As indicated in Section 1.1 in relation to Goal 1 of the research (in Section 1.6), stakeholder participation and learning will be explored and described within the six elements of school community in relation to the Eco-School programme. The groups of stakeholders are teachers, students, parents and local organizations. The six elements chosen to form the focus of Goal 1 of the research are curriculum planning; teaching and learning; resource use and management; management of physical surrounds of the school; leadership, management and administration; and networks and partnerships - represented in Figure 2.2 below.
The six elements are an amalgamation of the Seychelles Ministry of Education's handbook entitled 'Improving the Governance of Schools' (2010) and the Australian government's handbook entitled 'Education for a Sustainable Future' (Department of Environment & Heritage, 2005). These elements form part of the daily operations that make up the system in schools (Gough & Sharpley, 2005) with respect to existing policies that guide the development of schools. These six elements are elaborated in the text that follows.
The element of curriculum planning requires an understanding of the national curriculum in order for teachers with the support of other stakeholders (where the need arise) to meet and plan for the different subjects in school. It involves selecting the content of the national curriculum for each particular subject at primary and secondary school level and organizing the learning objectives from the national curriculum into a termly plan (Ministry of Education, 2010). Teachers also make use of the Calendar of Activities produced annually by the Ministry of Education when planning their termly plans. The Calendar of Activities consists of information about environmental theme days, Eco-School activities and other information pertaining to national events. In the context of the Eco-School programme, teachers integrate environmental topics that are from the National Curriculum to promote environmental learning (Emilie, 2011). Emilie (2011) states that "Eco-Schools provide a framework of learning" for students to understand how different issues are linked to each other, such as the connections between transport and pollution and climate change, amongst
Figure 2.2 shows the six elements of school community
In line with the principle above, teachers are encouraged by the Ministry of Education (2010) to use their termly plan, as indicated above, to plan lessons with activities that are guided by appropriate methods and objectives for the development of knowledge, skills and values in students through the element of teaching and learning in schools. Teachers in Eco- Schools also make use of learning support materials that were received as donations from organizations to facilitate environmental learning as outlined in Section 2.2.3. One of the principles of teaching and learning in the Seychelles’ education system emphasizes the importance on the development of values in learning processes:
Teaching and learning cannot be value-free. Schools, along with parents and the wider community, have a strong influence on children’s values, which are developed through the curriculum as well as through the attitudes and behaviour that are demonstrated and encouraged in the schools (Ministry of Education, 2010, p.3)
Students are involved in teaching and learning when they participate in the discussions and activities planned and facilitated by the teachers promoting environmental learning within the context of the Eco-School programme. The Ministry of Education (2010) says that parents and the wider community should also be involved and collaborating with the teachers. The Ministry of Education (2010) points out that the input of the parents and the wider community are essential for the development of the school to become effective in providing the education that meets the needs of the students. Students must also be given the opportunity to reflect on their own learning and development whereby the schools must "listen to students' views and allow them to suggest ways in which they can contribute to the management and development of the school” (Ministry of Education, 2010, p. 22). In the context of the Eco-School programme, Emilie (2011) points out that, apart from teachers, the parents and the organizations also have a wealth of environmental knowledge to support teaching and learning in schools. Parents and organizations are invited by the teachers in Eco-Schools to facilitate learning on an environmental topic and also provide their support for outings organized by the teachers (Ministry of Education, 2010).
The element of resource use and management reflects an interest in the management of resources at school, namely, water, energy, and solid waste in the Eco-School context (Emilie, 2011). Emilie (ibid) adds that Eco-Schools engage in activities and projects to reduce the amount of resources they consume and to be responsible with the resources that
they use. For instance, Eco-Schools embark on recycling projects to "reduce the cost of buying materials to make different learning resources or even for craft work" (Emilie, ibid, p. 4). Apart from managing solid waste, Eco-Schools save money through energy and water conservation projects which the Department of Environment and Heritage (2005) and Emilie (ibid) claim make the schools become sustainable institutions. Emilie (ibid) states that Eco- Schools are providing learning opportunities for adults and students to engage in simple actions of switching off lights and other electrical appliances when leaving the rooms or harvesting rainwater as some examples of ways schools can save money. The Department of Environment and Heritage (2005) and the Ministry of Education (2010) point out that schools learn to save money for other initiatives, which in the case of the Eco-School programme are sustainability initiatives of other environmental projects at the school.
Furthermore, the physical surrounds of school element reflects the physical appearance, presentation and maintenance of the buildings and grounds in schools (Department of Environment and Heritage, 2005; Emilie, 2011). The Ministry of Education (2011) states that “School grounds must be free from hazards, well drained, include shady areas, kept clean and well-maintained at all times” (p. 39). The Department of Environment and Heritage (2005) states that teachers, students and parents work together for the "… sustainable management of grounds through activities such as habitat creation, mulching, vegetable gardening, landscaping ... and litter reduction" (p. 12). As a result of this, the appearance of the school grounds are naturalized, maintained for wildlife and used to the maximum by teachers and students for environmental learning (Department of Environment and Heritage, 2005; Emilie, ibid). Emilie (ibid) adds that apart from naturalization and maintenance of school grounds, the buildings are also maintained properly. For example, teachers and students work together to maintain the appearance of the classrooms by keeping them clean and attractive with potted plants and other decorations displayed inside and outside the classrooms (Emilie, ibid). Emilie (ibid) adds that such an approach to the maintenance of school grounds and buildings enables students and adults to develop a sense of responsibility for the physical surrounds of their Eco-School.
Networks and partnerships is the fifth element of school community. The school's
partnership with parents and the wider community establishes a wide array of support such as donation of educational resources to support environmental learning, facilitating
schools, to name a few (Department of Environment & Heritage, 2005). As a result of the partnerships, Eco-Schools gain access to resources that the school cannot provide or resources that are not available. The resources can be in the form of funds to support environmental projects and technical support for development and implementation of projects, amongst others (Emilie, 2013). This is also happening through other mechanisms in place in schools for networking and partnership such as Parents and Teachers Associations to communicate and request support of parents for the integration of the Eco-School programme in the schools, maintenance of the physical surrounds of the school or projects aimed at improving learning in schools (Ministry of Education, 2010). Emilie (2011) states that the "Eco-School programme is designed to involve as many people as possible, both inside and outside the school, to raise awareness of environmental issues and to improve the community spirit of an area" (p. 4). In addition, Eco-schools are encouraged to establish internal lines of communication with teachers and students and external lines of communication with parents and other partners to provide information pertaining to school life in relation to the Eco-School programme.
The element of leadership, management and administration is about the integration of the Eco-School programme in schools. In order for the Eco-School programme to be integrated in the school's daily running, the Eco-School committee is involved in the coordination of the programme based on its vision and goals (Emilie, 2011). According to Emilie (ibid) schools registered with the programme are encouraged to have teachers, students and parents as members on the Eco-School committee. They have responsibilities as representatives of their respective cycle or group to provide support to the school environment leader (chairperson of the committee) for the coordination of the programme at the school. The Eco-School committee meet regularly to plan, implement, monitor and evaluate the integration of activities and projects through communication, decision making and taking actions (Emilie, ibid).
The stakeholders' involvement in the Eco-School programme through the six elements of school community will not necessarily be at the same level. One group of stakeholders could be involved in the coordination of the programme while another group is involved in a more supportive role or a peripheral role. The next section sub-section describes different levels of participation within a community of practice in order to explore these different roles and degrees of involvement.