Managing Environmental Education Activities for Students in Primary Schools

and testing to achieve the general goals of the education system.

1.2.2.3. School management

School management (SLM) is a concept that is often discussed in parallel with the concept of educational management. Nguyen Ngoc Quang (2012) considers SLM as implementing the Party's educational policy within the scope of its responsibility, that is, operating the school according to educational principles, to move towards educational goals, training goals for the education sector, for the younger generation and for each student. Tran Kiem (2008) believes that micro-level SLM is the management of educational activities in schools, including a system of targeted impacts of the principal on educational activities, on people (teachers, staff, students), on resources (facilities, finance, information, etc.), on influences outside the school in a lawful manner to achieve educational goals. Tran Ngoc Giao (2012) defines educational management as a system of intentional, planned, and lawful impacts of the management subject on the collective of teachers, staff, students, parents, and educational forces in and outside the school to achieve quality and effective educational goals.

Through analyzing the concepts of school management, it can be defined: School management is the process of influencing the subject of school management (Principal) on the management objects (teachers, employees, students) in the school in mobilizing, promoting, combining, using, adjusting, and coordinating resources (human resources, material resources, financial resources) inside and outside the school (parents, society) through the process of planning, organizing, leading and inspecting to achieve the educational goals set by the school.

Maybe you are interested!

For primary schools, the subjects of school management include: principal, vice principal, group leader, block leader, in which the principal is the head. The subjects of management in primary schools are teaching and educational activities, related activities carried out by the team of teachers, staff, students with the support of other educational forces, resources and conditions. The educational goal of primary schools is to form and develop the capacity and qualities of students in the direction of comprehensive personality development. To achieve educational goals, managers need to grasp and effectively apply theories on educational management, school management.

school in accordance with school rules and practices.

1.2.2.4. Management of environmental education activities

Environmental education is an educational activity. Therefore, managing environmental education activities is managing an educational activity. It is a process of purposeful, planned impact, selected content, methods, means and forms of organization and implementation. On that basis, we can define as follows:

- Approach based on management functions: Management of environmental education activities is the continuous, planned, organized, directed and controlled impact of the subject managing environmental education activities through a system of specific criteria, standards, policies, principles and methods to achieve the set educational goals.

- Approach based on management contents: Management of environmental education activities for students is the intentional impact of the management subject on the elements constituting environmental education activities including goals, content, forms, methods, testing, evaluation and supporting conditions to achieve the proposed educational goals.

From the concepts of management, educational management, school management and the analysis of environmental education management above, in this thesis, we use the concept of environmental education management in the direction of combining the content approach with the functional approach. From there, it can be defined as follows: Environmental education management is the continuous, planned, organized, directed and controlled impact of the environmental education management subject on the elements that constitute the environmental education including goals, content, form, method, inspection, evaluation and supporting conditions to help environmental education activities achieve the desired results.

1.2.2.5. Managing environmental education activities for students in primary schools

From the concept of environmental education activity management presented in section 1.2.2.4 and the current practice of environmental education activities in primary schools in Vietnam, the concept of environmental education activity management in primary schools is used in the thesis: "Management of environmental education activities for primary school students is the continuous, planned, organized, directed and controlled impact of the management subject on the elements constituting environmental education activities including goals, content, forms, methods, testing, evaluation and supporting conditions through the integration of environmental education into subjects in primary schools (Vietnamese, Ethics, Science, Nature and Society).

Social Sciences, Geography and History) and through extracurricular activities to help environmental education activities achieve the desired results".

1.3. Theory on Environmental Education Activities for Primary School Students

1.3.1. Objectives of environmental education for primary school students

The United Nations International Conference on Environmental Education held in Tbilisi in 1977 introduced the concept of "Environmental education aims to make individuals and communities understand the complex nature of the natural and built environment as a result of the interaction of many biological, physical, social, economic and cultural factors; provide them with knowledge, awareness of values, attitudes and practical skills so that they can participate responsibly and effectively in preventing and solving environmental problems and managing environmental quality" (Nguyen Thi Thu Hang, 1994).

Based on the primary education goals of Vietnamese schools, on the basis of studying the environmental education goals of countries around the world, researchers on environmental education in Vietnam, Nguyen Duoc (1986), Nguyen Phi Hanh - Nguyen Thi Thu Hang (1994), Nguyen Thi Than (1998) have identified specific goals on environmental education for primary school students as follows:

+ Environmental education aims to equip students with basic knowledge suitable for their age and psychology about the environment, environmental factors, their relationships with each other, the role of the environment for humans and the impact of humans on the environment.

