having specialists to make practical presentations or to give speeches as well as inviting the
parents to attend their kids’ work was also mentioned as an effective method by the
participants. More specifically, it was claimed that students become very motivated when
visitors come to their school and according to Killen (2003), children learn more when they
have a motivation. The involvement of other people in the school's projects is a good way to
start connecting the school with the community and also the family. The interaction between
school, community and environment is very important as students should get to know their
close environment first and work on solving problems in it in order to be able to offer later to
46
a wider extent (Sobel, 2005). The benefits from such actions are worth trying. Not only
students become more motivated and realize the importance of the topic they are dealing with
as an actual issue, but also the teachers can find the visitors to be an extra help. Both
specialists and parents are able to offer great support. Specialists in issues related to the topic
will always know more than a teacher who has to search a lot in order to reach the minimum
level of knowledge on a topic, so it is also a way for the teachers to save time. Richmond, et
al. (2008) point out that the teachers should be able to present things in an interesting way for
the students and I believe that using a specialist can be a good decision by the teacher. Of
course, if it is possible to find specialists related to the topic among the parents, then I think it
is a great chance to make students feel both motivated and proud. But even parents whose
work or interests are not related to the topic can contribute in practical issues such as
escorting the students at visits outside the school as assistants. Those visits, as well as other
outdoor activities were the final practice mentioned as thrilling for the students. As
participants claimed, students are excited to participate in activities taking place outside the
classroom or even outside the school. According to Bourne (2000, p.5), “going outdoors is
immediate and real (…)” while indoor teaching can become passive and isolated from
children’s reality as Orr (2004) adds.
In addition to that enthusiasm, outdoor activities can offer experiences to the students that the
limitations of a school classroom cannot. Hammerman, Hammerman and Hammerman (2000)
argue that nothing can be compared to the learning opportunities that real areas can offer.
Interviewee 3 believes that students need this kind of experiences, as sometimes just theory is
not enough to learn, understand and adopt attitudes. Sometimes students need to see,
experience and interact to learn and that requires the transmission of learning outside the
classroom. As Dahlgren and Szczepanski (2005) point out, knowing about something and
knowing something differs a lot.
However, we should keep in mind the opinion of Killen (2003) who argues there is not a
practice that will work always and with everyone, at least not in the same way and in the same
degree. As Hattie (2012) claims, every student carries his own motivations and way of
learning.
47
The importance of students’ opinion in decisions
I would like now to refer to the role of the students in the decision making regarding the
course of E.E.-E.S.D.. There were few teachers who argued that students should participate in
the decision of the annual topic of the school, but the participants that actually mentioned
partial participation of the students were even fewer. Even if the topic is decided after
investigating the problems and the circumstances of each school, in most cases, teachers are
the only participants in this conversation and later in the decision. Personally, I believe that
students should be given more space to participate actively and cooperate with the teachers in
order to end up with an annual topic for the school. The teaching should emphasize on
preparing students to solve the problems of today, not of tomorrow, not by being just
observers but by becoming active members of the society (Sobel, 2005). Students experience
the school community and the broader community of their village, town or city in a totally
different way in comparison with the teachers. Their actions, their experiences and their
interaction with those places as children can bring up other problems than those that the
teachers notice, perhaps of greater importance, or even the same problems but from another
point of view. Furthermore, since students are the main target of every organized action in the
school regarding the course of the course of E.E.-E.S.D., I believe that they deserve to have
the option to choose the topic that concerns them the most or at least participate in the choice
of it. Muijs and Reynolds (2001) underline the importance of giving students the opportunity
to make choices and contribute to decisions. As they explain, this can increase their self-
esteem while they will understand that they have power to change things (Muijs and
Reynolds, 2001). From the interviews I got the impression that this is something practically
possible.
When it comes to decision of actions regarding the topic, students seem to be able to make
suggestions via the Environmental Council of students, as many of the participants
mentioned. Even if the criteria and the procedure of accepting or ignoring a suggestion of the
children were not specified, I perceive this as a step towards students' inclusion in the
decision making. Decision making is considered to be one of the vital skills need for the 21st
century, and therefore, the sooner the students start to cultivate it, the better they will become.
