Environmental Themes in Nonformal Education: Integration or Infusion? ..... This has prompted the proposal to add on an additional learning area for NFE,.
INCORPORATING ENVIRONMENTAL THEMES IN THE CURRICULUM: A CASE STUDY OF THE NONFORMAL EDUCATIONAL SUB-SECTOR1 by Alexander G. Flor 2
ABSTRACT It is generally acknowledged that environmental themes have to be incorporated into basic education, technical vocational education, higher education, and nonformal education curricula. The question that confronts the education sector today is how may these themes be incorporated. There are two schools of thought regarding the issue: the integrationists, who argue that environmentalism requires separate courses that need to be integrated into existing curricula; and the infusionists, who believe that environmental themes need not be packaged into separate courses but infused into existing courses instead. The paper presents the ADB Philippines Environmental Education Project as a case study to present the arguments for and against infusion and integration. Although the project itself covers basic, technical-vocational and higher education, the paper focuses on the nonformal education sub-sector.
1
Presented and awarded as Best Paper (Environment Category) under the title, “Incorporating Environmental Themes in Nonformal Education: Integration or Infusion?” in the First International Conference on Agriculture Education and Environment of the Asia Pacific Association of Educators in Agriculture and Environment, Inc. (APEAEN), 16-20 October 2001. 2
Alexander G. Flor, Ph.D. is Program Officer of the SEARCA Knowledge Management Program having retired as Full Professor of the UPLB College of Development Communication. He now serves as Adjunct Professor of Development Communication, UPLB and Affiliate Professor, UP Open University Faculty of Social Sciences. He served as Nonformal Education Specialist of the ADB TA 1385 Environmental Education Project from 1996 to 1997.
I.
INTRODUCTION A.
Background
Environmental education in the Philippines has five major stakeholders: the government sector; the business sector; nongovernmental organizations; civil society; and international funding agencies. From October 1991 to March 1997, representatives of these major stakeholders came together to mainstream environmental themes into Philippine education. The government sector was composed of: the National Economic and Development Authority through the Philippine Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD); the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS); the Commission on Higher Education (CHED); the Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA); and the DENR Environmental Management Bureau (EMB). Its wide representation was necessary to cover the entire spectrum of the educational sub-sector – higher, basic, technical-vocational, and nonformal. This environmental education initiative had its roots in the launching of the International Environmental Education Plan of UNESCO and UNEP in 1975. However, it was only fifteen years later when the Philippine Strategy for Sustainable Development (PSSD) recommended a government policy on environmental education. The Asian Development Bank spearheaded this initiative with a technical assistance grant to the Government of the Philippines for a National Environmental Education Action Plan (NEEAP) as provided by the PSSD. The NEEAP was completed in March 1992. It was revised further from 1993 to 1994. The Bank again financed its initial implementation in 1996 to 1997. It was during this Phase that the question of integration or infusion emerged. B.
Context of the Study
The ADB Philippines Environmental Education Project (TA1385 PHI) was then in its third and final phase. In the earlier phases, equal importance was given on the roles of basic education, tertiary education and nonformal education. In particular, the National Environmental Education Action Plan (NEEAP) formulated in 1992, provided sections exclusively devoted to nonformal education. The third phase of ADB TA 1385 covered basic education, higher education, technical-vocational education, nonformal education and teacher training. The nonformal education sub-sector is understandably the least structured among the sub-sectors addressed by the project. The nonformal curricular framework is based on a system of equivalencies for basic education. Hence, ideally, educational programs guided by this framework would have a wider degree of flexibility, adaptability and versatility compared to its equivalents in the formal mode. Although a wealth of prototype materials exist and are currently being used in the field, efforts at standardization and quality assurance are still at the early stages. The challenge facing the technical assistance project was how to introduce a meaningful, workable and effective environmental
educational curriculum framework without necessarily compromising the flexibility innately essential for nonformal education. C.
