Organisations and environmental education

Self-learning pathways for teachers and educators in nature conservation

Abstract

In response to the growing urgency of ecological challenges, organisations engaged in nature conservation, along with educational stakeholders – particularly teachers and other educators – can play a pivotal role in fostering environmental awareness and responsibility. This paper explores the potential contribution of organisations, ranging from NGOs to public institutions at national and international levels, in supporting self-directed learning pathways for teachers and other educators by investigating the resources available on their websites. A curated list of 36 organisations was developed through databases consultation, targeted web searches, and expert input. An overview of potential pathways – based on organisations’ open educational resources – was constructed through a set of core elements related to environmental education aims: construction and dissemination of ecological knowledge; local applications of ecological theoretical content; data management and sharing; predictive ecological models and scenarios; environmental management and attention to administrative policies; tailored educational activities inspired by emerging ecological research. The work shows that organisations support self-directed professional development by providing open educational resources, datasets, case studies, and participatory initiatives, enabling teachers and other educators to engage with real-world environmental challenges and innovative tools while enhancing their ecological knowledge and pedagogical practices. The study suggests future directions for strengthening collaboration between organisations and teachers or other educators, in the development of innovative learning materials and educational experiences.