Furthermore, when students realize that their opinion actually counts and that their
suggestions are taken seriously, then they are motivated and realize the things they can
achieve as active citizens. Active members of community and responsible citizens, is one of
48
the values needed for Orr (2004), in order to stop the ecological emergency situation we are
in.
The desirable support to the teachers
Informative support to the teachers who deal with the course of E.E.-E.S.D. seems to be an
issue with several aspects. Starting with the seminars being organized, the general impression
I got during the interviews is that under specific circumstances, they can be very helpful and
enlightening. The interviewees, who have participated in seminars before they undertake the
teaching of the course and who still participate occasionally and additionally they teach in an
average city school, seem to be very satisfied from the content and the nature of the seminars.
However, not all teachers experience the same circumstances. Even if the sample of this
research was small, it happened to have a teacher who works in a multi-grade school and
teachers that have never participated in a seminar even though they are expected to teach a
course totally new for them. Organizational frailty was the main reason mentioned by the
participants, and even if in reality this is not the only reason to be blamed, it exists.
Participants argued that the criterion of participation in those seminars serves the maintenance
of the school schedule and not necessarily the need for training of particular teachers in the
school. Also, the teacher of the multi-grade school claimed that many things she learned in the
seminars are interesting but not applicable in her case.
For me, this is crucial problem that needs to be solved. Teachers who are expected to teach
the course must be taught how to do it first. The training of the teachers is an issue of great
importance. It is a matter of common sense that we cannot expect a teacher to teach a course
in a specific way without teaching her/him how to do so. Sandell, Öhman and Östman (2003)
underline that the teaching of issues related to environment or sustainability is not a simple
thing. That is because it highly requires combination of actual knowledge regarding the
issues, of knowledge regarding various ways of teaching and learning and of practical
knowledge coming from previous experiences (Sandell, Öhman and Östman, 2003). Seminars
can offer the self-confidence and motivation to teachers to implement the course in the best
possible way. As the participants mentioned, it is a course with a great variation of
possibilities and opportunities for the students, who are the basic receivers of each teacher’s
actions.
49
Regarding the need for a more detailed guidebook, an idea mentioned by many participants, I
believe that something like that would destroy the nature of the course and make its
possibilities narrow. Some teachers mentioned that the current situation requires great effort
from them at home, meaning that they need to organize their lesson without any helpful
guidance. On the one hand, I can imagine the amount of working hours that are required from
a teacher due to the scheduling that has to be done. But on the other hand, I do not believe that
the solution is a concrete guidebook. As Interviewee 5 claimed, the philosophy of the course
itself which argues that all the planning depends on the special circumstances of each school
does not allow the existence of something more concrete than the already existent guidebook.
In my opinion, effective cooperation, concrete informative seminars adapted to the needs of
every kind of school and a platform of available material could cover the needs of the
teachers, even of those that deal with the course for first time.
The effect of interpersonal relationships on the perceptions of procedures
I would like to close this discussion with a multidimensional result. While analysing the data,
I got the impression that interpersonal relationships between the school staff are a crucial
issue that can affect the implementation of E.E.-E.S.D. to a great extent. A representative
example of this statement is the application of a cross curriculum approach for the needs of
the course. Teachers, who mentioned examples of collaboration with their colleagues in order
to apply a cross-curriculum approach, claimed that the main auspicious factor was the good
relationships with their colleagues.
Personally, I can see a connection between interpersonal relationships, the ability of applying
a cross-curriculum approach and the opinion regarding who should teach the course.
Interviewee 8, as an E.E.-E.S.D. teacher, mentioned that he does not miss being a principal
teacher, as from his position he can still easily apply a cross-curriculum approach because of
the friendship that exist between the teachers in his school. In my opinion, the fact that all the
E.E.-E.S.D. teachers that do not manage to apply a cross-curriculum approach, due to lack of
time, see as only solution the change of their status from E.E.-E.S.D. teachers to principal
teachers is quite problematic. The option of collaboration with their colleagues does not seem
to be in their options as a solution.