+ Educate children to be aware of different aspects of the environment and environmental issues, and to be responsible for environmental protection.

+ Develop skills to protect and preserve the environment, and skills to respond positively to environmental problems.

+ Forming for students some age-appropriate environmental protection habits.

According to module code 43 TH - Environmental education in some subjects in Primary school of the Ministry of Education and Training (2015), the goal of environmental education in primary school is determined as follows:

- Regarding knowledge: equip students with a system of basic initial knowledge about the environment suitable for their age and psychology. Specifically:

+ Have basic initial understanding of nature and environment;

+ Recognize the close relationship and mutual impact between humans and the environment, and the impacts of human activities on the environment;

+ Problems of the natural and global environment, consequences of environmental change;

- Regarding attitude: It is necessary to form in students a sense of concern for the environment and a responsible attitude towards the environment. Specifically:

+ Gradually foster in students a love of nature, respect for nature and a need to protect the environment;

+ Be aware of the importance of cleanliness to human life, develop a positive attitude towards the environment;

+ Show interest in improving the environment to be aware of using it properly, have a critical spirit towards acts that pollute the environment;

+ Be aware of propaganda and mobilize everyone to participate in environmental protection.

living.

- Regarding behavior: It is necessary to equip students with positive skills and behaviors.

in environmental protection. Specifically:

+ Have the skills to assess human impacts on nature and predict their consequences;

+ Actively and effectively participate in hygiene activities, ensure the cleanliness of the living environment, and actively participate in the conservation of resources.

Based on the study of environmental education goals for primary school students by researchers in Vietnam and Module 43, the researcher agreed that the goals of environmental education for primary school students include (1) Cognitive: Providing initial knowledge about the environment; (2) Awareness and attitude: Knowing how to care about environmental issues; (3) Behavior: Developing skills to respond to the environment; (4) Forming some environmental protection habits for students.

1.3.2. Environmental education content for primary school students

The content of environmental education in primary schools is specified in the teacher training documents of the Ministry of Education and Training (2008) including:

* About educational knowledge for students:

- A system of basic, elementary knowledge about the components of nature, about the cause-and-effect relationships in nature, about the relationship between the environment and the life of plants and animals, with crop and livestock productivity, about the relationship between trees and other elements of the environment, about the consequences of destroying trees, destroying animals and actions that pollute the surrounding environment, about the role of water in animal life, about the relationship between population and the environment.

- Knowledge about using natural resources reasonably, avoiding indiscriminate exploitation and waste that causes resources to quickly become exhausted.

- Knowledge of measures to protect, restore and enrich the natural environment, limit the impacts that destroy the ecological balance in the environment, and prevent actions that pollute the environment.

- Knowledge about environmental protection, human labor and recreation such as measures to prevent natural disasters, physical and chemical factors harmful to the environment and human labor such as sound intensity, radiation, electromagnetic fields, vibration, noise... measures to protect public cultural works, historical relics, natural landscapes.

- Concepts of the relationship between population and environment in the urbanization process, because these are important causes affecting ecological balance and environmental pollution.

*Regarding attitude, educate students to love nature, love plants, animals, not like to play in polluted environments; have the right attitude towards environmental protection responsibilities.

*In terms of skills, train students to know how to keep the surrounding environment clean; know how to observe and analyze the current state of the surrounding environment; know how to protect natural resources such as trees, animals, land, water...; initially have the ability to propose solutions

solutions to environmental pollution problems; know how to use and recycle some simple products.

*Regarding behavior, forming some environmental protection behaviors in students such as having the habit of throwing garbage in the right place; using water and energy sources economically; using paper, notebooks and school supplies economically; actively participating in activities to protect and improve the quality of the living environment such as tree planting and protection movements, keeping the school clean and beautiful, building school gardens and the family "Garden - Pond - Barn" model.

1.3.3. Forms of environmental education for primary school students

According to the set of documents for training teachers on environmental education for students in primary schools of the Ministry of Education and Training (2008), there are two forms of environmental education: Integration and integration of environmental protection education content through subjects and through extracurricular activities.

