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Environment, Sustainability and the Role of Education

Key information

  • Module code:

    7SSES005

  • Level:

    7

  • Semester:

      Spring

  • Credit value:

    30

Module description

Climate change, biodiversity loss and air pollution are just some of the pressing environmental issues facing society today. Environmental Education: Sustainability and Society invites students to explore the role education has to play in responding to current and future environmental challenges. The module will offer students an understanding of the historical, political and philosophical perspectives that underpin contemporary environmental education. Students will be introduced to a diversity of approaches to environmental education practices to compare and appraise their aims, curriculum content, assessment modes and pedagogical strategies. Students will be challenged to critique dominant environmental education discourse, including education for sustainable development, by considering alternative perspectives from environmental ethics, place-based learning and citizenship. Students will also consider the role that research, leadership and teacher education and development have in shaping an environmentally literate society.

The module provides students with the opportunity to engage in relevant and meaningful conversations about the state of environmental education by providing the theoretical tools to reflect on their own experience of practice and consider future responses. The module combines preparatory online resources and group discussions with face-to-face seminars and tutorial group work so that students are able to learn alongside subject specialist academic experts, peers and colleagues. The majority of on-campus sessions will be taught on Saturdays offering students from outside London and those with weekday commitments the opportunity to study this module.

Assessment details

  • 8 min presentation (worth 10% of the final grade)
  • 4,000 word assignment (worth 90% of the final grade)

Educational aims & objectives

This module aims to introduce students to key perspectives in the field of environmental education with a view to critically applying these ideas to their personal lives, professional practices and their engagement with wider social arrangements. The module will enable students to acquire an interdisciplinary understanding of the historical, philosophical, social and political dimensions of environmental education. With knowledge of the multiple influences informing the concept of environment education, students will consider current modes of delivery across a variety of contexts. Particular attention will be paid to the aims and scope of environmental education and issues surrounding curriculum content, assessment strategies and pedagogical practices. Students will be challenged to critique dominant discourses in environmental education, including sustainability education, by considering alternative perspectives from environmental ethics, place-based learning and citizenship. Students will also consider the roles that research, leadership and teacher education have in shaping an environmentally literate society.

Specially, this module will enable students to:

  • develop an understanding of the field of environmental education, including the role of national and international policies, from across interdisciplinary perspectives;
  • develop an understanding of the different modes of environmental education practice, with particular attention on its aims, curriculum content, forms of assessment and pedagogical strategies;
  • critically reflect on environmental educational practices at a personal, professional and a wider societal level;
  • develop greater critical awareness of key issues facing contemporary environmental educational policy and practice nationally and internationally; and
  • collaboratively investigate this material with others and communicate their thoughts and findings in a variety of ways.

Module description disclaimer

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.

Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.

Please note that the module descriptions above are related to the current academic year and are subject to change.