Enabling and Constraining Factors That Influence the Implementation of Environmental Education Policy Reforms in India

• In Event: 14.044 - Roundtable Session 2
  In Roundtable Session: 14.044-23 - Emerging Perspectives on Critical Policy Research in Sustainability Education

Abstract

Objectives or Purposes
There is a strong global trend towards Environmental and Sustainability Education as a main mode of creating greater environmental awareness and consequently greater environmental action. India is part of this rhetoric and has initiated major policy initiatives (Supreme Court of India, 2003), (National Commission for Education Research and Technology, 2005; National Council for Teacher Education, 2009; National Council of Teacher Educators, 2005) aimed at overhauling the education sector to help create a strong environmentally sensitive citizenry. However there is very little understanding and research about these how these policies are negotiated, determined, understood and further implemented by key players. An earlier doctoral study showed a significant policy-practice gap with poor implementation of these policies by teacher educators (Almeida, 2013).
The aim of this research is to understand policy maker’s perspectives and visions while creating the abovementioned policies. In doing so it hopes to create consensus amongst major key players in the field about what really matters in Environmental and Sustainability Education in India. The main objectives are to document and analyze how key decision makers come to consensus, what according to them enables the implementation of Environmental and Sustainability policies and what hinders the same.

Perspectives, Methods, and Data
The study uses a modified Delphi method to capture the uptake of these policies reforms and create consensus on key issues in the field. 27 participants from a range of policy-making positions were recruited for the study. These participants are key players working with ministries, governmental bodies and NGO’s directly involved in shaping the current environmental and sustainability policies in India. The researcher used a snowball technique for recruiting these participants. The Delphi method involved an initial interview followed by 3 rounds of survey to sharpen the focus and gain consensus.

Results
Initial results point to globally recognized barriers prevalent in India too in particular issues like lack of time, preparation, commitment, awareness, motivation and individual dispositions towards Environmental and Sustainability Education. Similar to (Scott & Gough, 2004) short-term policy fixes to alleviate immediate problems seem to be getting in the way of longer-term change which is the ultimate necessity. An important barrier is the de-localisation of EE with a trend for environmental perceptions to be determined largely by Western perceptions (Almeida, 2013; Guha, 2000).

Significance
Amongst teacher educators a lack of voice, and underrepresentation can lead to views that laws, policies and directives as being superficial, bureaucratic, and/or distant (Babbage, 2008). This distancing can result in even major policies being seen as externally forced documents that teacher educators are expected to follow (Almeida, 2013). This study aims to bridge the gap and promote unanimity and harmony between teacher educators’ views and those of key influencers/makers on policies.

Author

• Sylvia Christine Almeida, Monash University