50
I understand and recognize the advantages of being a principal teacher regarding the
implementation of the course and the application of a cross-curriculum approach. Participants
who were principal teachers claimed so as well. However, Interviewee 8 is a proof that with
some positive energy, as he said, cross-curriculum approach can be achieved. As Burton and
Dimbleby (2006) explain, when a group of people constitutes an effective team then
everything is easier, since the quality and quantity of achievement increases, while members
of the team are more creative and effective. Furthermore, even as principal teacher,
collaboration with teachers that teach other courses in the class is still required.
The need for extra time for the course within the school timetable is undeniable since it was
highlighted by all of the participants independently of their working status, the size of their
school, and the ability of applying a cross-curriculum approach or not. However this is a
factor that depends on the decisions of higher commissions. So until they decide to change it -
if they decide to do so- I believe that the teachers should adapt to the current situation and use
their own powers in order to get the best result from this course. Collaboration with other
teachers and application of a cross-curriculum approach is a way to practically extend the
time dedicated to the course, even if the official time in the schedule remains 40 or 80
minutes per week. We should not forget that Cross-Curriculum approach is one of the two
basic methods presented by the Ministry of Education and Culture for the implementation of
E.E.-E.S.D. (MOEC, 2010). Teachers need to realize that collaboration can save their time
and increase the learning outcomes for their students who are supposed to be a vital central
educational goal. Pashales (2005) explains that a cross-curriculum approach helps children to
develop skills in collection and elaboration of data, communication, and cooperation, while
their critical thinking, fantasy and creativity are increased.
51
CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION
Summary
In this final chapter, the results of the research are summed up. Then, several suggestions
follow, regarding ways of utilizing the results of this research. Also, the limitations of the
research that I consider vital are mentioned as a personal reflection and evaluation of my
work. The chapter and the research draw to a close with a reference to an array of ideas for
further research, in relation with the course of E.E.-E.S.D. and the Cypriot Educational
System.
Summary of the results
The analysis of the data gave answers to the four research questions of the current research
and exposed interesting information regarding the implementation of the course E.E.-E.S.D..
To begin with, the participants referred to some procedural issues and expressed their opinion
about them. More specifically, they underlined the limitation of the time dedicated to the
course, the need for extra support for the teachers who teach the course with a more detailed
book and more organized seminars and the importance of delegating the course to the
principal teacher, or to a teacher with environmental interests. Regarding their own
experiences, the interviewees brought up policies of their school related to the annual topic
for the course E.E.-E.S.D.. According to their sayings, the choice of topic comes as a result of
the special circumstances of each school and is basically decided by the teachers. In cases
where students are asked for their opinion, it is mainly about the goals, after that the topic has
been decided, but this was not mentioned as a common policy. Also, the participants
presented an action plan which summarized important information regarding the purposes and
the goals of the topic. The action plan is basically composed for the needs of the school but in
some cases it serves other purposes as well, such as the diffusion of ideas to teachers and the
report of problems to higher authorities. In addition to their school policies, the participants
discussed several practices that they use as teachers. The implication of a cross-curriculum
teaching was positively mentioned by all the participants as a need. However not all of them
are able to implement it in the school in which they work due to practical and personal
reasons. Finally, the interviewees pointed out the effectiveness that active learning,
52
entanglement of parents and specialists related to the topics and participation in outdoor
activities has on the students. According to the data and between other mentioned practices,
those three manage to motivate the students and increase their interest for the course of E.E.-
E.S.D.
Suggestions for using the results
Generalization of results is not a common function of case studies as Cohen et al. (2011)
explains, however it can partly exist. But my intention was not to generalize. My purpose was
to investigate practices and opinions regarding the implementation of the E.E.-E.S.D by eight
teachers from rural, urban, semi-urban schools, and that goal is achieved. I believe that the
results that came out from this research could be used in several domains as suggestions or
reasons for further investigations, even if they cannot be considered as general truths.
Suggestions for the Ministry of Education and Culture
The Cypriot educational system has been making great improvements the last years and the
inclusion of E.E.-E.S.D as an official course of the curriculum is a representative example.
However, this effort should not be finished here. The people in charge for the course at the
Ministry of Education and Culture should take advantage of the results of this research and
consider making some changes of improvement. My personal suggestion is to examine the
possibility of increasing the time of the school schedule dedicated to the course, at least for
the higher grades where the course is only for 40 minutes per week. In addition, they should
find ways to promote the cross-curriculum approach of the course in every school in order to
increase the quality and the quantity of the final achievements regarding the course.
