Environmental Science PhD Program to Add New Concentration in Science Education Research | Environmental Science
April 24, 2013

Environmental Science PhD Program to Add New Concentration in Science Education Research

Public education focusing on environmental science and values is difficult to do. This is because information influences values that people hold, and decisions are made based on personal values. Environmental education concerns providing as many members of the general public as possible with accurate information about earth and environmental processes so that better decisions can be made in terms of use of natural resources. To use Aldo Leopold's words, environmental education serves the purpose of encouraging each of us to become "plain citizens of nature." At UNT, one important area of our Environmental Science Graduate Program is the ability to focus on Science Education Research, which has recently been approved to be one of our PhD area concentrations. Dr. Ruthanne Thompson, Dr. James Kennedy, and other faculty members blend the science of environmental science with pedagogy, research on learning outcomes, curriculum design, and other goals to help train the next generation of leaders in environmental education.