Title:	Natural Science Education, Indigenous Knowledge, and Sustainable Development in Rural and Urban Schools in Kenya
Authors:	Darren M. O’Hern Yoshiko Nozaki
Keywords:	Urban Schools in Kenya
Issue Date:	2014
Publisher:	Sense Publishers
Description:	Acquiring appropriate knowledge about the natural environment through education is one of the most vital components in our global efforts for a sustainable future; however, we—whether we are educators, researchers, policy makers, or community activists—often face challenges, contradictions, and adversaries at local levels when planning and practicing such education.1 There is a pressing need to conduct research on the content of, and pedagogical approaches to, education for sustainability, since questions about how—and, indeed, if—the human race can sustain the globe and its societies have become topics of critical concern and debate in nearly all regions of the world in recent years.2 To meet the challenge, the United Nations General Assembly has designated the years from 2005 to 2014 as the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, suggesting that the process of education and educational institutions (e.g., schools) are crucial for ensuring the world’s sustainable future. As Kazuhiko Takemoto (2011), program director and senior fellow at the United Nations University,3 puts it: In order to ensure a sustainable future, people of all ages and walks of life need to start thinking and acting more responsibly towards our environment. But it is impossible to ask this of anyone without first making sure that people understand a right choice from a wrong choice and that they have the information and skills needed to follow through on whatever choice they make. (para. 4) For Takemoto, education is “the answer,” as it transforms people’s views and behaviors and provides the knowledge and skills they need for building a sustainable future. He further contends that, in order to succeed in education for sustainability, we need to understand local needs, values, and insights and take bottom-up, grassroots approaches, since “we will never be able to change people’s behaviors by simply telling them what to do” (Takemoto, 2011, para. 8). In other words, it is vital to listen to local voices that often go unheard in discussions of educational policy and implementation and comprehend layers of perspectives on teaching and learning about the natural environment.
URI:	http://10.6.20.12:80/handle/123456789/57900
ISBN:	978-94-6209-542-7
Appears in Collections:	Rural Development Studies

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