Informative seminars are a good way to train the teachers in cooperative teaching and in
teaching of the course in general, but as the participants claimed, a better organization is
needed. It is important to offer seminars at least to all the teachers that are expected to teach
the course and also seminars that cover the needs of both small and big schools. Finally, they
could support teachers who are willing to offer to students outdoor experiences by sponsoring
their transportation to the degree that this is possible. It is true that economic crisis is a reality
nowadays but it is important to keep in mind that everything is a matter of education and
therefore, it is important to invest in it.
53
Suggestions for the Principals of the schools
Principals are the main responsible for the decisions taken in every school. Due to that, and
while having in mind the problematic -in some cases- way of entrusting the teaching of the
course to teachers, described by the participants, I would suggest to the principals to start
using their power to benefit the course. Εach principal should make sure that in her/his
school, the course of E.E.-E.S.D. is undertaken by teachers that want or can teach it. Also, as
a leader, she/he should also help with the promotion of a cross-curriculum approach by
facilitating the development and retention of a friendly and cooperative environment between
her/his colleagues.
Suggestions for the Teachers
Finally, teachers need to realise the power they have and in combination with the possibilities
that the course offers to make their personal effort for the improvement of the quality of the
course. The need for practical changes by the government is obvious but this should not be
used as panacea of all the problems. The participants of this research appeared to be aware of
some effective practices, such as active learning. I suggest teachers who are struggling with
the course to try and apply those practices in their schools, of course after customizing them
to their students’ abilities and needs. Additionally, they should try to involve mainly parents
and then every other person that could be useful and interesting for the students. Finally,
teachers who find difficulties in applying a cross-curriculum approach could follow the
example of the participants of this research. In any case, data showed that cooperation
between teachers seem to be basically a personal thing and therefore, individual effort and
will are required in order to offer the students the best possible experiences.
Limitations of the research
During the research procedure, as well as at the end of it, I tried to be critical and realize the
practical and theoretical limitations of my work, an integral characteristic of every research.
To begin with, this research was materialized with a sample of only eight teachers. Also, due
to practical difficulties, the sample had luck of balance in issues such as the number of
principals and E.E.-E.S.D. teachers and the number of teachers of each grade. Therefore, the
results cannot be fully generalized or used to describe the situation in every school of Cyprus.
54
Furthermore, the main tool of data collection was the interview with the support of the action
plans, informal conversations and photos. Even if it was a good way to get teachers’ opinions
and practices regarding the topic, due to the limitation of time it was not possible to make
observations that would support and explain the findings better. All the results are based on
teachers’ claims. Finally I chose to interview teachers from different schools in order to get
my cases. As a result, I could only have one representative of each situation, which means that
subjectivity could not be avoided. It is important that every reader takes into account those
limitations before deciding to use the results of the research.
Suggestions for further research
Studies related to the new ideas that are being implemented can offer an extra evaluation of
those efforts and evaluation can lead to further improvements. Therefore, and while having in
mind the limitations of my own research, I would like to make some suggestions for further
research related to the course of E.E.-E.S.D.. To begin with, I believe that it would be useful
to find out the results of a similar but a more extended research. A greater number of teachers
will offer a more representative view of the current reality that the teachers of E.E.-E.S.D.
face and deal with in the Cypriot primary schools. Furthermore, a study with different kinds
of data such as combination of interviews and long-term observations will allow a better
insight to practices that are effective among the students as well as to their specific
characteristics. Finally, research focused on students is required since they are the most
suitable to say what they like and want and what they do not. After all, the pupils are the target
of every educational change and as they are the future, their opinion should be considered of
great importance.
55
REFERENCES
Beard, C. and Wilson, J.P., 2006. Experiential Learning: A Best Practice Handbook for
Educators and Trainers. 2nd ed. London: Kogan page.
Bell, J., 2006. Doing your research project: A guide for first-time researchers in education,
health and social science. New York: Open University Press.
