Dissertation (MA Education)
This study was designed to assess the status of environmental ethics teaching in Tanzanian primary schools. Four objectives guided the study namely to: (i) Examine the
accessibility of the environmental ethics content in the environmental education content for primary school curriculum, (ii) determine teachers‟ understanding of the ethical dimensions in the teaching of environmental education, (iii) examine the transforming potential of the teaching and learning strategies and (iv) determine the effectiveness of the assessment procedures for defining the pupils‟ acquisition of the environmental ethics. The study was conducted in the Morogoro region involving two districts namely Mvomero and Kilosa. The informants included in the study were two WEOs, four heads
of schools, sixteen teachers, and twenty-four pupils. The study findings revealed that while the educational policies and curriculum had highlighted the need to teach the environmental education content by emphasizing the ethical aspects, the environmental education content in the subject syllabi and texts books were not viable with the suggested content. Secondly, the findings revealed that the majority of interviewed informants understood only the biophysical dimensions of environmental ethics instead of environmental values and sustainability. Thirdly, the study found that the informants understand the transforming potential of teaching and learning strategies but there is a gap between their knowledge and the actual teaching and learning situation of environmental education in primary schools. Finally, the study found that the assessment procedures of environmental ethics were only focused on the cognitive aspects hence, teachers were motivated to use standard testing in the form of tests and examinations to determine pupils‟ learning outcomes.