Peer-reviewed research2017–2026 update
What Went Well? Understanding the Culture of a Long-Term Israeli Environmental Education Primary School Program
A school's environmental education programme has lasted almost two decades thanks to five linked features: leadership and vision, resources, nature connection, community engagement, and tradition.
What's new
This case study looked at how the Lesser Kestrel programme at one school (Falcon School) survived and became part of the school's culture. The researchers inductively analysed documents, focus groups and individual interviews with staff. The programme's goals lined up with values-beliefs-norms theory across five features: leadership and vision, human and economic resources, nature connectedness and conservation, community engagement, and tradition. Tradition tied the other four together. Working together, these features brought the surrounding community into the school's culture.
Why it matters in Aotearoa
Many EOTC and environmental programmes depend on one enthusiastic teacher and fade when that person leaves. This case gives schools a simple set of features to look at when building programmes that last.
Putting it into practice
Review a long-running EOTC or environmental programme against the five features and pick the weakest one, such as community engagement, to strengthen this year.
How strong is the evidence
This is a single-school qualitative case study based on staff perspectives. The features describe one setting and may not carry across to others.
What to read
The findings section describing the five features and how tradition links them.