Bourne, B., 2000. So this is Science. In: B. Bourne, ed. 2000.Taking Inquiry Outdoors:
Reading, Writing and Science Beyond the Classroom Walls. Portland: Stenhouse
Publishers. Ch.1.
Braun, V. and Clarke, V., 2006. Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research
in Psychology, 3(2), pp.77-101.
Bryman, A., 2012. Social research methods. 4th ed. Oxford: University Press.
Burton, G. and Dimbleby, R., 2006. Between Ourselves: An Introduction to Interpersonal
Communication. 3rd ed. London: Hodder Education.
Cohen, L., Manion, L. and Morrison, K., 2011. Research Methods in Education. 7th ed. New
York: Routledge.
Crabtree, F. B. and Miller, L. W., 1992. Doing Qualitative Research. CA: Sage.
Creswell, J. W., 2007. Qualitative Inquiry & Research Design. 2nd ed. California: Sage
Publications.
Dahlgren, L. O. and Szczepanski, A., 2005. Outdoor Education: Literary education and
sensory experience. 3rd ed. Kisa: Kisa-Tryckeriet AB.
Day, C., Sammons, P., Stobart, G., Kington, A. and Gu, Q., 2007. Teachers Matter:
Connecting work, lives and effectiveness. Goodson, I. and Hargreaves, A., ed.
Berkshire: McGraw-Hill / Open University Press.
Denscombe, M., 2010. The good research guide for small-scale social research projects. 4th
ed. New York: Open University Press.
Dewey, J., 1997. Experience and education. New York: Simon & Schuster.
56
Ezzy, D., 2002. Qualitative Analysis - Practice and innovation. London: Routledge.
Guest, G., MacQueen, M. K. and Namey, E. E., 2011. Applied Thematic Analysis. CA: Sage.
Hammerman, D. R., Hammerman, W. M. and Hammerman, D.R., 2000. Teaching in the
outdoors.5th ed. Danville: Prentice Hall.
Hattie, J., 2012. Visible learning for teachers maximizing impact on learning. Abingdon:
Routledge.
Kahn, P. H. Jr., 2002. Children's Affiliations with Nature: Structure, Development, and the
problem of Environmental Generational Amnesia. In: P. H. Jr. Kahn and S. R.
Kellert., eds, 2002. Children and Nature: Psychological, Sociocultural, and
Evolutionary Investigations. Cambridge: The MIT Press. pp.92-116.
Kates, R. W., Parris, T. M. and Leiserowitz, A. A., 2005. What is Sustainable Development:
Goals, Indicators, Values and Practice. Environment: Science and Policy for
Sustainable Development, 47(3), pp.8-21.
Killen, R., 2003. Effective Teaching Strategies: Lessons from Research and Practice. 3rd ed.
South Melbourne: Thomson.
Louv, R., 2008. Last child in the woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder.
North Carolina: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
Ministry of Education and Culture, 2010. Curricula for the Public Schools of the Cypriot
Republic: Pre-Primary, Primary and Middle Education. Nicosia: Cyprus.
Pedagogical Institute – Curricula Department. [In Greek]
Ministry of Education and Culture, 2012. Guidebook for the Implementation of the
Curriculum of E.E.-E.S.D. for Primary School Teachers. Nicosia: Cyprus.
Pedagogical Institute – Curricula Department. [In Greek]
Ministry of Education and Culture, n.d.. Curriculum. [online] Available at:
<http://www.moec.gov.cy/analytika_programmata/istoriko.html> [Accessed 16 May
2014].
Muijs, D. and Reynolds, D., 2001. Effective Teaching: Evidence and Practice. London: Paul
Chapman Publishing.
57
Orr, D.W., 2004. Earth in Mind: On Education, Environment, and the Human Prospect. 10th
anniversary ed. Washington: Island Press.
Pasxales, I. G., 2005. Interdisciplinary projects for the flexible hour in primary school.
Athens: Rigors.
Patton, M. Q., 2002. Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods. 3rd ed. CA: Sage.
Punch, K. F., 1998. Introduction to Social research. London: Sage.
Richmond, V. P., McCroskey, J. C. and Hickson, M. L., 2008. Nonverbal Behavior in
Interpersonal Relations.6th ed. Boston: Pearson Education.
