How much do we know about our environment?

I keep reading data and findings in the educational field in books and on websites, but somehow I feel that a strong connection between the findings and the changes in education system is lacking. Researchers, practitioners and policy makers should work collaboratively making use of relevant, useful research in improving the education system as a whole.

When I was doing my M.Sc. in Environment and ecology, I had to prepare a research project for the final semester. I was looking for a relevant topic. I happened to visit Centre for Science and Environment located in New Delhi, where I watched a short documentary on sewage and its disposal, which is now available on youtube(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bEZgcGdeZ4). When people were asked the simple questions such as where does drinking water comes from and what happens to the sewage, many of them couldn't answer!

Rather than thinking on the topic the film was made for, I started thinking- how much do our students really know about the environment despite of studying various chapters on Environmental issues in the science books. Thus, I decided to do research on the topic ’Environmental Awareness among high school students’. What I found was that 40 % of the high school students couldn’t answer the simple questions related to the environmental issues because whatever they read was just the bookish knowledge and that was only for answering questions in exams.

 I showed my findings to the principal of the school I was working in. She immediately made an action plan for the next academic year so as to enhance the environmental awareness among the students. The plan included activities such as debates, dramas, tree planting, annual quiz, showing documentary films and demonstrations for students throughout the year.

Thus, my research findings helped in effective restructuring of the instructional methods in environmental science