2004 Ecological and Environmental Education SIG Program

With the 2004 Annual Meeting fast approaching, it is my pleasure to provide a brief introduction to the EEE SIG program.

This year the SIG was able to accept 20 of the 32 paper/poster proposals that were received. As in previous years, the process of selecting proposals and compiling the programme was helped by input from a large number of reviewers. I am extremely grateful to colleagues who took the time to undertake this important task.

As you will see from the program details on the website, the SIG has five sessions at AERA 2004 (a new member poster session, two paper sessions, a roundtable session and an Invited Speaker session/business meeting). Drawing on ideas expressed at the business meeting at AERA 2003, I have tried to organise the paper sessions around two themes: methodological issues and learning. Meanwhile, the poster and roundtable sessions will provide opportunity for consideration of a wide range of topics, such as teacher education, sustainability in higher education, curriculum development, pedagogy and community-based initiatives. As with SIG programmes in the past, there is a strong international dimension to all of the sessions.

I am pleased to announce that the Invited Speaker Session will focus on 'Researching Environmental Learning: New Directions and Possibilities'. This will feature a keynote presentation from Professor Barbara Rogoff of the University of California, Santa Cruz who will talk about 'Learning through Intent Participation in Cultural Activity'. With input from two discussants within the SIG (Paul Hart and Kirsten Ellenbogen), I hope that this will prove a fruitful and stimulating discussion.

As in previous years, there will be opportunity for more informal interaction during the fieldtrip on Tuesday afternoon/evening. This will involve a visit to the world-famous San Diego Zoo (with a tour of their educational work), followed by an evening meal somewhere in San Diego.

I look forward to seeing you in San Diego.

Mark Rickinson
EEE SIG Program Chair

National Foundation for Educational Research
The Mere, Upton Park, Slough SL1 2DQ United Kingdom
m.rickinson@nfer.ac.uk