1.3.3.1. Environmental education through integration and mainstreaming in subjects

The most convenient and effective way to impart environmental education knowledge to students is still the form of integration and integration in subjects. In addition to the knowledge from the lesson content, students can also accumulate knowledge about the environment, thereby forming awareness of protection and preservation.

- Environmental education through the content of subjects. Through education through teaching subjects, students are able to understand, analyze and express their attitudes towards environmental situations and incidents; receive correct information to have enough courage to make important decisions regarding environmental issues in the places where they live; and are equipped with new skills to act effectively for their decisions.

In primary schools, environmental education is integrated into the subjects: Vietnamese, Ethics, Nature and Society, Science, History and Geography, and Fine Arts. Integrating environmental education knowledge into the content of subjects is a very difficult task for teachers, because this work requires both knowing how to exploit environmental content, ensuring that the requirements of the subject are integrated, and not taking up more time than the program's regulations. Therefore, to achieve high efficiency, the process of exploiting environmental education opportunities must ensure certain principles. That is: Do not change the nature, characteristics

Presenting subjects, not turning subject lessons into environmental education lessons; Exploiting environmental education content selectively, focusing on certain chapters, not spreading it arbitrarily; Highly promoting students' active cognitive activities and their existing practical experiences, making the most of all possibilities for students to have direct contact with the environment.

At the primary level, the opportunities for environmental education through the content of subjects are very large. They can be generalized into the following three types of opportunities: First, the main content of the lesson, or some parts of the subject content, overlap with the content of environmental education. Second, some content of the lesson or certain parts of the subject are directly related to the content of environmental education. Third, in some parts of the content of the subject, other lessons, examples, exercises, and assignments are considered as a type of material used to exploit environmental education issues.

1.3.3.2. Environmental education through extracurricular activities

Extracurricular activities at the primary level are favorable conditions and suitable for students' need to participate in collective activities. The diverse forms of extracurricular activities help to convey educational content, especially environmental education, to students in a gentle, natural and attractive way.

Through extracurricular activities and collective activities, environmental education content for students is extremely diverse and effective: organizing various forms of field trips and picnics; organizing specialized activities under the flag; through class meetings, activities of the Ho Chi Minh Young Pioneers and Ho Chi Minh Children's Teams, and environmental education knowledge competitions with rich content and diverse forms suitable for the age of primary school students.

Environmental education is not only integrated into subjects (in class, outside class) or extracurricular activities but also taught through other activities such as: practicing keeping the school and classroom clean; decorating the classroom beautifully; educating children's rights and accessing life skills. The two forms of education above are unified and support each other. However, each form has certain advantages. Therefore, it is necessary to combine both forms in environmental education.

According to the new General Education Program 2018, environmental education content for primary school level is

implemented in the form of experiential activities with many forms: activities in and out of the classroom, in and out of school. Experiential activities are regulated with a total of 105 periods/school year/grade. Therefore, the HĐGDNGLL (Old Program) is now redesigned according to experiential activities according to the 2018 General Education Program.

1.3.4. Environmental education methods for primary school students

Environmental education has achieved its goals as reflected in the criteria of knowledge, awareness, attitude and behavior. To achieve that, the choice of method plays an important role. The Conference on Environmental Education in Tbilisi (1977) affirmed: Environmental education is most effective through the participation of learners. Therefore, teaching and educational methods must mobilize to the maximum the participation and contribution of students in learning activities and environmental protection practices. Environmental education is implemented in two forms: integration into subjects and through extracurricular activities. Therefore, when organizing environmental education activities, depending on each form and conditions, a number of teaching methods and educational methods can be used as follows:

- Teaching methods are ways of working between teachers and students, thanks to which students master knowledge, skills, techniques, form world views and abilities. Environmental education activities for primary school students can use the following teaching methods: problem solving, conversation method, discussion method, method of using visual materials, method of using words to explain, storytelling, reading documents, practice method.

- Educational method is the way the educator influences the educated through the organization of reasonable pedagogical activities and exchanges of students to form awareness, foster emotions, practice skills and habits of their personality behavior. Educational method is related to educational means and educational organization forms. Environmental education activities for primary school students can use some of the following educational methods: exemplary method, competition - reward method, dialogue and debate method, assignment method, field method (a learning method outside the classroom that helps students have the opportunity to observe relationships in the natural environment, the relationship between

Comment