Students as learners and facilitators of their own learning 122

Students as another group of stakeholders are at the centre of learning in the programme and are regarded predominantly as part of the active group as they learn and participate regularly in the activities and projects with adults. This is reflected in the joint enterprise of the community of practice in each Eco-School as outlined in Section 5.4. Most of the students in each Eco-School are involved in only four of the practices of each Eco-School community as indicated in Table 6.1.

The students are not involved at all in the administration and management of the programme and this implies that they do not have any input into the planning and discussions that are taken up only by teachers as discussed in Sections 5.2.1 and 5.3.1. Moreover, evidence by research participants in cases 1 and 2 also suggest that students are not facilitating environmental learning in activities and projects organized at each Eco-School (Sections 4.2.5, 4.2.6, 4.2.7, 4.3.5, 4.3.6 & 4.3.7).

In the practice of management of physical surrounds and management of resources, there is a group of students who are actively involved as participants alongside a group of adults, who are mostly responding to instructions and learning from the experiences of teachers. Evidence in Sections 4.2.7 and 4.3.7 suggest that there is a group of students who are promoting what they are learning from teachers with peers at school and parents at home for the practice of management of resources. It is not clear how often the students are doing this. It is for this reason that this particular group of students in case 1 have been regarded to be part of the occasional group of that practice.

Students are also sometimes facilitators of their own learning and this has placed them into the occasional group of members in the practice of network and partnership because they

only participate when a topic is of interest to them. Several examples of how students are occasionally involved as facilitators of their own learning relates to students’ application of scientific knowledge from classroom interactions to prepare for the Science Fair project in case 1 (Section 4.2.6). Consulting adults or doing their own research in preparation for competitions initiated by environmental organizations is another example of students being facilitators of their own learning (Sections 4.2.8 & 4.3.8). The advantage of sharing of knowledge amongst students and adults is argued by Reid et al., (2002 – Section 2.3.1) to support the development of knowledge amongst people and lead to cognitive gains and development of a community.

5.3.3 Parents as facilitators of environmental learning and resource providers

Compared to teachers and students, it was noted that fairly a small group of parents is involved in the programme based on findings from Chapter 4 for each Eco-School. As indicated in Table 6.1, the parents are operating in the occasional group across four of the practices of each Eco-School community. Their occasional involvement is a result of teachers who invite them to school to either facilitate environmental learning as guest speakers or participate in environmental activities and projects in the school. It was only evident in case 1 as indicated in Table 6.1 that one parent who is the PTA chairperson is sharing ideas in the administration of the programme and acts as a leader in seeking funding for projects and materials to support environmental learning at the school. For the other practices, a minority of parents are also operating in the occasional group - contributing materials, and participating in the projects once informed by the teachers.

5.3.4 Environmental organizations as facilitators of environmental learning, leaders, initiators and resource providers

Fairly similar to parents, only some organizations are involved in the programme based upon invitation from the core group of the community or through their own EE/EfS initiatives (Sections 2.2.3 and 4.2.8 & 4.3.8). As indicated in Table 6.1 the environmental organizations are suggested by evidence to be in the 'transactional group' across four practices: teaching and learning, management of physical surrounds of the school, and management of resources, networks and partnerships. As indicated in Table 6.1, some environmental organizations are operating in the occasional group for the practice of teaching and learning. This is because the environmental organizations are involved

field of specialisation (Sections 4.2.5, 4.2.8, 4.3.5 & 4.3.8). Even if the environmental organizations could be seen as a leader facilitating environment learning, they do not meet the criteria of the core group, because of two reasons. One is because they are not regularly facilitating environmental learning at the school based on evidence in Sections 4.2.5 and 4.3.5. The other reason is because they do not participate strongly in discussions and other projects at the school like other members who are in the core group.

In addition, the environmental organizations operating in the transactional group are providing services to both Eco-Schools and requesting their participation in activities, competitions and campaigns. The organizations are providing services to the two Eco- Schools, namely by facilitating environmental learning upon request from teachers, facilitating teacher professional development sessions, donating learning support materials and funding environmental projects (Sections 2.2.3.2, 2.2.3.3, 2.2.3.4, 2.2.3.5, 2.2.3.6, 4.2.5, 4.2.6, 4.2.8, 4.3.5, 4.3.6 & 4.3.8). The organizations are also requesting the participation of the two Eco-Schools, namely through the campaigns, activities and competitions that they initiate in line with their educational action plans in response to socio-ecological issues in Seychelles (Sections 2.2.3.1, 2.2.3.2, 2.2.3.4, 2.2.3.5, 4.2.8 & 4.3.8). In the process of providing the above mentioned services to both schools, the organizations are providing support for environmental learning and projects in both Eco-Schools.