Environmental Literacy And Sustainability Values: A Content Analysis Of Environmental Education Standards

Abstract

Addressing values may be an important aspect of environmental literacy and eco-centric paradigms. This mixed-methods content analysis compares five state environmental education standards, national environmental education guidelines and the Earth Charter for inclusion of sustainability values. Data were generated through traditional hand-coding, computer text analysis and document profiling through qualitative methods. Triangulation showed state standards and national guidelines adequately address ecological integrity principles, but not environmental justice principles. Although some documents addressed sustainability and reflection on environmental values through issue analysis, documents from the most populous states focused on the science of ecology, excluding terms such as values and sustainability.