Title: The effectiveness of environmental education as a tool for social inclusion: a case study

Authors: Esther Landells Tombs

Addresses: 40 Sir James Hardy Way, Woodcroft 5162, South Australia

Abstract: This paper results from an assessment of the Environmental Education (EE) programmes run at Monarto Zoological Park (MZP) in South Australia. MZP has a number of programmes attracting a variety of schools, both primary and secondary. Some of the programmes have been negotiated specifically for special needs and |at risk| students. These courses are designed to encourage social inclusion through developing pro-social skills and seeking to reconnect students with learning through what is labelled as alternative education. The programmes are curriculum linked and in some cases, course credits. Despite the increasing demand for alternatives to classroom-based schooling, there has been little research into the effectiveness of EE as a tool for inclusive education. The Masters from which this paper derives, identifies, examines and situates the range of factors that generate, define and develop MZP|s EE programmes. This paper looks specifically at how the ideals of social inclusion fit within a specific set of EE programmes.

Keywords: alternative education; environmental education; social inclusion; Australia; zoos; zoological parks; primary education; secondary education; special needs students; at-risk students; social skills; learning.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMDM.2009.024987

International Journal of Management and Decision Making, 2009 Vol.10 No.3/4, pp.190 - 200

Published online: 06 May 2009 *

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