Date of Award:

5-2025

Document Type:

Dissertation

Degree Name:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department:

School of Teacher Education and Leadership

Committee Chair(s)

Colby Tofel-Grehl

Committee

Colby Tofel-Grehl

Committee

David Feldon

Committee

Mario Suárez

Committee

Max Longhurst

Committee

Kimberly Lott

Committee

Lisa Lundgren

Abstract

Environmental education is essential for preparing students to address today’s ecological challenges. However, many educational approaches focus primarily on individual behavior (e.g., personally conserving water) rather than broader systemic solutions. This research highlights that gap through a review of environmental education and introduces a new framework for designing and evaluating environmental education. This framework aims to help students explore their relationship with the environment in locally relevant and place-based ways. By applying this framework in rural Hawaii, this study examines how students perceive their roles within ecological systems and compares different curricular approaches to see how students’ understanding evolves. This work aims to shift environmental education toward a more holistic perspective to empower students to see their place in larger ecological and social systems.

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43e3b9211806b44e3b5ea6fa1b434d25

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