What kind of research can best be done at the classroom and school level?

In schools, research can be done about how to assemble a group of professionals with varied knowledge and practice bases so that they can be supportive.

Schools can be involved in providing interdisciplinary teams who design locally-based curriculum by providing information about what is working for their school: about the logistics of program implementation, especially regarding time-scales.

Schools are also a good place in which to negotiate teaching responsibilities so that as many teachers as possible are teaching about ecoliteracy concepts within their subject areas, even if this requires job sharing or rethinking of how children are grouped.

In the classroom, teachers can focus on making observations about how their pedagogical approaches and methods support the development of different ecological thinking skills.

Teachers are also experts at gathering input from learners and communicating with others in the field about insights that students have about how they think and about learning processes.

Because teachers know how particular people demonstrate their understanding best and about how communities of learners learn to express themselves to others, they might also be the best leaders in developing authentic assessment practices.

Teachers have a powerful role to play at this time in developing a definition or concept set for ecological literacy which is “kid friendly”. They know what is “relevant, important, and within the grasp” of their students.

Berkowitz, A.R., Ford, M.E. & Brewer, C.A. (2005). A framework for integrating ecological literacy, civics literacy, and ecological citizenship in environmental education. In Johnson, E.A. & Mappin, M. Environmental education and advocacy: changing perspectives of ecology and education. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 227- 266.