Sandell, K., Öhman, J. and Östman, L., 2003. Education for Sustainable development:
Nature, School and Democracy. Malmö: Studentlitteratur.
Scott, W., 2013. Developing the sustainable school: Thinking the issues through. The
Curriculum Journal, 24(2), pp.181-205.
Seymour, M., 2004. Educating for Humanity: Rethinking the Purposes of Education. In: M.
Seymour, ed. 2004. Educating for Humanity: Rethinking the Purposes of Education.
Washington: Paradigm Publishers.
Silverman, D., 2010. Doing Qualitative Research. 3rd
ed. London: Sage
Sobel, D., 1996. Beyond ecophobia: reclaiming the heart in nature education. Great
Barrington: The Orion Society.
Sobel, D., 2005. Place-Based Education: Connecting Classrooms & Communities. 2nd ed.
Great Barrigton: The Orion Society.
UNESCO n.d.. Education. [online] Available at:
<http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/leading-the-international-
agenda/education-for-sustainable-development/about-us/> [Accessed 16 May 2014]
APPENDIX
Table 1: Teachers’ information collected with the questionnaire
Name Type of school
Teaching experience
Teaching experience of the course
Working years in the current school
Teaching the course after personal choice
Grade of teaching
Participation in seminars
Topic of E..E-E.S.D.
In reference
Teaching status *
Interviewee 1 rural 7 1 1 ** no 5th , 6
th no Litter E.E.-E.S.D.
teacher
Interviewee 2 rural 12 2 2 yes 4th, 5
th, 6
th
*** yes Abatement of litter
and the importance of recycling
E.E.-E.S.D. teacher
Interviewee 3 rural 23 1 6 yes 5th yes The forest principal teacher
Interviewee 4 Semi urban
11 3 6 yes 3rd
yes Reconstruction of the school: making the school greener
principal teacher
Interviewee 5 Semi urban
18 1 6 yes 5th , 6
th yes Litter management –
recycling E.E.-E.S.D. teacher
Interviewee 6 Semi urban
24 1 4 no 5th no Litter principal teacher
Interviewee 7 Urban 19 2 2 no 5th yes Litter - energy E.E.-E.S.D.
teacher
Interviewee 8 Urban 21 2 7 yes 5th , 6
th yes Abatement of litter E.E.-E.S.D.
teacher
59
* I chose the phrase “teaching status” to refer to the working position of the participants in
relation to the course of E.E.-E.S.D as they described it during their interivews. For the needs
of this research the teaching status of an interviewee can be E.E.-E.S.D. teacher or principal
teacher. If someone is mentioned as a principal teacher of a class it means that she/he is the
responsible teacher for that class and that teaches the most of the courses in that class,
including the E.E.-E.S.D.. On the other hand, if someone is mentioned as the E.E.-E.S.D.
teacher of a class then it means that she/he teaches to that class only the specific course of
E.E.-E.S.D..
** Interviewee 1 is an E.E.-E.S.D. teacher in fifth and sixth grade. However, in contrast with
the other seven teachers of the sample, he is working in three schools during this year. That
means that during a week, his working place differs from day to day. Furthermore, he is
teaching the course E.E.-E.S.D. in only one of them, in the school in reference for this
research.
*** Interviewee 4 teaches the course E.E.-E.S.D. in the grades fourth, fifth and sixth in a
multi-grade class. That is because she is working in a rural school with three teachers and 27
students. Therefore, all the courses are taught in mixed groups and in the case of E.E.-E.S.D.,
the student group consists of all the students in grades fourth, fifth and sixth.
60
Questionnaire
RESEARCH REGARDING THE TEACHING OF THE COURSE
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION - EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT (E.E.-E.S.D.)
INTERVIEW: ............ DATE: ................................
1. Years of working experience as a teacher: ..............
2. Years of teaching experience of the course E.E.-E.S.D.: ..............
3. Years of work at the current school: ..............
4. Grade/s in which you teach the course of E.E.-E.S.D. the current year:
.........................
5. Teaching of the course E.E.-E.S.D. this year due to personal choice:
YES ...... NO ......
6. Participation in seminars related to the teaching of the course E.E.-E.S.D.:
YES ...... NO ......
