Cultivating Environmental Citizenship: Agriculture Teachers’ Perspectives Regarding the Role of Farm-Schools in Environmental and Sustainability Education

Abstract

Agricultural education is a fertile framework for environmental and sustainability education (ESE). Hence, ‘farm-schools’, which are learning settings around agriculture, can and should play a crucial role in promoting ESE. Farm-school teachers are key to realizing this potential. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the perspectives of farm-school teachers concerning the role of farm schools in conducting ESE and their role as environmental and sustainability educators. The research employed a mixed methodology. Quantitative data from close-ended sections of the questionnaire enabled evaluation of the teachers’ environmental literacy and citizenship attributes, which are fundamental for their capacity to incorporate ESE within their teaching. Open-ended sections of the questionnaire and interviews provided in-depth information regarding the teachers’ perspectives and practices concerning ESE (content, values, and pedagogies) within the framework of farm schools. Findings indicate that these teachers have pro-environmental dispositions in their individual lives and as educators and that they incorporate ESE within their teaching, but they exhibit a relatively narrow perspective regarding ESE, focusing largely on content knowledge, with limited focus on values discourse. Providing professional development tailored to the specific attributes and needs of these agriculture teachers will strengthen their capacities in teaching the strategies inherent to ESE, such as facilitating in-depth critical discourse around socio-environmental dilemmas. This will contribute to realizing the full potential of farm schools in terms of contributing to the crucial area of ESE within the educational system, employing agriculture as the curricular platform.