Environmental Education and Academic Border Crossings - Addressing (Educational) Imperialism in Aotearoa New Zealand

Oct 15, 2026

Environmental Education and Academic Border Crossings explores how environmental education used to promote “sustainable” living can become challenging when crossing national and cultural borders. It examines whether cross-boundary pedagogical aims genuinely support a sustainable future or instead reproduce (educational) imperialism, especially given trans-boundary environmental problems and border-blurring technologies like the internet. Drawing on the author’s experience teaching in Aotearoa New Zealand, it emphasizes culturally grounded communication and uses reflexivity, respect, dignity, and reciprocity to mediate imperialistic effects.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages19

Reading Time48 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Challenges of trans-boundary environmental education

Educational imperialism and cultural boundaries

Nomadic academics and alternative paradigms

Pedagogical approaches and principles

Environmental Education and Academic Border Crossings: Addressing (Educational) Imperialism in Aotearoa New Zealand Stefanie S. Rixecker, Mana Whakatau Putaio, Lincoln University, Aotearoa New Zealand Abstract The increasing use of environmental education as a vehicle for directing people’s behaviours and attitudes towards “sustainable” living confronts a number of challenges when implemented across national and cultural borders. The extent to which it is possible to reconcile culturally inscribed pedagogical pursuits across boundaries—whether physically, geographically, or socioculturally constructed—demands special attention to whether such pursuits genuinely reflect a “sustainable future” or whether they merely reflect a new form of (educational) imperialism. The combined realities of the trans-boundary nature of many environmental problems and the increased use of boundary blurring technologies, such as the internet, require environmental educators to consider the relevance and challenges of such borders and boundaries. This is no less true for “nomadic academics” who are educated within one set of cultural norms, e.g., in the Western, modern paradigm, and ultimately teach in alternative settings where the modern, Western paradigm is not the only, or the “best,” set of values which exist. In order to address these issues, I provide a narrative concerning my experiences as an American-trained political scientist teaching sociocultural issues and environmental management in Aotearoa New Zealand. Due to the significance of Maori, Aotearoa’s First People, the expression of partnership conveyed in Te Tiriti o Waitangi/Treaty of Waitangi and the recognition of Maori resource management practices in New Zealand’s primary piece of environmental legislation, the Resource Management Act 1991, it is vital that environmental educators learn to use pedagogical techniques which enhance cross-cultural communication and thereby attempt to minimise imperialising effects. In my paper, I not only reflect upon these challenges, but I discuss four princi- Canadian Journal of Environmental Education, 4, Summer 1999 213 ples useful in mediating continued (educational) imperialism: reflexivity, respect, dignity, and reciprocity. Résumé Le recours croissant à l’éducation relative à l’environnement comme véhicule pour orienter les comportements et les attitudes des gens vers une vie “ durable “ soulève nombre de défis outre les frontières nationales et culturelles. La réconciliation possible des poursuites pédagogiques inscrites dans les cultures entre les frontières—qu’elles soient physiques, géographiques ou socioculturelles—exige une attention spéciale pour que ces poursuites reflètent véritablement un “ développement durable “ et non simplement une nouvelle forme d’impérialisme (éducationnel) . Les réalités combinées de la nature transfrontalièrede plusieurs problèmes environnementaux et l’utilisation accruede technologies qui brouillent les frontières, telles qu’Internet, font en sorte que les éducateurs en environnement doivent considérer la pertinence et les défis de telles limites ou frontières. Cela est tout aussi vrai pour les “ universitairesnomades “ dont l’éducation s’inspire d’un ensemble de normes culturelles, par exemple selon le paradigme occidental moderne, et qui finissent par enseigner dans d’autres situations où ce paradigme n’est pas le seul ou le “ meilleur “ ensemble devaleurs existantes. Pour aborder ces questions, je donne un exposé de faits sur mes expériences à titre de scientifique politique formé aux États-Unis et enseignant des enjeux socioculturels et la gestion de l’environnement à Aotearoa, en Nouvelle-Zélande. Étant donné l’importance des Maoris, la Première Nation d’Aotearoa, l’expression de partenariat rendue dans le traité de Waitangi et la recon-naissance des pratiques degestion des ressources des Maoris dans le principal document delégislation environnementale de la Nouvelle-Zélande, le Resource

FAQs

Why can environmental education promote “sustainable” living while still creating challenges across borders?

Because shaping behaviours and attitudes across national and cultural differences raises questions about whether pedagogical goals reflect a sustainable future or instead reproduce (educational) imperialism.

What role do trans-boundary environmental problems and technologies like the internet play?

They intensify the need for environmental educators to consider borders and boundary blurring in both relevance and difficulty, since environmental issues rarely stay within single boundaries.

Which four principles does the paper propose to mediate ongoing (educational) imperialism?

Reflexivity, respect, dignity, and reciprocity.

Oct 15, 2026

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