The aim of this study was to develop pre-service science teachers’ self-determined motivation toward environment before, after and five months following the environmental course activities guided by self-determination theory. The sample of the study was 33 pre-service science teachers who participated in an environmental science course. This course included various environmental problems guided by selfdetermination theory, group discussions and class discussions. Data were gathered by administration of motivation toward environment and amotivation toward environment scaling to pre-service science teachers. The results of the study illustrated that pre-service science teachers’ intrinsic motivation increased after the course activities and five months following the course. PSTs’ negative capacity beliefs which refer to lack of capacity beliefs causing amotivation toward environment declined after the course activities and in the follow-up measurement. Significant results could not be found regarding other subscales of motivation toward environment and amotivation toward environment scales. These findings suggest that pre-service science teachers’ self-determined motivation toward environment was developed throughout the environmental activities guided by self-determination theory. However, there is a need to study with the larger sample and make a longlasting research to be able to find more significant results.

According to self-determination theory, social contexts that support students‟ basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness foster motivation toward behaviors that are valued in that social context. This study investigated the sociocontextual elements of a learning environment that support or undermine students‟ basic psychological needs as they relate to solving environmental problems. Individual stimulated-recall interviews were conducted with a student group after they participated in environmental problem-solving tasks over the course of a semester. Data were taken on students‟ reported feelings of competence, relatedness, and autonomy, and the classroom features to which they attributed those feelings. Six features of the instructional environment were inferred to be supportive of students‟ basic psychological needs. These are referred to as curricular interconnectivity, conceptualization problem sets, instructional guidance, socio-scientific integration throughout the curriculum, student-guided lecture, and cohesive group dynamics. One feature of the instructional environment seemed to undermine students‟ basic psychological needs; it is referred to as the “anything-goes” norm. These features are explained with supporting evidence and consequences regarding students‟ needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness. The article concludes with a discussion of considerations when constructing science curricula, given the impacts on environmental motivation.

Education for Sustainable Development has been discussed as problematic, as a top down directive promoting an ―indoctrinating‖ education. The concept of the intertwined dimensions (economic, social-cultural, and environmental) of sustainable development is seen both as an opportunity and as a limitation for pluralistic views of sustainability. In this paper we study possibilities that allow different perspectives of sustainability to emerge and develop in discussions. We focus on the conflicting perspectives of the intertwined dimensions in some main theoretical models in combination with the use of Wertsch’s function of speech framework to construct a conflict reflection tool. As an illustrative case, we apply this conflict reflection tool to an analysis of a discussion among seven secondary school teachers on climate change. The results in this particular example show the dynamics of speech genre and content in developing different perspectives. We conclude our paper with a discussion of the conflicting view of the integrated dimensions of sustainability in relation to an agonistic pluralistic approach, and we consider its relevance in an educational context.

The purpose of this research was to explore student endorsement of an environmental worldview during the college years through a sampling of freshmen and seniors. Nine independent samples of freshman and senior class undergraduates (N=779) were surveyed over a five year period in a small, independent liberal arts college. The survey instrument included the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) scale, demographic items, and other measures, such as knowledge of, and worry over, climate change, and perceived priority for environmental issues. In general, NEP endorsement was weakly proenvironmental and was higher among women. Endorsement was stable during the years of the study, except for a temporary, significantly lower level during the recession. Class status had no effect on either NEP endorsement or responses to two questions assessing knowledge of global warming. Knowledge of climate change was comparable to that shown in samples of the public taken by other researchers.

The case study reported in this paper is part of a larger multiple cross case analysis focusing on pre-service teachers with various initial confidence and attitudes toward science and science teaching. In this paper, the focus will be on one elementary teacher candidate, Lisa, who began the science methods course with a negative attitude and low self-efficacy. An in-depth description of her beliefs, attitude, and self-efficacy, before and after the course, the impact of her prior science experience and the science methods course on shaping these domains, and the possible interrelationship between the three variables are discussed. The findings revealed the impact of Lisa’s prior science experiences on all three domains and shed light on the interrelationship between her beliefs, attitude, and self-efficacy. Her course experiences allowed for changes in her beliefs about science and science teaching, and an improved attitude toward and a stronger sense of confidence toward learning and teaching science.

As the value of multi-disciplinary working in the business and research worlds is becoming more recognised, the number of inter-disciplinary postgraduate environmental and health sciences courses is also increasing. Equally, the popularity of problem-based learning (PBL) is expected to grow and influence instructional approaches in many disciplines. However, very limited research has been conducted to explore the perception of students of PBL in inter- or multi-disciplinary environments; particularly wide-ranging multi-disciplinary courses which cross the natural-social science barrier. The findings from this case study evidence the difficulties and benefits students derive from group PBL, many of which stem from working in multi-disciplinary and multiskilled groups on a part-time basis. Acknowledging, accepting and overcoming conflicts based upon prior experience that influences epistemological and ontological beliefs may be key to the development of effective PBL in inter-disciplinary and  multi-disciplinary programmes. Recommendations for good pedagogic practice to maximise learning in postgraduate environmental and science education are made.