The seed is not enough, the tree must be accompanied: Importance of implementation context in environmental education programs

Abstract

There is a growing consensus on the advantages and benefits of implementing environmental education programs in school communities, but few studies focus on the conditions that make it possible for them to be incorporated as daily practices. The purpose of this research paper was to identify contextual barriers and facilitators of the implementation of a program of pedagogical innovation and education for the sustainability of the municipality, carried out in a city in the south of Chile. The sample consisted of 36 teacher coordinators of schools where the program is implemented. During an assessment session, the researchers applied an open-ended question survey, aimed at investigating the contextual factors affecting the implementation. Subsequently, through focal groups, these factors were delved into with the same participants. The authors found that the critical factors are: (1) the support and motivation of the community; (2) the curricular integration of the program; (3) the implementation supports; and (4) the expertise of the executing teacher. The transculturality of the identified factors is analyzed and the practical and theoretical implications of the findings are discussed.