7. Topic of the course at the school you teach this year:
.........................................................................................................................
61
Interview Protocol
INDICATIVE QUESTIONS OF SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS
1. According to the new curriculum of the course E.E.-E.S.D., every school has to
choose a topic. I would like you to talk a bit about your school's topic for this year.
Content (which, goals)
Procedure (why, how it was decided, by who)
2. How do you approach the topic with your class?
Teaching (didactics, methods)
Roles (of student, of teacher)
Cooperation (with teachers, classes, parents, community, other
organizations)
3. In what extent do you manage to follow the plan until now?
How do you manage to do that? / Why not?
If I would ask you to make a reflection regarding your teaching of the
course, could you tell me something that
Really works with your students this year - why?
Needs to be improved - why?
4. Personal critic for the new curriculum of the course E.E.-E.S.D.:
Characteristics/aspects that are:
Positive - effective
Good but difficult to apply them in your case
Negative (suggest changes)
62
Consent form
PARTICIPATION IN THE RESEARCH REGARDING THE TEACHING OF THE
COURSE ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION - EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT (E.E.-E.S.D.)
TEACHER'S FORM OF CONSENT
I, the undersigned, have read and understood the research information sheet provided
by the researcher.
I have been given the opportunity to ask information and clarifications regarding the
research.
I am aware that one of the parts of the research procedure is the sound recording of my
interview.
I have been given enough time to decide if I want to participate in the research or not.
I am aware that my personal information will not be revealed to other persons but the
researcher.
I am aware that, despite the publication of quotes from my interview, neither I nor the
school I work will be identifiable.
I am aware that in case that I will decide to provide the action plan of my school to the
researcher, it will be used anonymously and only for the purposes of the research.
I am aware that I have the right to withdraw from the research at any time and for any
reason, without giving any explanations.
Name of teacher: ............................................................ Signature: ........................
Date: ......................................
Name of researcher: Rafailia Katsioula
63
Information Sheet
PARTICIPATION IN RESEARCH: INFORMATION SHEET
Dear Sir / Madame,
Firstly, I would like to thank you one more time for your willingness to participate in the
research. The purpose of this sheet is to inform you in detail about the content and the
procedure of the research, as well as your own role in it.
The research is conducted due to my obligations for the master program
“Outdoor Environmental Education and outdoor life” and my purpose is to study the teaching
of the course “Environmental Education/Education for Sustainable Development” in primary
school. More specifically, I am interested in collecting information regarding the didactic
methods in use, as well as difficulties that possibly come up, taking as granted the special
environment of each school and having as a reference point the philosophy of the curriculum
for the course. Furthermore, I would like to collect some critics regarding the curriculum of
the course, coming from teachers who are working or have worked with it.
In order to collect the data, I have chosen to carry out interviews and study official documents.
The interviews will be done from Tuesday, 4th of March, to Saturday, 8th of March and
the day, the time and the place will be determined by you. The interview will last for
approximately 30-40 minutes and -if you agree- it will be recorded (of course, in case of
recording, the recording will be used exclusively for the facilitation of the research procedure
during the stage of data analysis). Also, it would be useful for me if you could provide me a
copy of your school's action plan, in order to analyze it and write comments.
At this point I would like to ensure you that your personal information as well as the
information of the school you are working at will be confinable. Furthermore, I would like to
inform you that, if you want, you have the right to withdraw from the research at any stage, for
any reason and also retract any information provided until that point. Finally, if you wish, I
would be happy to share the results of my research with you, after the integration of the
procedure.
With kind regards,
Rafailia Katsioula
Name: Rafailia Katsioula
University of studies: Linkoping University
Master Program: Outdoor Environmental Education and Outdoor Life
Contact phone number: E-mail: [email protected]
Map of Cyprus with the main districts
---------
Interviewee 1 Interviewee 2 Interviewee 6 Interviewee 8
Interviewee 3 Interviewee 7
Interviewee 4 Interviewee 5
65
Photo 1: Conversion of broken computers into decorative objects
Photo 2: Conversion of used casks into decorative sculptures
66
Photo 3: Conversion of a space in the parking of the school into a garden
Photo 4: Picnic tables used as an outdoor class
