Making Environmental Education Accessible for All Students: An Investigation of Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities

• In Event: Improving STEM Education for Students With Disabilities

Abstract

An environmental science educator is responsible for engaging students in rigorous outdoor learning opportunities. This task can become daunting when identifying ways to make environmental education accessible to all students, including those navigating emotional and behavior challenges. The tendency of many teachers with whom the researchers have interacted is to avoid activities in new outdoor settings. The case study included 17 African American students from two self-contained classrooms who exhibited negative peer to peer interaction and oppositional dispositions to outdoor science exploration. The researchers investigated best peer-based collaborative practices for engaging students with emotional and behavioral disabilities from a Baltimore City school in environmental concepts. A variety of teaching strategies utilized within the local environment will be discussed.

Authors

• Juliann Dupuis, Notre Dame of Maryland University

• Dawn Martin, University of Maryland, College Park