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Studies have shown that young people have a keen interest in environmental issues and the controversies surrounding them, yet environmental controversies often struggle to gain unfettered access to the classroom curriculum. This article discusses the findings of a research project that investigated the beliefs of secondary school teachers about a proposal to build a pulp mill in Tasmania. The study found that teachers were wary of the political context but nonetheless discerned the educational benefits of including subject matter of topical and particular interest to their students in the classroom curriculum. Although environmental controversies can be hot to handle, this paper argues that a student-centred approach to curriculum design, organised around issues of relevance and meaning to young people, offers scope for substantive engagement and deep learning.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Research Division:	Education
Research Group:	Curriculum and pedagogy
Research Field:	Curriculum and pedagogy theory and development
Objective Division:	Education and Training
Objective Group:	Teaching and curriculum
Objective Field:	Teaching and curriculum not elsewhere classified
UTAS Author:	Dowden, T (Dr Richard Dowden)
ID Code:	75552
Year Published:	2011
Deposited By:	Education
Deposited On:	2012-02-02
Last Modified:	2017-08-25
Downloads:	3 View Download Statistics