Objectives
This paper intends to present the arguments for and against infusion and integration within the context of the ADB Environmental Education Project. Although the project itself covered basic, technical-vocational, and higher education, the paper presents its arguments exclusively from the nonformal education perspective. To achieve this, the paper proposes: 1. to review and describe the philosophy, guiding principles and characteristics of nonformal environmental education in the appropriate Philippine context; 2. to determine and analyze nonformal education target groups; 3. to present scope and sequence charts of EE concepts, skills and related attitudes that need to be infused into NFE; 4. to assess the effectiveness of the scope and sequence charts through field-testing; and 5. to present exemplar lessons. II.
METHODOLOGY To analyze the advantages and disadvantages of both infusion and integration as methods for incorporating environmental education into existing curricula, a case study of the ADB Philippines Environmental Education project is herein presented. Within the case study design, however, a number of research methods were employed to address the paper’s objectives: A.
Review of the philosophy, guiding principles and characteristics for NFEE
Consultations. The different executing agencies involved in nonformal environmental education, i.e. the Bureau of Nonformal Education, the DECS Planning Division, the Environmental Education Division of the Environmental Management Bureau were consulted. Likewise nongovernmental organizations involved in environmental education particularly the Center for Environmental Concerns were referred to. Documents Analysis. Existing nonformal education curricula were assessed for purposes of reviewing nonformal education philosophy, principles and objectives. In 1992, the National Environmental Education Action Plan was formulated to provide the blueprint for formal, nonformal and technical vocation environmental education. A year later in 1993, the NFE Sector drafted vision and mission statements along with a set of objectives in a document entitled Nonformal Education at the Threshold of the 21st Century. Revisions for the NFE vision and mission statements as well as its objectives are herein proposed to accommodate the NEEAP provisions of 1992. These revised statements are found in the Results and Discussion section.
B.
Analysis of nonformal education target groups
Field visits to appropriate sites were undertaken. During these field visits, in depth unstructured interviews were conducted with target group representatives, i.e., upland farmers, fisher folk, rural women and out-of-school youth. From these interviews, insights on information needs and the context of nonformal environmental education have been gathered. The activities of environmental NGOs in the field were likewise observed first hand. C.
Preparation of scope and sequence charts
Curriculum Development. Presently. NFE is made up of six essential learning areas: communication arts; mathematics; science and technology; civics; livelihood; and moral values. The consultant proposes the inclusion of a seventh essential learning area into the curriculum -- environmentalism. The general objective of this learning area is to develop sustained environmental advocacy among NFE learners. A series of scope and sequence charts for this learning area were drafted. D.
Field-testing
Field-testing and revision of prototype lessons. An entire month was devoted to field-testing and revision of the NFE objectives, scope and sequence charts, and exemplar lessons. Since these were to be tested on NFE coordinators, facilitators and learners, the Focus Group Discussion method was utilized. In this procedure, two FGDs were organized and conducted, one in the Regional NFE Office in Davao and another in the Provincial NFE Office in Puerto Princessa. The Davao FGD was composed of regional, provincial and district staff. FGD subjects were the revised NFE vision, mission, objectives as well as the scope and sequence charts for the proposed seventh learning area. The Palawan FGD was composed of provincial and district coordinators and facilitators as well as representatives of the target groups. The focus of the discussion was the exemplar lessons. E.
Development of exemplar lesson
Prototype lesson design and development. An exemplar lessons was written based on the scope and sequence charts. Initially, the lesson was in an instructional module format. In other words, these contained the following: instructional/ behavioral objectives; the lesson plan; the body; learning activities and self-assessment questions; evaluation measures; list of references; and sample instructional aids. Considering that the users of these lessons will be NGO staff as well as nonformal education coordinators and facilitators, it was deemed necessary to rewrite these lessons according to the prescribed format for NFE. Lessons should have four separate documents: the primer; the facilitator’s guide; the student’s guide; and the indicators.
III.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Traditionally, there are four kinds of strategies employed in the mainstreaming of environmental education. These are:
the infusion of environmental messages in traditional disciplines; the integration of environmental science courses in existing curricula ( or the “block” method) along the lines of the core messages; the multidisciplinary approach or the examination of an environmental issue under a team-teaching approach; and a combination of approaches of allied issues.
Among the four strategies, the most commonly employed is the third or the multidisciplinary approach. However, early on, the project opted for the fourth alternative, i.e., a combination of infusion, integration and the multi-disciplinary approach. Although infusion and integration have been used interchangeably even within the education sector, a distinction has to be made between the two because of the implications of such approaches to the curriculum development process. A. Review and description of the philosophy, guiding principles and characteristics for NFEE. In May 1992, the National Environmental Education Action Plan (NEEAP) was finalized after a series of consultative workshops attended in by educators, environmental experts, representatives of non-government organizations and government agencies, and the private sector. NEEAP gives the vision, mission, goals, guiding principles and objectives of environmental education , in general, and nonformal environmental education, in particular. More than one year later, in June 1993, the nonformal education sector through the initiative of the Bureau of Nonformal Education, conducted its own visioning workshops and published a small volume entitled, Nonformal Education: Vision and Mission at the Threshold of the 21st Century. This document likewise contained a vision statement, a mission and goal statement, and a set of objectives. However, it focused on the role of nonformal education in providing trained manpower for a newly industrialized country and for global competitiveness. Not a few would point out that environmentalism would run diametrically opposed to industrialization. Sustainable development, however, provides for the convergence of social, environmental and economic goals. And it is this convergence that was capitalized upon in drafting the nonformal environmental education framework.
1. NFEE Vision Statement The National Environmental Education Action Plan gives the following vision for environmental education in the Philippines: It is envisioned that within the next decade, a great majority of the Filipinos will be imbued with a sense of responsibility to care, protect, and enhance environmental quality that is conducive to their well being and supportive of the nation’s economic development. An environmentally literate citizenry unified in its pursuit of social justice and equity in the use of natural resources is the long-term vision of the Philippine Government (NEEAP, p.13). On the other hand, the BNFE document gives the following NFE vision: It is envisioned that with the help of nonformal education every Filipino will be awakened, empowered and transformed into a productive, selfreliant, responsible, responsive, humane and upright citizen who can contribute to the betterment of the family, community and country. It is also envisaged that NFE will help alleviate poverty and sustain social and economic growth via the development of employable skills and the generation of self-employment. Using the BNFE document as the base statement, environmental educational concerns may be incorporated into the NFE vision statement through the insertion of four phrases in strategic locations within the text. Hence the proposed vision for nonformal education in the Philippines should read: It is envisioned that with the help of nonformal education every Filipino will be awakened, empowered and transformed into a productive, self-reliant, responsible, responsive, environmentally-literate, humane and upright citizen who can contribute to the betterment of the family, community and country as well as the stewardship of the environment. It is also envisaged that NFE will help alleviate poverty, foster environmental advocacy and sustain social and economic growth via the development of employable skills, social and environmental values, and the generation of selfemployment. 2. NFEE Mission Statement The NEEAP gives the following mission statement for environmental education: ...the Philippine Government through the leadership of the Department of Education, Culture, and Sports (DECS) has set the following mission: to improve the institutional system making it more efficient and effective in the delivery of environmental education to all members of society; to mobilize
resources and encourage more public investments in supporting the programs for environment education; to establish a critical mass of teachers, environmental specialists, and field workers who will spearhead the environmental education movement; and to promote an environmental ethic which will inculcate the right values and attitudes among the youth with respect to the environment. Again, there are differences in priorities with the BNFE mission statement of 1993: The mission of NFE at the threshold of the twenty-first century is Empowerment of the Filipino with desirable knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that will enable him to think critically and creatively and act innovatively and humanely in improving the quality of his life and that of his family, community, and country. Nonformal education is designed to improve the people themselves - their abilities, skills, values, and aspirations. Reconciling the two statements, the adoption of the following mission statement for nonformal education in the Philippines was proposed: The mission of NFE at the threshold of the twenty-first century is Empowerment of the Filipino with desirable knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that will enable him to think critically and creatively and act innovatively and humanely in improving the quality of his life and that of his family, community, environment and country. Nonformal education is designed to improve the people themselves - their abilities, skills, values, aspirations, and their environmental literacy and advocacy. 3.
NFEE Guiding Principles
The NEEAP document gives the following emphasis for nonformal environmental education: Environmental education should inculcate awareness and understanding, as well as promote skills, commitments and actions among individuals and social groups for the protection and improvement of environmental quality for the benefit of present and future generations. The following guiding principles are also given for NFEE in the same document: Environmental Education should: enable people to appreciate the diverse values of their natural heritage and to realize the importance of each individual in protecting and restoring ecosystems (i.e., promote awareness); provide information about environmental problems and foster in people a desire to improve the quality of their local environment (i.e., be informing); cater to all ages and social groups (i.e., be including);
encourage the undertaking of initiatives and the acquisition of skills to help solve environmental problems (i.e., be empowering); motivate individuals to participate in community decision making on environmental issues and undertake responsible actions (i.e., be participatory); and motivate individuals to adopt an ethic of partnership with Nature to enable the sustainable management of natural resources (i.e., promote partnership). It was proposed that this statement of emphasis and guiding principles for nonformal environmental education be officially adopted in toto by BNFE and the other stakeholders in the nonformal education sector. 4.
NFEE Objectives
The objectives of environmental education are as follows:
to initiate mass-based action on environmental conservation through information, education, and communication (IEC) campaigns; to improve the delivery systems for environmental education at the formal and nonformal levels; and to produce the environmental manpower needed for the next two decades.
Additionally, the BNFE document gives the following long-range objectives for nonformal education: The goal of NFE is to contribute towards: the alleviation of poverty through the improvement of the socioeconomic status and the quality of life of the poor; and the total development of the human person, his family and community (This involves among others the sustainable development in the social, moral, spiritual, cultural and political well-being of every person.). It was proposed that and additional long range objective for Philippine NFE be added to this statement, modifying it into the following: The goal of NFE is to contribute towards: the alleviation of poverty through the improvement of the socioeconomic status and the quality of life of the poor; the total development of the human person, his family and community (This involves among others the sustainable development in the social, moral, spiritual, cultural and political wellbeing of every person.); and sustained environmental advocacy among all Filipinos. Furthermore, the BNFE document gives the following immediate objectives for Philippine nonformal education:
To reduce if not totally eradicate literacy and help the poorest of the poor shake off the curse of poverty through functional education; To improve the quality of life of the poor through functional literacy; To enable OSYs to complete at least their basic education through an alternative learning system; To provide opportunities for adults to upgrade their knowledge and technical skills for gainful income and employment via adult education programs; To enable OSYs and adults to become more productive and effective citizens through livelihood skills development programs; and To help ensure that OSYs and adults continue to cherish desirable Filipino values, and to nurture sustainable development-oriented values.
The insertion of a few phrases and the addition of an immediate objective for NFE were proposed, modifying the list in to the following:
To reduce if not totally eradicate literacy and help the poorest of the poor shake off the curse of poverty through functional education; To improve the quality of life of the poor through functional and environmental literacy; To enable OSYs to complete at least their basic education through an alternative learning system; To provide opportunities for adults to upgrade their knowledge and technical skills for gainful income and employment via adult education programs; To enable OSYs and adults to become more productive and effective citizens through livelihood skills development programs and environmental advocacy; To help ensure that OSYs and adults continue to cherish desirable Filipino values, and to nurture sustainable development-oriented values; and To enable OSYs and adults to act as effective, committed and technically competent stewards of the environment.
A review of the vision and mission statements, guiding principles, and objectives of both BNFE and NEEAP imply the desirability of the integration approach in incorporating environmental themes into the nonformal education curriculum. B.
Analysis of nonformal education target groups
In the course of the field visits made in Cebu and Negros Oriental, dialogues with farmers, fisher folk, rural women and out-of-school youth were conducted. With the assistance of local Nationwide Coalition of Fisher folk for Aquatic Reform (NACFAR) staff, Toledo City was visited since the area contained upland, lowland, and coastal ecosystems. Additionally, the industries that once operated in Toledo have left it a virtual wasteland.
Local NGOs affiliated with NACFAR were actively engaged in environmental education mostly in the form of social mobilization undertakings. Among the core messages contained in these were: interconnectedness of upland, lowland and marine ecosystems; finiteness of resources (specifically related to their quarries and mines); and stewardship. The NGOs were technically prepared to engage in NFEE. They have exhibited competence in getting the message across and commitment in reaching the widest possible audience. However, ideological messages were mixed with environmental messages in their social mobilization campaigns. In promoting stewardship, for instance, they have overemphasized the connection of the government's Philippines 2000 theme to the abundance of industrial wastes in Toledo. In Negros, the situation was quite different. Through the Negros Oriental Governor's Office, the project coordinated with a local NGO. The Center for Establishment of Marine Reserves in Negros Oriental (CEMRINO) is an NGO formed by concerned citizens and researchers with funding from the GTZ. They adopt the community-based approach that makes abundant use of nonformal educational techniques. CEMRINO has succeeded in organizing nonformal marine ecology programs for community organizers, fishermen, parents and teachers. They have sponsored curriculumwriting workshops and have participated in the identification of minimum learning competencies. They are hopeful that this program will soon get DECS accreditation. These field visits and dialogues with the target groups have proven that the intended beneficiaries of adult and alternative learning programs received their environmental education from non-government organizations which were not directly involved in functional literacy and numeracy, basic education equivalency, or skills development programs associated with NFE. In effect, environmental awareness occasionally comes in a separate package to them. Most fisher folk interviewed were briefed on coastal resource management by NGOs associated with NACFAR. Upland farmer leaders met were trained likewise by NGOs such as the Center for Environmental Concerns. This has prompted the proposal to add on an additional learning area for NFE, the responsibility of teaching could be assumed by environmental NGOs. This is clearly in favor of integration. Patterned after basic education, NFE is made up of six essential learning areas: communication arts; mathematics; science and technology; civics; livelihood; and moral values. The inclusion of a seventh essential learning area into the curriculum – environmentalism – formed part of the recommendations. The general objective of this learning area is to develop sustained environmental advocacy among NFE learners. The details of this learning area are as follows:
Learning Area VII.
ENVIRONMENTALISM
General Objective :
Develops sustained environmental advocacy.
Learning Outcomes
:
C.
Recognizes that all things are interrelated and treats these as such. Maximizes utilization, management and conservation of resources within the context of change, cycles, and carrying capacities. Accepts that nature has its own intrinsic value, operating on its own laws and processes to maintain itself. Discerns the importance of biological and cultural diversity in maintaining the stability of ecological and social systems respectively. Promotes and manifests his role as caretaker of creation. Preparation of scope and sequence charts and exemplar lesson
The inclusion of this new learning area with respect to the other existing learning areas for nonformal education, namely: Communication Arts; Mathematics; Science and Technology; Economics and Productivity; Civics and Culture; Morality and Values, is given in the following description and proposed scope and sequence charts, followed by an exemplar lesson. Evidently, all these point toward the feasibility of the integration approach in incorporating environmental themes into the nonformal education curriculum.
PROPOSED ESSENTIAL LEARNING COMPETENCIES Essential Learning Area
I II III
IV V
VI VII
General Objectives
Learning Outcomes
AREA GENERAL OBJECTIVE
: :
Environmentalism Develops sustained environmental advocacy. OVERVIEW
One principal objective of nonformal education is to contribute to the skilled workforce that would help bring the Philippines to a newly industrialized nation status by the year 2000. NFE recognizes the need to converge economic, social and environmental goals to achieve sustainable development. The leap towards industrialization must be accompanied by an overriding concern for environmental management and protection. As the famed ecologist Barry Commoner said, “Everything must go somewhere.” Industrialization would inevitably lead to industrial wastes and pollutants. This increased environmental risk demands increased environmental consciousness. The ELC on Environmentalism intends to serve as a guide to curriculum writers, NFE implementors, program designers and researchers in nonformal education. The competencies that are being developed go beyond conventional
cognitive, affective and behavioral 5. Promotes and manifests his role as domains in the area’s pursuit of sustained caretaker of creation. environmental advocacy among nonformal learners. The ELC for Environmentalism is divided into five sub-areas: interconnectedness; The learning outcomes of this ELC are finiteness of resources; balance of nature; five. The nonformal learner should be able diversity; and stewardship. These five to: sub- areas contain the nine concepts and core messages proposed for Philippine 1. Recognizes that all things are environmental education. interrelated and treats these as such. The learning outcomes are presented in the 2. Maximizes utilization, management five levels with slight deviations from the and conservation of resources within competencies in the formal basic education the context of change, cycles, and system. The unique requirements and carrying capacities. situation of the NFE sector account for these variations. 3. Accepts that nature has its own intrinsic value, operating on its own laws and processes to maintain itself. 4. Discerns the importance of biological and cultural diversity in maintaining the stability of ecological and social systems respectively.
SCOPE AND SEQUENCE CHART AREA : GENERAL OBJECTIVE : LEVEL I I. Recognizes that all things are interrelated and treats these as such.
Environmentalism Develops sustained environmental advocacy. LEVEL II LEVEL III I. Recognizes that all things I. Recognizes that all things are interrelated and treats are interrelated and treats these as such. these as such.
LEVEL IV I. Recognizes that all things are interrelated and treats these as such.
A. Discerns the Earth as part of the Universe.
A. Define an ecosystem
A. Describe different ecosystems.
A. Describe the process of photosynthesis
B. Relates how life on Earth developed.
B. Describes how some organisms adapt to a particular environment for protection, food gathering, etc.
B. Describes how people affect the environment particularly plant and animal life.
B. Describe the carbon cycle
1. Describes how some animals use specific body parts for getting food and protection. 2. States that animals live in places where they can find food and protection. C. Recognizes man as the most advanced form of life. D. Defines man‘s environment.
C. Describe the Food Chain and the Web of Life. D. Describe the effects of activities that disturb these cycles.
LEVEL V I. Recognizes that all things are interrelated and treats these as such. A. Describes the different ways of maintaining ecological balance. B. Demonstrates the different ways of maintaining ecological balance.
AREA : GENERAL OBJECTIVE : LEVEL I II. Maximizes utilization, management and conservation of resources. A. Identifies the various resources in the environment.
B. States the uses of plants, animals and the environment to man. C. Infers that certain resources from the environment are needed by plants, animals and man.
Environmentalism Develops sustained environmental advocacy. LEVEL II II. Maximizes utilization, management and conservation of resources
LEVEL III II. Maximizes utilization, management and conservation of resources
LEVEL IV II. Maximizes utilization, management and conservation of resources.
A. Gains understanding of the needs of plants and animals to maintain life.
A. Demonstrates activities of man which promote/ degrade environmental quality.
A. Explains how high population growth disturbs ecological balance.
1. Describes an environment suitable to different forms of life.
1. Describes activities of man which promote/degrade environmental quality.
2. Predicts consequences if the needs of plants and animals to maintain life are not met.
2. Points out the effects of air, water, land and noise pollution on living organisms.
B. Explains the importance of proper management of resources.
LEVEL V II. Maximizes utilization, management and conservation of resources A. Infers that plants and animals depend on each other for their existence.
1. Explains that rapid population growth may lead to depletion of natural resources and pollution. 2. Explains that the demand of a rapidly growing population drives away or destroys other living things. B. Describes how water and air become polluted.
B. Appreciates the economic importance of plants, animals, fungi and microorganisms. C. Demonstrates understanding of harmful effects of some plants, fungi, animals and microorganisms.
AREA : GENERAL OBJECTIVE :
Environmentalism Develops sustained environmental advocacy.
LEVEL I III. Accepts that nature knows best.
LEVEL II III. Accepts that nature knows best.
Explains the balance of nature.
Explains how natural laws
AREA : GENERAL OBJECTIVE : LEVEL I IV. Discerns the importance of biological and cultural diversity.
AREA : GENERAL OBJECTIVE : LEVEL I V. Promotes and manifests his role as caretaker of creation.
LEVEL III III. Accepts that nature knows best.
LEVEL IV III. Accepts that nature knows best.
LEVEL V III. Accepts that nature knows best.
LEVEL IV IV. Discerns the importance of biological and cultural diversity.
LEVEL V IV. Discerns the importance of biological and cultural diversity.
LEVEL IV V. Promotes and manifests his role as caretaker of creation.
LEVEL V V. Promotes and manifests his role as caretaker of creation.
A. Participates in programs on environmental education.
A. Participates in programs on environmental education.
Environmentalism Develops sustained environmental advocacy. LEVEL II IV. Discerns the importance of biological and cultural diversity.
LEVEL III IV. Discerns the importance of biological and cultural diversity.
Environmentalism Develops sustained environmental advocacy. LEVEL II V. Promotes and manifests his role as caretaker of creation. A. Manifests appreciation of man’s role in improving, conserving and protecting his environment.
LEVEL III V. Promotes and manifests his role as caretaker of creation. A. Expresses understanding of principles and methods in preventing degradation. B. Applies knowledge of how environmental degradation can be prevented.
B. Explains the responsibilities of people in improving and managing their environment
EXEMPLAR LESSON Environmentalism II Module I. Interconnectedness Lesson 2. Habitat Sub-Lesson 2.2. Man’s Home (Ang Bahay ng Tao) Objective: After completing this lesson, the learner should be able to describe the significance of habitats for man. Materials: Environmental Songs: Joey Ayala’s KaraniwangTao Gary Granada’s Bahay 2. Games : Tao...Bahay Can We All Fit In Procedure: 1.
1.
The facilitator first reviews the previous sub-lesson, namely, Sub-Lesson 2.1. “Everybody Needs a Home” or Ang Lahat ay Nangangailangan ng Bahay. He introduces the topic to the adult learners or OSYs with this statement: “Humans, other animals and plants share basic survival needs, specifically food, water, shelter, and space. Every living being needs a home... even the common man”
2.
The facilitator then plays Joey Ayala’s Karaniwang Tao and encourages the learners to sing along.
3.
The Tao...Bahay game is then played. The facilitator processes the game for the learners.
4.
The game prepares the learners to participate in a discussion lead by the facilitator with the following questions:
Why do people need homes? What do homes provide for you? What do homes protect you from?
5.
When these questions are satisfactorily answered, the facilitator explains that the Earth is a home for humankind . We should care for it the way we care for our own homes.
6.
The “Can We All Fit In” game is played.
7.
The facilitator processes this game for the learners.
8.
The song, Bahay by Gary Granada is played for closure.
D.
Validation
A National Consultative Conference on Environmental Education was held at the Legend Hotel from 10 to 11 February 1997. In the conference, recommendations for nonformal environmental education were presented to a multisectoral group in a syndicate session. The session had the following agenda covered:
to discuss the recommended Vision/Mission/Goal statements for nonformal environmental education; to decide on the proposed block approach to nonformal environmental education (i.e., introducing environmentalism as an additional learning area for NFE); and to resolve sustainability issues.
During the conference, the Bureau of Nonformal Education (BNFE) clarified that it was currently revising its mission-vision-goal statements through the initiative of the Office of the Secretary, DECS. The proposed NFEE vision-mission-goal statements were to be considered in the process. Additionally, BNFE also felt that a new learning area would complicate the existing curriculum and materials development process that is now being undertaken with the ADB NFE Project. Furthermore, the ELCs are merely guides. What needs to be done is to improve instructional materials and to train BNFE field staff on the appropriate delivery systems of NFEE. Additionally, mechanisms for the sustainability of NFEE are already in place. It was clear that the educational bureaucracy was in favor of the infusion approach. Hence, the integration of additional environmental science courses to the existing NFE curriculum was not considered by BNFE. IV.
CONCLUSIONS: INFUSION VS. INTEGRATION Studies conducted by the ADB TA 1385. Philippines Environmental Education Project recommended the integration approach for nonformal environmental education, i.e., the addition of a new learning area in the nonformal education curriculum. Scope and sequence charts as well as exemplar lessons were developed for this new learning area, environmentalism. Unfortunately, this recommendation was not considered by the Bureau of Nonformal Education since it was felt that adding a new learning area might complicate the curriculum development process. Integration or the “block” method calls for the design and development of new courses to be added in an existing curriculum. It has two advantages: firstly, the assurance of quality standards; and secondly, less margin for error. Scope and sequence charts with appropriate lesson plans would guide the NFE facilitator accordingly in managing learning sessions. However, its disadvantages are likewise twofold: firstly, it entails more work for
the curriculum developers, the administrators and supervisors, and the facilitators themselves, not to mention the additional hours put in by the student for the program; secondly, there is little room for flexibility in the conduct of the learning sessions. Infusion, on the other hand, simply provides for the incorporation of environmental themes in existing syllabuses. Such themes may be effectively employed in a diverse range of course, from mathematics to moral values. Accordingly, it has two advantages: it entails less work for all concerned; and it is more flexible, allowing more localized examples in the presentation of the core messages. However, it has two disadvantages also: firstly, it lacks a system of quality standards; and secondly, there is a larger margin of error in interpreting the core messages of environmental education.
REFERENCES Asian Development Bank, 1998, Coastal Community Development and Fisheries Resource Management Project: Project Administration Memorandum. Ministry of Agriculture, Government of Indonesia (Jakarta). Flor, Alexander G and Rebecca P. Smith. Transformational Communication: A Normative Approach to Environmental Education, Tambuli. November 1997 Issue. Coastal Resource Management Project, USAID-DENR (Cebu City). Flor, Alexander G. and Ely D. Gomez (Editors), 1994. Environmental Communication: Considerations in Curriculum and Delivery Systems Development. USAID-NRMP and UPLB-IDC (College, Laguna). Flor, Alexander G. and Luningning A. Matulac, 1994. Cultural Dimensions of Environmental IEC. Environment and Resource Management Project, Canadian International Development Agency. Dalhousie University (Halifax, Nova Scotia). Flor, Alexander G. Entry Points and Levels of Participation: The Los Banos Experience, The Third Channel. Vol II No 1,1986, International Broadcasting Society (Seoul). Flor, Alexander G, 1982. Information Needs of Upland Farmers in the Upper Solo Watershed Area in Central Java. Working Paper No.7, Upper Solo Watershed Management Through People's Participation and Income Generation (UNDP-FAO INS/78/011, Rome). GreenCOM Philippines, 1997. Unified Environmental Communication and Education Strategy for USAID/Philippines. Academy for Educational Development (Cebu City). Guerrero, Sylvia, Alexander G. Flor, Marlito L. Cardenas and Heinze Kroske. Public Participation in EIA, Volume 1. A Manual on Communication. Asian Development Bank and the DENR-Environmental Management Bureau (Quezon City). Kauffman, Stuart A., 1993. The Origins of Order. Oxford University Press (Cambridge). McKee, Neill, 1992. Social Mobilization and Social Marketing in Developing Communities. Southbound Press (Penang).
