GREEN SCHOOLS - THE IMPLEMENTATION AND PRACTICES OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN LEED AND USED GREEN RIBBON PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN VIRGINIA - academic study

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by dabgoudw

The study examines the environmental education curriculum used within Green Schools defined as facilities with LEED certification or USED Green Ribbon recognition. No single standard currently exists for how environmental education should be implemented or how schools use the building as a teaching tool. Researchers surveyed Green Schools across Virginia using a consent-based eSurvey. Results from 14 participating schools, with 98 respondents, identify common programs and practices and highlight teacher use of LEED buildings to support sustainable instruction.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages17

Reading Time43 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Research Questions

GREEN SCHOOLS – THE IMPLEMENTATION AND PRACTICES OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN LEED AND USED GREEN RIBBON PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN VIRGINIA Steven A. Marable Virginia Beach City Public Schools, Virginia ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine the environmental education curriculum which has been utilized within Green Schools. The study defined Green Schools as educational facilities with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification or United States Education Department (USED) Green Ribbon recognition. Currently, thereis no set standard for the implementation of environmental education in Green Schools or for schools that utilize the building as a teaching tool for students. The researcher surveyed Green Schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia in order to better understand what common programs and curricula were being utilized. The findings will assist in establishing pedagogical best practices for environmental education while describing how LEED certified buildings are currently being used by educators as a teaching tool to support sustainable practices. Overall, 14 Green Schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia agreed to participate in the study. Once principals and staff gave consent to participate in the study, they were asked to respond to an eSurvey, which consisted of 14 multiple choice and open response survey items. Overall, 98 principals and staffparticipated in the survey. Quantitative data were collected through multiple choice survey questions analyzed to report descriptive statistics about the sample population. Qualitative data were examined by emerging themes according to pedagogical strategies and programs. The findings from the study indicated that teachers are employing practices that are consistent with current emphases on environmental education. Data also supported that educators take pride in their buildings and incorporate the facility as a teaching tool in a variety of instructional practices throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. INTRODUCTION Gordon (2010) defines Green Schools as the results of the planning, designing, and construction process that, “takes into account a building’s performance over its entire 50-60 year live cycle” (p. 1) with a focus on creating an environment that is optimal for learning. Green Schools create this optimal environment by providing fresh air, a comfortable temperature range, with plenty of natural lighting, and minimizes distractions from nearby noises “while also maximizing resource efficiency, minimizing pollution, and teaching students the importance of innovation in the built environment”(p. 1) . While there has been a growing trend in Green School research, much of the research has emphasized the building components and energy conservation, rather than how the building features are utilized to teach students about sustainability. In order to be called a Green School, the building must teach about sustainability. Green Schools have two components that are tied directly to educating students about sustainability. The first component is that the building is utilized as a teaching tool for students to learn about sustainability. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) 2009 for Schools New Construction defines the school as a teaching tool when it has a curriculum based on Educational Planning 49 Vol. 22, No. 1 the green performance features of the building that is implemented within 10 months of the LEED Certification. The curriculum must meet state requirements and go beyond a mere description of the features. Instead, the building should “explore the relationship between human ecology, natural ecology and the building”(USGBC, 2012, np) . The second component a school must incorporate to maintain its Green School status is that the building must utilize a curriculum for teaching environmental (or sustainable) education. This component does not directly tie sustainability to the features of the building; rat

FAQs

How does the study define Green Schools?

Green Schools are defined as educational facilities with LEED certification or USED Green Ribbon recognition.

What method did the study use to gather data?

The study used an eSurvey with multiple-choice and open-response items sent after principals and staff consented.

What did the findings suggest about environmental education practices?

The findings indicate teachers employ practices aligned with current emphases in environmental education and incorporate their facilities as teaching tools across instructional approaches in Virginia.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by dabgoudw