Empowering Students through Conservation PBL
Using conservation-centered project-based learning to empower students and increase student agency, internalization, and self-efficacy
By Andree R. Philpot
when it comes to conservation, local communities should be empowered to help make decisions concerning their surroundings; individuals should be empowered to make ecological changes in their personal lives; and global lead- ers should instill policies meant to empower their citizens with the knowledge and tools to make conservation a prior- ity1,3,7,11,12,17,21. It may not, however, be as widely known that the topic of conservation can be utilized to empower stu- dents in their schools and classrooms. The idea of employ- ing conservation-based activities to empower my students is what led me to create a quarter-long, project-based learn- ing unit (PBL) for my 8th-grade Language Arts students that could also be modified for upper-elementary or high school grade levels (described below). By focusing on real- world environmental issues, this project can be integrated across subjects as a cross-curricular unit. Additionally, con- servation and sustainability issues are relevant and crucial
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ONSERVATION AND EMPOWERMENT: two words inextricably linked within the realm of eco- logical and conservation science. Experts agree that
in today’s social and political climate. Sustainability has become more mainstream, with more leaders, companies, and individuals making efforts towards more eco-friendly behaviors and policies. Prior to designing this project, I researched lessons
and activities related to conservation and the promotion of student empowerment, and how these subjects can be inte- grated with the various U.S. school standards that teachers across the country are required to implement in their les- sons. Conservation was the focus of the project as well as the tool to empower my students as learners and as world citizens. When discussing student empowerment in relation to schooling, it will be used henceforth to mean the terms agency, self-efficacy, and internalization that students pos- sess in relation to their educations5,6,19,10,20,24,27. Agency is a key component of empowerment. It is the ability to create and direct actions towards a specific purpose and is fueled by one’s belief in their own capability or effectiveness, a trait known as self-efficacy24,27. Additionally, self-efficacy has significant correlations to environmental concerns and behaviors6. Internalization vs externalization is the stu- dent’s perception of who or what influences their actions and activities: the student themselves or such external factors as
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Photos by Andree R. Philpot
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