Beyond contradiction: Exploring the work of secondary science teachers as they embed environmental education in curricula

Traditional secondary science education draws on markedly different pedagogies than those
made use of in contemporary environmental education, therefore, embedding
environmental education within secondary science curriculum presents both
epistemological and practical difficulties for teachers. This ethnographic study examines
the work of six secondary science teachers in Northern Ontario, Canada, as they engage in
an action research project focused on merging environmental education in their science
lessons. Over the course of five months the teachers examine and discuss their views and
their professional development related to the project. In the place of definitive conclusions,
six propositions relating the work of secondary science teachers to environmental
education, form the basis for a discussion of the implications of the study. The implications
are particularly relevant to secondary schools in Ontario, Canada, where the embedding of
environmental education in science studies has been mandated.