Primary- and secondary-school environmental health science education and the education crisis: a survey of science teachers in Ohio.
There is a science education crisis in the United States, with studies showing that U.S. high school graduates are not as well-versed in science as graduates in other countries. Studies also suggest that students are better learners when the environment is used as an integrating theme. Therefore, the time is right to discuss opportunities for integrating environmental health science into kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) curriculum. The research presented here takes a step toward developing the use of environmental health science as a multidisciplinary theme in the K-12 curriculum. Almost 500 K-12 science teachers in Ohio were surveyed for their opinions about the science education crisis and the role of environmental health science in their current courses of instruction. These teachers had been identified as having an interest in environmental education because of their participation in the Environmental Education Council of Ohio. Nevertheless, the results of the survey suggest that these environmentally oriented science teachers are currently not aware of existing environmental health science learning opportunities. Environmental health practitioners have work to do to educate science teachers about the field and about the ways in which studying environmental health science could alleviate the science education crisis.
Morrone
M
M
Ohio University, 416 Peden Tower, Athens, OH 45701-2979, USA.
D003479:Curriculum; D004782:Environmental Health; D006801:Humans; D009820:Ohio; D012574:Schools; D012586:Science / Q000193:education*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires