Ruth Hickey

How Do Primary Pre-Service Teachers in a Regional Australian University Plan for Teaching, Learning and Acting in Environmentally Responsible Ways?.

Integrated unit plans with an environmental focus can provide opportunities for school students to develop critical thinking skills, and to act in responsible ways – that is, to develop ‘action competence’. In this study, environmentally focused integrated unit plans, developed and implemented by final year pre‐service teachers at an Australian regional university, were analysed to determine the extent to which they contained concepts that promoted action competence. Results here suggest that more work could be done in the area of pre‐service education to prepare teachers for teaching, learning and acting responsibly in relation to complex environmental issues. In particular, there could be more emphasis on developing integrated unit plans that empower school students and promote critical thinking, democratic processes and action‐oriented knowledge.

Young People Envision the Future of Their Local Area: An Explorative Study From the Wet Tropics, Australia

In this article we present the results from an exploratory study conducted in the Wet Tropics in Australia. The study was initiated as part of a larger research program to support the development of a water quality improvement plan. Seven schools were invited to participate in this study. Students were asked to develop visions for the future of their local area. Results suggest that integrating a futures perspective into formal educational programs provides a mechanism to connect students with their local community and their local environment, and at the same time, encourages critical thinking and environmental citizenship beyond the classroom.